Vermeil on Surtain trade; "IT MAY BE OUT THE WINDOW"

[Bootlegged]

Cornerback corners Chiefs

By ADAM TEICHER

The Kansas City Star


In a perfect world, the Chiefs would have their cornerback by now. They would have signed Samari Rolle, traded for Patrick Surtain or otherwise landed a veteran corner.

Then the Chiefs would be free to concentrate on this weekend's draft in that context.

But Rolle signed instead with Baltimore, Surtain is still property of the Miami Dolphins, and the Chiefs are still without a burning defensive need.

As the minutes tick off the clock without the Chiefs and Dolphins completing a trade involving Surtain, the closer the Chiefs get to having to deal with their cornerback issue in the draft. Maybe they use their first-round pick on a corner like Auburn's Carlos Rogers or perhaps their second-rounder on a player like Virginia Tech's Eric Green.

Their draft could go many ways. It all hinges on whether they pull off the trade for Surtain.

“It may be out the window,” coach Dick Vermeil said of the trade. “There's not much talk about it right now. We're just preparing to draft the best football players we can draft. We're doing it without consideration for what else may happen.”Free-agency began early last month with the Chiefs holding big plans for improving at cornerback. Rolle, who played for Chiefs defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham for three seasons in Tennessee, was among the first group of free-agent visitors.

If he fell through, the Chiefs wanted to meet with Ken Lucas and Fred Smoot. They had talked to the Dolphins about Surtain and were planning to meet with Ty Law.

The Chiefs started contract negotiations with Rolle and then backed off after learning of a spinal condition found during a routine physical exam. Lucas and Smoot signed with other teams before the Chiefs could bring them to Kansas City for a visit.

They met with Law, but his fractured foot was still mending, and with Kelly Herndon, but he signed with Seattle. The Chiefs appear to be getting nowhere in their trade talks with Miami.

So their cornerback search is more or less where it started. But the Chiefs are still determined to obtain a starter to pair with Eric Warfield. Dexter McCleon, for now at least, will be the nickel back.

“When we brought Dexter McCleon here, we really wanted him to be our nickel back and play inside because he's such a smart player,” Vermeil said. “That's what we'd like to do with him. We've got Eric Warfield. We've also got William Bartee and Julian Battle. So we already have good depth. But if we can add a high-quality player to that, either a free agent or a first-round pick, it's going to help.”

The Chiefs are almost certain to draft a cornerback in the first couple of rounds if they don't reach an agreement with the Dolphins on Surtain. If they do make the trade, it's much less of a sure thing.

If they get Surtain and then a cornerback on the first day of the draft, suddenly a weakness become a strength. Surtain would join Warfield in the starting lineup, McCleon is the nickel back, the rookie is the fourth corner, and either Bartee or Battle, or possibly both, is out of a job.

“If we sign a corner, that may not necessarily stop us from drafting a great corner if he's sitting there,” Vermeil said. “And we don't know who's going to be sitting there. I can't see why we'd alter the way we rank players and grade players based on having signed a free-agent corner. We've got to go about our business.”

The trouble with trading for Surtain is that he will cost the Chiefs a draft pick. The Dolphins are asking for a second-round selection.

If the Chiefs meet that price — which they've indicated they won't — they won't pick between the middle of the first round and the end of the third. That's a long time to wait for a team that has other positions it would like to address.

Foremost among them are linebacker, where the Chiefs have a severe shortage of healthy bodies, and wide receiver, where starters Eddie Kennison and Johnnie Morton are over 30.

Because of their inability to acquire a cornerback by now, the Chiefs might not be able to satisfy every position on their wish list in this draft.

[HC_Chief]

Poker face?
Heh, I'd LOVE to play poker with this group of morons... I'd be rich.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by Mark M

I still don't see why KC won't trade the 2nd, or package a pick this year and next for Surtain.

Make the trade for Surtain, trade down to pick up the pick they lose, and get going already.

MM
~~

EXACTLY! Everyone wins. Just do it and MOVE ON!

[HC_Chief]

Originally Posted by TEX

EXACTLY! Everyone wins. Just do it and MOVE ON!

No! We cannot give up that #2. We would miss out on our next Eddie Freeman/Junior Siavii/Rashaan Sheehee/Mike Cloud/...

[Mr. Kotter]

Originally Posted by Phobia

DV said.

Anything appearing in print between last week and next Sunday won't be worth the paper it appears on. If you've followed football for more than 2 years, you should know that.

Of course we know that; but why doesn't DV just S.T.F.U?

What real purpose does a comment like this serve? None. "Posturing"....yeah, whatever.

[Iowanian]

If Vermeil or Carl use the words "good depth or Solid Corner" in regards to Bartee or Battle, again, when not talking about their replacements on roster...........I may be forced to drive to KC.


This is posturing to get Miami's price down..........

[Bootlegged]

I for one will be shocked if we trade for Surtain. I don't think CP has it in him. My guess is that the following plays out...

1.) Jets or someone else ponies up the 2nd rounder and trades for Surtain.

2.) We draft Carolos Rogers at #15, and reach for some crap WR in the 2nd. We draft another small school player in the 3rd, probably a hybrid S/CB

3.) After June 1, we sign an aging, mediocre corner.

Opening day secondary
1) Warfield
2) Knight
3) Wesley
4) McCleon/June 1 CB

[HC_Chief]

Even if we obtain Surtain (which, I'm not counting on), I'd hope we would still draft Rogers if he were available. That kid is going to be a stud NFL corner.

[jcroft]

If this is a smokescreen at all (and I'm not sure about that yet), it would probably mean that we do not intend to draft a corner. It would mean that they want other teams to believe we are going to take their corner, but we really plan to draft a LB or other position. The reason we plan to draft another position may be that they believe they've got Surtain in the bag, but it also may not be that.

[Garcia Bronco]

If you guys drafted Eric Green I'd be pissed.

[Iowanian]

He wasn't even a very good Tight End 10 years ago Garcia.............

[Bootlegged]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

He wasn't even a very good Tight End 10 years ago Garcia.............

BUT, he was a bad mama jama while at LIBERTY.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by Lattimer

I for one will be shocked if we trade for Surtain. I don't think CP has it in him. My guess is that the following plays out...

1.) Jets or someone else ponies up the 2nd rounder and trades for Surtain.

2.) We draft Carolos Rogers at #15, and reach for some crap WR in the 2nd. We draft another small school player in the 3rd, probably a hybrid S/CB

3.) After June 1, we sign an aging, mediocre corner.

Opening day secondary
1) Warfield
2) Knight
3) Wesley
4) McCleon/June 1 CB

Unfortunately you're probably right...

[TEX]

Originally Posted by HC_Chief

Even if we obtain Surtain (which, I'm not counting on), I'd hope we would still draft Rogers if he were available. That kid is going to be a stud NFL corner.

Really, what makes you think so? I'm hoping you have an opinion to sway mine. He was mostly used in zone coverages in college. From what I've seen of him, I don't think he's all that in terms of his one-on-one coverage skills. Who knows, you might be right?

[eazyb81]

Originally Posted by TEX

Really, what makes you think so? I'm hoping you have an opinion to sway mine. He was mostly used in zone coverages in college. From what I've seen of him, I don't think he's all that in terms of his one-on-one coverage skills. Who knows, you might be right?

Are we talking about the same Carlos Rogers? Rogers never played zone in college, Auburn uses man to man schemes. Rogers is a physical CB that excels in man coverage, the exact type of CB Gun loves. He would be an awesome addition to our secondary.

[Mr. Laz]

Originally Posted by eazyb81

The deal will get done, you don't work out full contract details unless you are planning on getting the deal done. They are just trying to keep everyone guessing on what they will do, but I guarantee Surtain will be wearing red and gold by this Sunday.

carl just said the other day that they HAVEN'T worked out full contract details.

that said, i don't think Vermeil has the first clue about what stage the surtain negotiations are in.