Kansas City Chiefs: Hopefully Chiefs have been paying attention
By John McCarty
The 2018 offseason will go a long way in revealing how serious the Kansas City Chiefs are about being consistent winners. That means tough/unpopular decisions have to be made.
The New England Patriots have won consistently good for almost two decades now in part because they consistently win the long term offseason. Rarely does New England jump into big contracts or feel the need to spend big money on a bunch of players. No, the Patriots learned a lesson that the Kansas City Chiefs hopefully are becoming educated about.
If the organization has the franchise quarterback, there isn’t a single player on the roster you can’t move on from. Historically, from trading away Richard Seymour and Deion Branch for draft picks to letting players walk almost yearly, the Patriots laid a blueprint.
Can the Chiefs follow it? Here are some things the Chiefs should do if they want to be successful long-term.
*Joel Corry, former NFL Agent and current contributor for CBS Sports. His article about the Chiefs upcoming offseason and potential decisions is referenced throughout this post*
DEE FORD
Under no circumstances should the Chiefs bring back Dee Ford in 2019. Yes, that sounds crazy not bringing back a Pro Bowl edge rusher after recording 13 sacks, 29 quarterback hits and seven forced fumbles. But, they should do that. WHY?
First, the franchise tag. It’s not a good thing for a team. It’s a one-year deal that is then followed by what? If you are willing to pay Dee Ford 100 million today, then do it, but if you run into someone that wants to tag Ford and then do a long-term deal next year, walk away from that person.
Related Story. Chiefs Might Have Entirely New Pass Rush in 2019. light
Ford turns 28 in March, so next year, the team is giving a 100 million dollars to a player AFTER giving him close to 16 million in a 2019 franchise tag? Is there anyone out there that thinks giving Ford a 100 million dollar contract that covers more of his 30’s than his 20’s a great idea? No, it’s a train wreck disaster of an idea.
So if the Chiefs don’t give Ford a long-term deal, what is accomplished by paying Ford an estimated 15.6 million dollar one-year deal? Considering the move would reduce the Chiefs cap room to a meager 11 million (per Corry, Chiefs currently have 159.85 committed towards 2019 cap, which is expected to be at 190).
Keeping Ford for one season may result in moves being made simply to keep him on the roster. The Patriots don’t make these decisions.