Kansas City Chiefs: Five 2014 First Round Picks to Watch For in 2018
By Ben Almquist
The Kansas City Chiefs decided to pick up the fifth year option on Dee Ford. Here are five former first round picks of 2014 that didn’t get picked up for the Chiefs to watch.
It seemed unlikely to happen for a bit, but the Kansas City Chiefs finally decided to use the 5th year option on linebacker Dee Ford. The Chiefs made the big decision this week with just days to spare. The 5th year option locks Ford in for the 2018 season for $8.7 million.
It’s hard to believe that this decision was the “no brainer” that Chiefs GM John Dorsey has said it was. Earlier in the draft process, Kansas City was showing plenty of interest in edge rusher draft prospects. Between a mostly lackluster career and the 5th year option not being used at the time, it’s not hard to connect the dots there.
However, with the option being utilized, Dee Ford will get another shot to show the Chiefs were right to draft him in 2014. Ford is coming off of a 10 sack season, which does show promise for the future. However, he has to become both more productive and consistent to be worth what Kansas City is paying.
The Chiefs pass rush has to get better in 2017. As the focus of Bob Sutton’s defense, KC needs to be able to disrupt opposing quarterbacks far more consistently. It is the aspect of the defense that alleviates the pressure on the other positions. It is also something we have not seen over the past couple of years.
Other Players Not So Lucky
However, the real focus this week should be on the players not having their option exercised. While Dee Ford is guaranteed another season with his team, there are many players who are not. Some of them are very talented players that could play a role for the Chiefs in 2018.
Declined 2018 fifth-year options: Sammy Watkins, Kyle Fuller, Calvin Pryor, Marcus Smith, Teddy Bridgewater and likely Greg Robinson.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 2, 2017
Under John Dorsey, the Chiefs have shown a penchant for capitalizing on the mistakes of other teams. This is just another opportunity to do that as some of these players will be getting another chance. Sometimes that is all a player needs.
Looking through the list of players who won’t have their 5th year option exercised, I’ve found several that could benefit the Kansas City Chiefs. In fact, there are a couple that could make the Chiefs downright dominant. Let’s take a look…