Clark Judge: Bell might help, but chiefs need corner as Law visits:MONDAY

[nychief]

Bell might help, but Chiefs need corner as Law visits
March 8, 2005
By Clark Judge
SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Clark your opinion!


The Kansas City Chiefs finally entered the free-agent market Tuesday, only it wasn't to sign a cornerback; it was to sign linebacker Kendrell Bell to a seven-year contract. And while that may back off critics demanding a shakeup of the league's 31st-ranked defense, it won't silence them.


But stay tuned, folks, because Kansas City plans to host free-agent cornerback Ty Law next Monday. The club was to have interviewed free-agent cornerback Fred Smoot on Wednesday, but Smoot scuttled those plans by signing with Minnesota on Tuesday evening, further reducing the Chiefs' options at cornerback.

Kansas City wasn't supposed to be in this position, especially after suffering through a season where it changed no one on defense but the coordinator. But the Chiefs were caught in a difficult spot when talks with former Tennessee cornerback Samari Rolle collapsed after the club expressed doubts about his physical condition.

So Rolle signed with Baltimore. Then Dwight Smith, a free-agent safety the club entertained last week, signed with New Orleans. And, suddenly, the secondary-starved Chiefs were looking at a dwindling pool of talent.

That's not to say Law can't help them. Heck, at this point Earthwind Moreland looks like an upgrade for a pass defense that last year surrendered 300 yards five times and was punctured for 32 touchdowns. But Law is 31 and coming off a fractured foot that sidelined him the last 12 games, including Super Bowl XXXIX.

"Smoot is 25, and Law is 31, and if they're both healthy Law is the better player," said an NFC player personnel director. "Now, you figure in the age and the injury, and the picture begins to change. The Chiefs have to be careful not to panic here. They should do a deal that's good for the club and that works for the player, and, believe me, that's easier said than done."

Let's face it, Law has an outstanding pedigree. Super Bowl starter. Pro Bowl. All Pro. But you can't help but wonder: What does he have to offer, and why would you sink a big contract and huge signing bonus in a 31-year-old cornerback with a bad wheel? Kansas City wasn't supposed to be in a position to answer that question, but then Kansas City wasn't supposed to pass on Rolle either.

The Chiefs aren't desperate, but they're not far off. Before signing Bell -- a risky move considering his history of injuries -- they were $3.7 million under the salary cap, and you can figure that Law might demand big money and a big signing bonus. If that's the case, he probably can look elsewhere.

And the Chiefs can keep looking at Miami's Patrick Surtain, available for a second-round draft choice. The club values Surtain but balked at yielding a second-rounder for him -- largely because it doesn't have a third-round pick in this year's draft. But the picture has changed, and with talks continuing, the Chiefs should reassess their position.

Surtain can help them. Oakland's Charles Woodson could, too. Woodson, whom Oakland designated as its franchise player, can be acquired for the right price. But the Chiefs haven't shown an interest.

"Hey," said an AFC scout, "if the Raiders are trying to get rid of him what does that tell you?"

It tells you that Kansas City is down to Ty Law, Patrick Surtain or a draft pick. Yes, the club will host free-agent Sammy Knight on Thursday, but he doesn't solve a hole at cornerback. He's a safety, and while he could help them, the Chiefs desperately need to make a move at cornerback.

Starting now, Kansas City is on the clock.

[nychief]

is this old news?

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by nychief

is this old news?

Nope he talks about Bell in the article silly. I agree with the article we need to be cautious with Law but he would be a great addition to the Chiefs.

[nychief]

I thought the monday visit was new.

[dirk digler]

Originally Posted by nychief

I thought the monday visit was new.

Yep sounds like Law will be in Monday.

[Woodrow Call]

If nothing else you can make fun of the article.

What’s On Deck for Chiefs and Free Agency?
By Nick Athan Publisher
Date: Mar 8, 2005

With the addition of free agent linebacker Kendrell Bell, the Chiefs had hoped to focus on the cornerback position. They had every intention of talking with free agent Fred Smoot, but the Minnesota Vikings made him an offer he couldn’t refuse; now the Chiefs have to rethink their next moves.


You can understand the sigh of relief in the Warpaint Nation when the Chiefs inked a deal with linebacker Kendrell Bell on Tuesday afternoon. Kansas City finally upgraded one of their weaker positions on defense, and can now focus on what to do next. They have a plethora of options, although they might have to make some trades to get the next wave of defensive players in town.

First, though, they’ll entertain cornerback Ty Law on Wednesday or Thursday. His agent Carl Poston has indicated that he’s ready for teams to look at his client and see how Law’s foot is responding to off-season surgery. Ty remains the premier cornerback on the market who is free to sign with any team. Safety Sammy Knight is also headed to Arrowhead to meet with the Chiefs, who really want to upgrade their safety position. He’s the last of the Tier One free agents left at his position.

Now Law could come a little cheaper than he would have a few weeks ago because the free agent cash is running out for the NFL contenders. That could prove good for the Chiefs—not only because they can get a veteran like Law for less money, but because it will allow them to have cash leftover to address other needs before the draft in April.

Knight is a nice player who could either be a back-up to Jerome Woods and Greg Wesley or take over for one of them as a starter. The Chiefs have to upgrade the safety position and they can’t enter the 2005 season with the same group backed up by Shaunard Harts or Willie Pile. Now Woods could be a June 1 cap casualty.

The only other player on the market is disgruntled Safety Donovin Darius from Jacksonville. He was furious that the Jaguars franchised him again and he has said everything and insulted anyone who will listen to him about how about he wants out of the Sunshine State.

From what we’ve gathered the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins are interested in his services, and now the Chiefs could be involved in the hunt. If the Chiefs give up their second pick for Patrick Surtain, they could ship that pick to Jacksonville for Surtain. Now Kansas City must ask themselves who’d they rather have on the roster; provided they can reach a deal with either of them.

I’d take Darius over Surtain because I think they can get Ty Law at a price that will put them in a position to sign more players. Plus, the Chiefs should be able to grab a veteran or two on June 1st when the next round of cuts will be made by NFL teams who don’t want to count salaries against the 2005 cap. Any team that cuts a veteran before then must absorb the cap hit for both salary and the remainder of the signing bonus in 2005. Not many teams can afford to do that.

The Chiefs still have other options on defense and a new name could be circling the halls of Arrowhead very soon. The New Orleans Saints are shopping former Kansas State defensive end Daren Howard. It’s been reported that New Orleans just wants a second round draft pick for one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL. If that’s the case, I’d much rather have a dominating defensive end like Howard who would give Kansas City one of the better defensive lines in the AFC West. The strength of the defense is along that front line and more depth at that position would allow us to be even more aggressive, provided they can add another linebacker and cornerback to the mix before the draft.

Now the draft could yield some success and it might yield an impact defensive player, but the Chiefs can’t count on that, nor should they. They need to solve their defensive issues prior to the draft so they can bring in solid athletes at numerous positions and upgrade the talent on this roster.

They could still make a run for free agent linebacker Ed Hartwell, who isn’t finding the free agent market as golden as he thought when he visited the Chiefs last week. Kansas City remains interested in him and they still are the front-runner if the price is right. It’s a fact that other NFL teams are not willing to give him that kind of signing bonus that Bell got from the Chiefs. Hartwell might have to lower his asking price if he does not sign with a team by the end of this week. Kansas City could use him and put him on the outside if they put Bell in the middle where he belongs.

With that said we’ve learned Hartwell plans on making his decision as early as this evening and from what we’ve learned the Chiefs had made the highest offer for his services. The Chiefs, Dolphins, Seahawks and

Kansas City still has a variety of things they can get done to upgrade the defense, but now it will be more difficult because they lost out on some of the top free agents at linebacker, safety and cornerback. Their task is difficult but it became a bit easier when they signed Bell on Tuesday.


www.warpaintillustrated.com

[SCTrojan]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I agree with the article we need to be cautious with Law but he would be a great addition to the Chiefs.

Yep. I think you're right. Given the right contract / bonus structure, I think Law would be a great addition. Not sure he'd settle for that, though.

I'm starting to come around to siding with those who say trading a 2nd round pick for Surtain would be a good deal because our 2nd round picks never pan out.

[CosmicPal]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

...but he [Law] would be a great addition to the Chiefs.

I really don't see how he would be a "great" addition to the team. He might be a good addition, but not great.

Warfield is very likely to miss the first few games of the season. Law, on the other hand, won't be ready until the first game of the season at the very least. Law would miss the training camp, the off-season programs, and preseason games. It may take him awhile to grasp the defensive scheme, if not be "game-ready" after being in a boot for so long. By the time Law becomes the Ty Law we all hope he will be- Warfield will be back, but the Chiefs will have again been torched by offenses thru the air- and most likely, losing the first few games.

All the more reason, the Chiefs should be giving up their 2nd round pick for Surtain NOW- not later, when they may lose him to another media picking...

[irishjayhawk]

Originally Posted by Archie Bunker

If nothing else you can make fun of the article.

What’s On Deck for Chiefs and Free Agency?
By Nick Athan Publisher
Date: Mar 8, 2005

With the addition of free agent linebacker Kendrell Bell, the Chiefs had hoped to focus on the cornerback position. They had every intention of talking with free agent Fred Smoot, but the Minnesota Vikings made him an offer he couldn’t refuse; now the Chiefs have to rethink their next moves.


You can understand the sigh of relief in the Warpaint Nation when the Chiefs inked a deal with linebacker Kendrell Bell on Tuesday afternoon. Kansas City finally upgraded one of their weaker positions on defense, and can now focus on what to do next. They have a plethora of options, although they might have to make some trades to get the next wave of defensive players in town.

First, though, they’ll entertain cornerback Ty Law on Wednesday or Thursday. His agent Carl Poston has indicated that he’s ready for teams to look at his client and see how Law’s foot is responding to off-season surgery. Ty remains the premier cornerback on the market who is free to sign with any team. Safety Sammy Knight is also headed to Arrowhead to meet with the Chiefs, who really want to upgrade their safety position. He’s the last of the Tier One free agents left at his position.

Now Law could come a little cheaper than he would have a few weeks ago because the free agent cash is running out for the NFL contenders. That could prove good for the Chiefs—not only because they can get a veteran like Law for less money, but because it will allow them to have cash leftover to address other needs before the draft in April.

Knight is a nice player who could either be a back-up to Jerome Woods and Greg Wesley or take over for one of them as a starter. The Chiefs have to upgrade the safety position and they can’t enter the 2005 season with the same group backed up by Shaunard Harts or Willie Pile. Now Woods could be a June 1 cap casualty.

The only other player on the market is disgruntled Safety Donovin Darius from Jacksonville. He was furious that the Jaguars franchised him again and he has said everything and insulted anyone who will listen to him about how about he wants out of the Sunshine State.

From what we’ve gathered the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins are interested in his services, and now the Chiefs could be involved in the hunt. If the Chiefs give up their second pick for Patrick Surtain, they could ship that pick to Jacksonville for Surtain. Now Kansas City must ask themselves who’d they rather have on the roster; provided they can reach a deal with either of them.

I’d take Darius over Surtain because I think they can get Ty Law at a price that will put them in a position to sign more players. Plus, the Chiefs should be able to grab a veteran or two on June 1st when the next round of cuts will be made by NFL teams who don’t want to count salaries against the 2005 cap. Any team that cuts a veteran before then must absorb the cap hit for both salary and the remainder of the signing bonus in 2005. Not many teams can afford to do that.

The Chiefs still have other options on defense and a new name could be circling the halls of Arrowhead very soon. The New Orleans Saints are shopping former Kansas State defensive end Daren Howard. It’s been reported that New Orleans just wants a second round draft pick for one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL. If that’s the case, I’d much rather have a dominating defensive end like Howard who would give Kansas City one of the better defensive lines in the AFC West. The strength of the defense is along that front line and more depth at that position would allow us to be even more aggressive, provided they can add another linebacker and cornerback to the mix before the draft.

Now the draft could yield some success and it might yield an impact defensive player, but the Chiefs can’t count on that, nor should they. They need to solve their defensive issues prior to the draft so they can bring in solid athletes at numerous positions and upgrade the talent on this roster.

They could still make a run for free agent linebacker Ed Hartwell, who isn’t finding the free agent market as golden as he thought when he visited the Chiefs last week. Kansas City remains interested in him and they still are the front-runner if the price is right. It’s a fact that other NFL teams are not willing to give him that kind of signing bonus that Bell got from the Chiefs. Hartwell might have to lower his asking price if he does not sign with a team by the end of this week. Kansas City could use him and put him on the outside if they put Bell in the middle where he belongs.

With that said we’ve learned Hartwell plans on making his decision as early as this evening and from what we’ve learned the Chiefs had made the highest offer for his services. The Chiefs, Dolphins, Seahawks and

Kansas City still has a variety of things they can get done to upgrade the defense, but now it will be more difficult because they lost out on some of the top free agents at linebacker, safety and cornerback. Their task is difficult but it became a bit easier when they signed Bell on Tuesday.


www.warpaintillustrated.com

Do they proof the articles before they're released?

[Woodrow Call]

Originally Posted by kcsportsguy

Do they proof the articles before they're released?

Not that I can tell.

[nychief]

POORLY WRITEN

[Nightfyre]

FWIW, Darren Howard, Dalton, Siavii/Sims, Allen, Hartwell, Fujita, Bell would be a fantastic front 7.

[bringbackmarty]

Man, you'd have to be blazed to miss the shit he misses.

[DenverChief]

Originally Posted by Nightfyre

FWIW, Darren Howard, Dalton, Siavii/Sims, Allen, Hartwell, Fujita, Bell would be a fantastic front 7.

if we are gonna trade for Howard that means the Hicks is a June 1st cap cut? Along with Morton and Woods...

[The Bad Guy]

Nick Athan is a disgrace to journalists everywhere.

That said, I really want Law. I want a defensive free agent that's going to be a leader. I know he's damaged, but the Chiefs need to roll the dice here. They might be able to get him a lot cheaper than what he would cost if healthy.

I want someone with 3 SB rings on this defense. I want someone to chew out Warfield or Wesley when they blow a coverage.

Law's a great fit. If they can come to the conclusion that his foot will heal, then I'm all for his signing. The Chiefs actually have luck with 31-year olds with bad wheels. Willie Roaf and Trent Green were 2 players that turned out very well and they were coming off injuries as serious as Law's.