The position at the top of our 2024 draft board right now:

[Direckshun]

It's far too early, of course, but if you had to bet on a position being a the #1 position of need for next offseason, it's....

poll forthcoming.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Creed and Bolton will be extended. Trey, Sneed and Gay will leave to get bigger contracts than we can offer.

This seems the most likely scenario though we do seem to be being very careful with our existing cap space in a way that may be designed to sneak one more extension in there.

I'd probably focus on Sneed but Smith may be a little more affordable and more likely to get done.

The problem is ultimately that we're REALLY lean at the moment on our cap. Where's do you find the savings needed to get more of those deals done? Can't just keep going to the Bank of Mahomes. Thuney is an obvious one but Creed back-fills that deal.

Justin Reid is another and combined with some small savings elsewhere may be sufficient to get Bolton in. But apart from those two, you have MVS as a big cap figure that falls off but at the same time that Taylor's deal accelerates.

We're just awfully well managed from a cap standpoint at the moment. Only about $8 million in dead cap and a lot of very cost effective players. There's always the 'push in for 2-3 years and find yourself in cap hell for a season' approach and yeah, we COULD go that route. I just question if Veach ever would.

[Sassy Squatch]

What happens if a Jones extension is ultimately unable to be reached and he's sent off for a package of capital. Who else gets extended?

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by Sassy Snatch

What happens if a Jones extension is ultimately unable to be reached and he's sent off for a package of capital. Who else gets extended?

Use the picks from the trade to move up for one of the best LT candidates and use that extra $30 million to get a big name player, multiple good players or use it to extend pieces you'd like to keep (Trey Smith, L'Jarius Sneed).

[O.city]

They will be sitting pretty good once Wanya MOrris takes the LT spot by the horns this year.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by O.city

They will be sitting pretty good once Wanya MOrris takes the LT spot by the horns this year.

That would certainly be a hell of a boost.

But it would be about a lateral cap move. Smith isn't making much at all, especially not for a LT. Wanya taking over the gig would do more to tread water than it would help put us money ahead.

Besides, LT is gonna be Taylor's gig long-term...

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Sassy Snatch

What happens if a Jones extension is ultimately unable to be reached and he's sent off for a package of capital. Who else gets extended?

I'd think they extend Sneed in that case, for sure. As well as Bolton. And probably invest a nice chunk in a DT available via FA or trade.

I think they'll get Jones done, though. Not concerned.

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

That would certainly be a hell of a boost.

But it would be about a lateral cap move. Smith isn't making much at all, especially not for a LT. Wanya taking over the gig would do more to tread water than it would help put us money ahead.

Besides, LT is gonna be Taylor's gig long-term...

It just takes care of the LT spot so that's one spot that you wouldn't need to allocate anything to for a while. Although, Taylor at RT is gonna take up a bunch.

[RunKC]

If Wanya Morris works out then you have him and Taylor at bookend tackles the next 4 years, FAU and Karlaftis as bookend DE's the next 4 years, your corners are there 3 more years and we'll see about the two 2nd rd WR's.

At that point it would be pure BPA. In that scenario it would be hard not to go after another receiving weapon.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by RunKC

If Wanya Morris works out then you have him and Taylor at bookend tackles the next 4 years, FAU and Karlaftis as bookend DE's the next 4 years, your corners are there 3 more years and we'll see about the two 2nd rd WR's.

At that point it would be pure BPA. In that scenario it would be hard not to go after another receiving weapon.

I think Veach has tipped his hand a little on the WR position. He's using the Steelers approach of layering through slightly smaller investments.

I think we'll continue to see 2nd day picks being used on WRs for the foreseeable future unless a real bargain play slides to us in the 1st, but that's just damn unlikely with the cost of WRs in FA.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

I think Veach has tipped his hand a little on the WR position. He's using the Steelers approach of layering through slightly smaller investments.

I think we'll continue to see 2nd day picks being used on WRs for the foreseeable future unless a real bargain play slides to us in the 1st, but that's just damn unlikely with the cost of WRs in FA.

Yep.

I know everyone gets enamored with high first round WR's, but the reality is that the top WR's in the NFL aren't necessarily those guys. It's not like QB's.

Keep stacking day two guys, and you're going to be fine.

[O.city]

This next draft may be the time to trade up for one of the top 2 or 3 LT prospects.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by O.city

This next draft may be the time to trade up for one of the top 2 or 3 LT prospects.

If there will be a time for the foreseeable future to trade up, it's probably the upcoming draft.

I think you'll have some talent that pushes down a little bit because of how insane the top 10 in this draft is likely to be. So you'll have guys at 15-20 who would've gone 8-12 in this years draft.

And the Chiefs have a 1-3 season window where I don't see any truly pressing roster needs impending unless the rookie DBs all regress or something like that.

I am typically anti trade-up but I think this may be a good year to consider it and LT would probably be the spot to target.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

If there will be a time for the foreseeable future to trade up, it's probably the upcoming draft.

I think you'll have some talent that pushes down a little bit because of how insane the top 10 in this draft is likely to be. So you'll have guys at 15-20 who would've gone 8-12 in this years draft.

And the Chiefs have a 1-3 season window where I don't see any truly pressing roster needs impending unless the rookie DBs all regress or something like that.

I am typically anti trade-up but I think this may be a good year to consider it and LT would probably be the spot to target.

It's in line with what the Chiefs value, as well. This isn't a situation like tight end, where I've advocated the Chiefs should be hyper-aggressive and trade up for an elite TE, something they've never shown a propensity to do under Reid.

But the Chiefs absolutely have the propensity to do that for a LT. They've spent a #1 overall on the position. They were ready to pay Trent Williams more than god. They made an aggressive trade for Orlando Brown and tried to pay him a ton as well.

The move you describe is not only smart roster construction, it's also right in line with what the Chiefs have been historically willing to do.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by RunKC

If Wanya Morris works out then you have him and Taylor at bookend tackles the next 4 years, FAU and Karlaftis as bookend DE's the next 4 years, your corners are there 3 more years and we'll see about the two 2nd rd WR's.

At that point it would be pure BPA. In that scenario it would be hard not to go after another receiving weapon.

A massive "if" with Wanya. This is a guy who struggled a ton in the Big 12. He has a lot of ingredients that the Chiefs like but he doesn't appear to me to be a starting left tackle.

I think the Chiefs were really hoping Jawaan Taylor was a LT, which is why they paid him what they did. But I just don't think they banked on that option collapsing and plugging him in at RT. I think they wanted Morris at that spot.

At this point, I fear Wanya Morris is a swing tackle. I think he's going to be fine in that role, but it doesn't seem a good use for a 3rd round pick, seeing as how the Chiefs have had UDFA acquisitions like Andrew Wylie and bottom-of-the-market deals for Mike Remmers play that role.

[Sassy Squatch]

Wut? How did they determine Taylor wasn't fit to be LT when we literally JUST started TC.