Oldschool Mock V2 (pre-Combine)

[OldSchool]

Roster Moves:

Restructure: Brandon Flowers, Dwayne Bowe, and Tamba Hali.
If Flowers continues to play at the same level that he did last season, he'll have to either take a pay cut or be dropped from the roster in 2015. It's possible that Dorsey decides to copy Newsome and extend Hali to a 5 year deal worth around 26-30 mil total to drastically drop his cap number while giving the Chiefs more time to find his replacement. Bowe is in a similar situation to Flowers.

Extend: Alex Smith (5 years, 65-75 mil) and Eric Berry(5 years, 42 mil)
The Smith deal will secure the QB position for the foreseeable future; it is at a lower rate than the going market value for QBs of his caliber. I can see Smith taking even less than that, closer to 10 mil a season, in order to allow the team to bring in better talent around him; it'll be more about the guarantees than it would be about the total amount for Smith. The Berry deal looks expensive but that is the current going rate for top safeties in this league, judging by what guys like Weddle and Goldson were able to get in more recent deals.

Re-sign: Geoff Schwartz (4 years, 18 mil) He'll be looking to cash in after a solid season where he was ranked as a top 10 overall OG according to PFF. He wants security and I don't think he'll sign for anything less after bouncing around the league; he may be looking for even more.
Quintin Demps (1 year, minimum): While many gripe about him taking a terrible angle in the wildcard game and getting burned deep by Hilton, along with Lewis, Demps remains as a solid backup and great special teamer.


Let Walk: Brandon Albert (LT), Dexter McCluster (WR), Jon Asamoah (OG), Kyle Williams (Wr), Tyson Jackson (DE/DT), Akeem Jordan (ILB), Frank Zombo (OLB), Kendrick Lewis (S), Husain Abdullah (S)

We don't want to pay Albert what he wants us to pay him. The coaching staff, for some reason, isn't very high on Abdullah and let Lewis start over him all season long. Jackson has very little upside and needs to be upgraded. Demps, though good on special teams, was a coverage liability. Asamoah fell off the face of the earth in Reid's offense. Williams is done in the NFL, and McCluster will get paid more than he's worth. Zombo needs to be upgraded.

Free Agency: We won't be major players here but we'll make a few depth and sneaky good signings.

1. Alex Carrington, DE/DT, 6'5", 305 pounds, 26 years old, 1-3 year low cost deal: Carrington was an effective interior pass rusher in 2012 but missed 2013 due to injury. He is just entering his prime at 26 going on 27 and will be Jackson's replacement at RDE at a lower cost. (Others: Ropati Pitoitua, Matt Shaughnessy, Frostee Rucker)

2. Chris Clemons, FS, 6'1", 210 pounds, 28 yrs old, 3-4 year deal: While he possessed elite athleticism coming out of college, Clemons has never put together an outstanding statistical year and is just a solid and unspectacular safety. He would be an upgrade over anything that we have though and would provide us with a solid presense in the middle of the field.

3. Andre Roberts, WR, 5'11", 195 pounds, 26 yrs old, 3 year deal: at this point of his career, Roberts has developed into a solid and productive WR; he put up over 700 yards in 2012 while working with a stable of QBs that included Skelton, Hoyer, and Lindley. He is a great WC receiver and is solid across the board with some speed and shiftiness to him and would be an upgrade over McCluster. He can line up in the slot and outside in this offense.

4. Travelle Wharton, OL, 6'4", 312 pounds, 32 years old, 1 year vet min: Wharton will come in as a veteran back-up at OG who can swing out to OT in a pinch. He's still good enough to push for a starting role but will likely be relegated to back-up duty.

5. Winston Justice, OL, 6'6", 320 pounds, 29 years old, 1 year vet min: Justice doesn't offer much as a starter but he can be a solid swing tackle. He has history with Andy Reid and had his best years as an Eagle. Reid will bring him back as a swing tackle.



Draft Trade: Chiefs trade picks 23 and pick 87 for SF's picks 30, 56, and 125 (trade is of fair value and allows Chiefs to get back into the 2nd round of the draft.)

2nd Draft Trade: Chiefs trade pick 30(SF) to Vikings for picks 40 and 96. It makes sense for both parties. Vikings will want to move up to have a shot at drafting their pick of the remaining WRs/ Pass rushers/OL men. Chiefs accumulate more picks in the 2nd and the end of the third round.

On to the Draft:

Rnd. 2, pick 40: Chiefs Select: Jarvis Landry, WR, LSU, 5'11", 205 pounds.

Landry is one of the players that I absolutely love in this draft. He understands how to run his routes and is great at getting open underneath, which is an absolutely necessary skill in Andy Reid's offense. He isn't a burner but he has enough quickness and speed in him to get open over the top if asked to; but, as stated before, his best work is done on short to intermediate routes. He has arguably the best hands out of all WRs in this draft and routinely makes catches through contact and is aggressive in going after the ball. He can high point as well as any WR not named Mike Evans and is not afraid to catch in traffic. Landry could conceivably become Alex Smith's go-to WR as he was an extremely dependable target in LSU. He has the potential to be every bit as good as Anquan Boldin with a little bit more speed in his game. He needs to polish up his route running, like every rookie WR does, but he should be a significant contributor from day 1.

Rnd. 2, pick 56: Chiefs select: Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB, GT, 6'3", 252 pounds:

Attaochu is one of my top 5 3-4 OLB prospects, I actually have him ranked 3rd behind Mack, Barr, and just ahead of Ford. (I don't see Ealy as an OLB, not quite fluid enough). He has a great burst off the edge and plays with a lot of power, not unlike our own Tamba Hali. He plays with a violent nature and has the power to crush and drive the blocker into the backfield as well as utilize his speed to just blow past them; he's Tamba Hali with a bit more speed and athleticism to his game. He has the natural bend to dip around the corner and make a play in the backfield and also displays the instincts to set up the blocker for different moves. He should be able to come in and produce as a situational pass rusher in his first year on the team as he learns from Hali and Houston. He might be available in the 3rd but I think that there are too many teams that want/need pass rushers for him to last much longer so I would pull the trigger with the 2nd round pick; he's a player who will excell if he is just allowed to unleash his talents as a pass rusher while being steadily brought into the system. He has shown improvements in the run game but still has some learning to do and needs to improve his discipline on the field.

Rnd. 3 pick 96: Chiefs Select: Bashaud Breeland, CB, Clemson, 6', 185 pounds:

He has the size, speed, length, and athletic combo that Dorsey covetes in his defensive backs. Breeland was a playmaker for the Tigers in 2013 after playing sparingly and somewhat poorly in his 2012 campaign. He displayed great range, recovery speed, ball skills, instincts, and aggressiveness in 2013. Like most potential draft picks, Breeland needs to polish his technique but has the physical talent to become a very good starting corner for us. He doesn't have to play for us right away with Sean Smith, Brandon Flowers, Marcus Cooper, and Ron Parker in the mix; however, it wouldn't be a stretch to think that he could actually come in and push for playing time from day 1 as he would be the most athletically gifted corner on the team. He makes a ton of sense at this juncture as a developmental prospect who can play in nickle or dime packages as a rookie and battle Marcus Cooper for a starting role in the near future.

Rnd. 4 pick 120: Chiefs select: Antone Exum, DB, VT, 6'1", 224 pounds

Reid likes to carry alot of DBs on his roster, thus I am double dipping at the DB position; that and the fact that I just think we need more safeties who can cover. I like Exum more than I do Commings, I just think he is a better football player when it comes down to it. To top it off, Exum has the ability and physicality to play either safety position as well as the athleticism to cover and run with top WRs (see his 2012 tape vs Clemson's Watkins & Hopkins combo). Reid is going to love his versatility as much as I do. Exum has a thicker frame than you will find on almost any corner in the league. He projects best as a safety though, due to just good movement skills, and can be stashed on the roster as a back-up depth player in his rookie year. In a relatively weak safety class, Exum won't last much longer than this.

Rnd.4 pick 125: Chiefs Select: Will Clarke, DE, WVU, 6'6", 271 pounds.

I want to bring Will Clarke in as a developmental 5-tech who has the speed, quickness, and bend to threaten the edge as well as a good bull rush. I want him to bulk up even more, to the 285-290 range, and I think he had the frame to do it without losing much, if any, of his athletic ability. If he can improve his technique with his hand usage and increase his strength, there's a strong chance that he can become a dynamic 3-4 DE similar to Calais Campbell (as close as you can get in this draft at any rate). He'll come in and develop behind Devito and Carrington.

Rnd. 5 pick 151: Chiefs Select: De'Anthony Thomas, RB/KR, Oregon, 5'9", 173.

Thomas is another player out of the long line of Oregon scat backs that recently entered the league. He's a home run threat every time he touches the ball because of his elite long speed, acceleration, and quickness. He also displays more vision and patience than you would expect from a rb who makes his living on his speed; he has great balance and won't go down from simple arm tackles like his counterpart in Dri Archer. He is a good receiver out of the backfield and has experience being in the slot or split out wide. He is an upgrade over McCluster in terms of pure speed and explosiveness; at worst, Thomas will be a terrific special teams player who will also get some chances to shine offensively as our scat back behind Kniles Davis.

Rnd. 6 pick 177 Chiefs Select: Trai Turner, OG, LSU, 6'3", 310 pounds.

He's a raw prospect who should have stayed in school for at least one more year before going pro. He needs work on his technique, particularly in pass protection, and has limited experience as a starter. With that being said, Turner is already one hell of a run blocker and demonstrated the ability to just drive opposing DLinemen out of their gaps; LSU had a ton of success running behind him. He can overwhelm defenders with his strength and aggression and bury them in the dirt; possesses the mean streak to succeed in the NFL, reflected in his 54 knockdown blocks in 2013. He will be a great prospect to develop behind Schwartz and potentially replace either OG as a starter should they struggle; I just hope that moment doesn't come in his rookie year.

Rnd. 6, pick 183: Chiefs Select: Khairi Fortt, ILB, CAL (Penn St.), 6'2", 240 lbs.

Fortt was one of several promising young Nitanny Lions who chose to transfer to a different program following the sexual assault allegations and sanctions placed on Penn State. He flashed some great talent and was one of the promising future stars of "linebacker U" before transferring to Cal where he sat out for a year before underperforming in 2013. Despite playing on arguably the worst FBS defense in the entire nation in 2013 and only wracking up modest stats, Fortt showed improvement as an individual player. He has the athleticism to cover TEs 1 on 1 and the awareness to cover a zone as well. He has good range and is an active but disciplined player. Khairi is a sleeper at the ILB position who can come in and push for a significant role earlier than one might think. Of course, having played with bad coaching at Cal, he still has a lot of untapped potential and could be a steal. At worst he is a back-up ILB and outstanding special teams player but he has all of the tools to be much more than that.

Roster: Offense

QB: Alex Smith (S), Chase Daniels (2), Tyler Bray (3)

RB: Jamaal Charles (S), Knile Davis (2), De'Anthony Thomas (3), Joe McKnight

FB: Anthony Sherman

TE: Anthony Fasano (S), Travis Kelce (2), Sean McGrath (3)

WR: Dwayne Bowe, Donnie Avery, AJ Jenkins, Andre Roberts, Jarvis Landry, Junior Hemmingway

LT: Eric Fisher

RT: Donald Stephenson

LG: Jeff Allen

C: Rodney Hudson

RG: Geoff Schwartz

OL: Travelle Wharton, Winston Justice, Eric Kush, Trai Turner

Defense:

RDE: Alex Carrington, Allen Bailey, Will Clarke

NT: Dontari Poe, Jerrell Powe

LDE: Mike Devito, Mike Catapano, Jaye Howard

ROLB: Tamba Hali, Jeremiah Attaochu

ILB: Derrick Johnson, Nico Johnson, Khairi Fortt

LOLB: Justin Houston

CB: Brandon Flowers, Sean Smith, Marcus Cooper, Bashaud Breeland, Ron Parker

FS: Chris Clemons, Sanders Commings, Quintin Demps

SS: Eric Berry, Antone Exum

LS: Thomas Gafford

K: Ryan Succop

P: Dustin Colquitt

[Direckshun]

I think your FA laundry list is fantasy land.

I'm not sure how realistic those trades are in the draft, but based on the players you acquired, I think it's some pretty good value. Landry in the 2nd, Breeland in the 3rd, Exum in the 4th, along with Clarke and Thomas. All pretty good stuff.

[OldSchool]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I think your FA laundry list is fantasy land.

I'm not sure how realistic those trades are in the draft, but based on the players you acquired, I think it's some pretty good value. Landry in the 2nd, Breeland in the 3rd, Exum in the 4th, along with Clarke and Thomas. All pretty good stuff.

Really? I think they're pretty plausible signings.

The only one who we would be hard pressed to get would be Carrington. I think he's a very likely candidate to sign a 1-year prove-it deal or something similar to what Dorsey got on the market since he is coming off of a major injury. The fact that the Chiefs are a playoff caliber team with some obvious holes now makes it a pretty attractive place for FAs who want to win and also have a shot at a starting role. I think he fits our team's needs as a starting 3-4 DE and an interior pressure guy while we fit his needs as a team that will give him a chance to start while having a shot at the playoffs as well.

Clemons had a luke-warm market last year and had to settle for returning to the Dolphins; I think he would welcome a modest multi-year deal and he has ties with Sean Smith. He is a solid starter who doesn't produce up to his physical potential, whether that's due to the scheme or not, I don't know but I'd sure like to find out if he can do better here. I thought of us just bringing Abdullah back but I don't think that the team is as high on him as we fans are; thus the reason for him sitting behind the terrible Kendrick Lewis.

Roberts is solid but unspectacular as a receiver so he isn't likely to get a big deal anywhere either; he'll come cheaper than McCluster because he doesn't have quite the special teams value that McCluster brings with him; couple that with the fact that this draft class is loaded with talents WRs who can do what he does, Roberts is going to find a lukewarm market and shouldn't demand much above the vet minimum.

As far as Justice and Wharton go, they are both in the stage of their careers where teams no longer consider them as starters but as valuable veteran depth players. You can substitute their names with any variety of FA options but I think that Reid will try to sign a couple of veteran back-ups who can help our younger players develop.

As far as the trades go, I just felt like experimenting with a trade in my mock. They are all of fair value to both teams in terms of the Draft Trade Chart value, but I think that it will be more expensive to move into the top 3 rounds of this draft than any other draft in recent history. The top 20 players are like the top 10 of any given year while the next 60 are all rounds 1-2 level players. I would easily give up some future picks to gain more picks in this draft.

The scenario I had here had me trading back to teams who may like some prospects more than others and will want to take them before other teams have a shot. I tried to make moves that kind of mirror what the Patriots have done in the past, just gathering up picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds while trading out of the 1st.

[milkman]

Going to tell you the same thing I told Direckshun.

Projecting draft trades is an exercise in stupidity.