Offseason Plan 5.0 - All-Star Game Edition

kccrow · 07:10 PM

Unrestricted Free Agents

ERIC BERRY, SS/FS (KC) - Berry may feel inclined to sign with the Chiefs given how they treated him in dealing with his cancer, but he's still one of the premier safeties in the league and will expect to be paid as such. I have Berry on the books for a Devin McCourty-like deal. Contract structure is 5 years, $48 million, with a $15 million signing bonus and $22.5 million in total guarantees (1st and 2nd year salaries). Cap hits are $6.5, 8.0, 10.0, 11.0, and 12.5 million.

MITCHELL SCHWARTZ, RT (CLE) - Scwhartz has quietly become one of the premier right tackles in the NFL and is the lone splash I have the Chiefs making in the market. Dorsey has shown he's willing to sign or trade for lineman and pay them fairly well. I have the Chiefs making Schwartz the highest paid RT (depending on how you view the future of Lane Johnson) in the NFL to get him here and fix their biggest hole on the front line. Contract structure is in line with what Bryan Bulaga received from the Packers at 5 years, $34 million, with an $8 million signing bonus and $9.25 in total guarantees (1st year salary). Cap hits are $3.6, 5.6, 7.5, 8.6, and 8.7 million.

DERRICK JOHNSON, ILB (KC) - Johnson should sign a deal similar in nature to Darryl Smith of Baltimore and within the Chiefs' cap restrictions as he won't likely see a big offer at his age if he leaves. I have Johnson at 2 years, $7.5 million, with a $2 million signing bonus and cap hits of $3.5 and $4.0 million.

NOLAN CARROLL, CB (PHI) - Nolan Carroll stepped up for the Eagles this past season as a starter and was playing extremely well before a broken ankle ended his season after 11 weeks. Carroll is a long, thick corner at 6'1" 205 with great speed (4.43), and plays similarly to Sean Smith. Carroll just turned 29, so he isn't a long-term type of guy, but he can be a great stand-in while the Chiefs develop their youth and is an insurance policy in the event Gaines isn't back at 100% to play the outside. Carroll should receive a contract similar to what Greg Toler received from Indianapolis. I have the contract structure at 3 years, $15 million, with a $3 million signign bonus and $6.5 million in total guarantees (1st year salary). Cap hits are $4.5, 5.0, and 5.5 million.

TAMBA HALI, OLB (KC) - Hali essentially played for 6 million (5 million bonus) last year but the Chiefs cap hit was a modest 2 million for the current portion of the deal (870,000 salary, 1 million signing bonus for reworking his deal, and 130,000 workout bonus) and a total cap hit just under 5 million in 2015. The 2016 vet minimum is $985,000 for players with 10 accrued seasons. I think Hali signs for that minimum and adds on a 1.515 million roster bonus to become fully guaranteed the first day of training camp, ending with a total cap hit of 3.5 million (includes the 1 million in bonus money prorated from last years deal). The Chiefs have 5 days after the Super Bowl before his contract voids and the 4 million in bonus money accelerates against this season's cap, so we'll likely know sooner than later what will happen with him.

SEAN WEATHERSPOON, ILB (ARI) - Weatherspoon was a very good linebacker on the verge of being one of the better one's in the league before he was injured during his contract year with Atlanta, missing 10 games. Weatherspoon signed a 1 year "prove it" deal with the Cardinals during the off-season, but ended up in Bruce Arians' dog house after he was nicked up with a hamstring injury for the bulk of the preseason and didn't see much of any regular season action. Weatherspoon went to college at Missouri, so going to the Chiefs could be something he considers if they can agree to terms. I have the Chiefs signing Weatherspoon to a Wesley Woodyard (TEN) type of deal, but as more of a "prove it" deal with more roster bonus money tied in as injury incentives ($500,000 in each of the first two seasons and $1,000,000 in each of the last two). I have the contract structure as 4 years, $16 million, with a $3 million signing bonus and $4 million in total guarantees (1st year salary). Cap hits of $2.25, 3.5, 4.75, and 5.5 million.

TYVON BRANCH, SS/FS/NB (KC) - Branch became an integral piece to Sutton's defense last season, so I expect he'll be a guy that the Chiefs will want to try to re-sign and he is younger than Husain Abdullah. I have Branch penciled in with a deal above Patrick Chung and in the top 40 range. Contract structure is 2 years, $5.4 million, with $1.6 million guarnteed and including $500,000 per year in game day incentives. Cap hits of $2.4 and 3.0 million.

MIKE DEVITO, DE (KC) - DeVito quietly had a really solid season for the Chiefs in a reserve role coming off his Achilles injury, and given he re-worked his contract to play for far less money last season, he could be a budget signing going into the end of his career. I have DeVito's contract structure in line with Chris Canty's (Baltimore) at 2 years, $4.885 million, with a $1.5 million signing bonus and including $500,000 in game day incentives. Cap hits of $1.885 and 3.0 million.

JASON AVANT, WR (KC) - Avant has been primarily a coach on the field during the week and limited contributor on Sunday's, but he's the kind of player Andy Reid will want to keep around as he continues to add more youth at the position. I have Avant signing for the vet minimum of $985,000 along with a $50,000 signing bonus and $30,000 in incentives which will give him a veteran discount cap hit of $680,000.

FRANK ZOMBO, OLB (KC) - Zombo is a core special teams player and solid part-time contributor on defense, so it only makes sense to re-sign him at the vet minimum of $760,000 with a $50,000 signing bonus and $30,000 in incentives, which will give him a veteran discount cap hit of $680,000.

Restricted Free Agents

CHARCANDRICK WEST, RB (KC) - West became a key piece to the Chiefs success in 2015 and they'll want him back. As an ERFA he has no choice but to sign for the vet minimum of $600,000.

DANIEL SORENSEN, SS (KC) - Sorensen was a key special teams player and part-time player in the secondary for the Chiefs. As an ERFA, he'll be back with no choice but to sign for the vet minimum of $600,000.

NICHOLAS WILLIAMS, DE (KC) - Williams is coming along as a 3-4 DE prospect for the Chiefs, having spent quite a bit of time on the active roster. He'll be back in 2016 and as an ERFA he'll sign for the vet minimum of $600,000.

DAVID KING, DE (KC) - Like Williams, King has also been a developmental DE for the Chiefs. He'll be back as well and as an ERFA he'll sign for the vet minimum of $600,000.

Let Walk

SEAN SMITH, CB
CHASE DANIEL, QB
HUSAIN ABDULLAH, FS
DONALD STEPHENSON, OT
JAYE HOWARD, DE
JAMELL FLEMING, CB
DEZMAN MOSES, OLB
JEFF ALLEN, OG/T

Estimated Cap Impact

Chiefs total $152,919,182. The estimated cap, announced at the owner's meeting, will be somewhere between $150.0 million and $153.4 million. My estimates are closer to the high end, and I expect $152 million. In any event, the Chiefs have an estimated rollover of $2.9 million. Using the low end cap figure with the rollover nets a cap of $152,951,340, leaving the Chiefs with total cap space of $32,158. Anything over $150 million, I'll consider space the Chiefs reserve to make in-season transactions. Cap hits for re-signings reflected and closely approximated (Kelce $2,948,226, Harris at $1,442,500, Reid at $1,825,000).

Draft Selections

1(028) WILL FULLER, WR (5'11" 185) Notre Dame
Lean with good muscle tone, good arm length, high cut with long legs. Solid lower body strength with sprinter traits and speed. Shows sudden burst, rapid stride, quick feet, lateral agility, and flexibility to elude and create in the open field. Quick-twitch athlete that can snap off routes. Explosive off the snap, closing cushions quickly and forcing defenders to play off the ball. Adjust his stride once hitting the second level to pull away from defenders deep, possessing excellent pure speed and might run in the 4.3's. Great vision as a runner, elusive. Relatively clean route runner. Finds soft spots and works to get open for his quarterback. Excellent hands, extends and plucks away from his frame. Incredible core flexibility and body control to contort his body adjusting to the football to make difficult catches. Slides to catch the ball within his frame, but can make acrobatic catches outside of his frame. Good field awareness and sideline awareness. Outstanding ability to track the deep ball. Patient setting up blocks on bubble screens.

2(059) ADOLPHUS WASHINGTON, DL (6'4" 297) Ohio State
Long player with good thickness throughout, good bubble. Washington shows excellent quickness at the snap, immediately eating up valuable space against offensive lineman. Displays a developed swim move and solid bull rush right away. Can make himself skinny and slide into lanes. Very disruptive player, allowing his teammates to feed off of him collapsing the pocket. Outstanding burst and closing speed to the ballcarrier. Takes good angles in pursuit. Will need to learn to use his hands better and needs to develop better play recognition. First round calibert talent that may fall due to insane depth along defensive line in this draft coupled with his recent arrest for soliciting a prostitute.

3(091) KAMALEI CORREA, DE (6'3" 245) Boise State
Correa is a compact player for the defensive end position but will fit in well as an outside or inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense in the NFL. Sports an explosive first step and excellent burst to get into defenders quickly. Maintains good balance and uses his hands extremely well to fight off lineman. Can jolt lineman backwards on initial contact. Excellent closing speed to the ball-carrier. Very good recovery speed and change of direction ability to make second effort plays. Great lateral quickness to make plays away from his area. Can get skinny and slip past blockers. Plays the run very well, especially for his size. An impact pass rusher. Sports the athletic ability to also make a move inside, similar to Jaime Collins in New England. Size, competition, and a deep draft along the defensive front may be the only reasons Correa may slip in this draft.

4(127) D.J. WHITE, CB (5'11" 189) Georgia Tech
White is a well built, athletic player with good musculature and strength for his size. Excellent press coverage. Good short area quickness and solid deep speed. Flexible athlete, exhibiting excellent body control to turn and play the football. Click and close defender against the run and hits with authority using textbook form. Fluid hips and quick feet in transition. Reads the quarterback and breaks on balls well. Experienced in press man and off man. High points on the ball and breaks up quite a few plays. Excellent field awareness to find ball-carriers away from his area. Hustle player. May struggle against larger receivers and top-flight speed.

5(162) SEAN DAVIS, FS (6'1" 201) Maryland
Davis sports an athletic frame with a good build for either cornerback or free safety. He has long arms, a well built upper body, and long legs. Davis is a very aggressive defender, which is a big reaosn he's excellent playing downhill with the action in front of him. Davis has very quick feet and excellent closing speed to come downhill and make tackles. Extremely explosive hitter. Plays the ball well in the air and generally gets his head turned to the football. Good leaping abilty. Ace special teams gunner. Has developed a knack for forcing turnovers. Experience at corner, which makes him a valuable every down defender. Doesn't exhibit good enough footwork and technique to immediately play the boundry, but doesn't appear to be limited athletically if a team wanted to put him there. High backpeddle and clunky transition at this point, common with long-legged players. Gets overally aggressive with his hands at times in pass coverage. Will be at his best as a free safety or nickle defender in the NFL.

5(167) TYLER JOHNSTONE, OT (6'6" 295) Oregon
Johnstone is a long, well-proportioned player with good thickness throughout but should add about 20 pounds in the pros. Looks to have long arms. Not too highly cut for his height. Sports excellent quickness off the snap either getting into the pads of defenders immediately or dropping into his solid kick slide. Generates decent pop into defenders with his hands, but needs to develop more upper body strength for the pros. Technically sound in most aspects. Keeps his hands inside on the defender. Generates solid movement drive blocking in the run game. Can adequately get up on second level blocks. Generally keeps his shoulders square on the perimeter and rides defenders around the pocket. Needs work on his power step to cut off inside moves. Needs to continue working on keeping square and keeping ready hands, sometimes allowing his arms to fall and letting defenders get leverage before having to recover. Must generate better foot movement after contact in the run game. Was looking to be a 1st round player before consecutive ACL injuries. May still be a 2nd day prospect depending on how teams feel about his time missed. Will require thorough medical evaluations.

6(208) JEFF DRISKEL, QB (6'4" 230) Louisiana Tech
Driskel has prototypical NFL size at the QB position with well-distributed weight. Pro-ready set-up and delivery of the football, giving him solid accuracy and good velocity on the ball. Shows good touch on fade/corner routes. Good trajectory and accuracy on deep balls. Needs better accuracy on lateral passes. Athletic with the ability to create plays with his legs. Good pocket awareness, climbs the pocket, protects the ball, moves around well, and scrambles to avoid defenders. Capable of progressing through reads. Like all rookie QBs, will need work on those read progressions. Primary concern is poor body of work at Florida followed by primary success coming from shotgun spread at lower level of competition. Shows developed pro traits and could be a late bloomer/steal prospect if he continues to put it all together.

7(249) HUNTER SHARP, WR (5'11" 199) Utah State
Sharp is a smaller receiver but has decent bulk and good overall musculature with longer legs and thick shoulders. Explosive off the line, accelerating quickly into routes, with a burst at the top that can leave defenders in his wake. Quick and fast athlete overall. Agile and shows some wiggle to create in the open field. Flexible athlete that adjusts well to the ball in the air. Good punt and kick returner. Extremely productive given the run heavy offense he played in. Decent open field blocker. Inconsistent hands, will drop some easy passes but will also make some spectacular ones. To his credit, terrible QB play with a duck one pass and one rifled in the next and rarely on target, in stride. Cousin to Derrick Johnson.

Offseason Roster
(Less any UDFAs/Lower Tier UFA pick-ups. * Denotes rookie)

QB: Alex Smith, Aaron Murray, Tyler Bray, Jeff Driskel*
RB: Jamaal Chalres, Spencer Ware, Charcandrick West, Knile Davis, De'Anthony Thomas, Darrin Reaves, Deveron Carr
FB: Anthony Sherman, Trey Millard
TE: Travis Kelce, James O'Shaughnessy, Demetrius Harris, Brian Parker Ross Travis
WR: Jeremy Maclin, Will Fuller*, Chris Conley, Albert Wilson, Jason Avant, Hunter Sharp*, Frankie Hammond, Da'Ron Brown, Fred Williams, Kenny Cook
OT: Eric Fisher, Mitchell Schwartz, Jah Reid (OG), Tyler Johnstone*, Reid Fragel, Curtis Feigt, Laurence Gibson
OG: Ben Grubbs, Zach Fulton (OC), Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff, Paul Fanaika, Jarrod Pughsley (OT), Michael Liedtke
OC: Mitch Morse, Daniel Munyer
DE: Allen Bailey, Mike DeVito, Adolphus Washington*, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, David King, Niko Davis
DT: Dontari Poe, Nicholas Williams (DE), Alameda Ta'amu, Jimmy Staten
OLB: Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, Dee Ford, Kamalei Correa*, Frank Zombo, Cameron Gordon (ILB), Tyrell Adams (ILB)
ILB: Derrick Johnson, Sean Weatherspoon, Josh Mauga, Ramik Wilson, Justin March, DJ Alexander
CB Marcus Peters, Nolan Carroll, Phillip Gaines, Steven Nelson, D.J. White*, Marcus Cooper, Keith Lewis
FS: Ron Parker, Tyvon Branch (NB), Sean Davis* (CB), Jordan Kovacs
SS Eric Berry, Daniel Sorensen
ST: Cairo Santos (K), Dustin Colquitt (P), James Winchester (LS)

Projected 53-Man

QB(3) - A. Smith, A. Murray, J. Driskel*
RB(3) - J. Charles, S. Ware, C. West
FB(1) - A. Sherman
WR(5) - J. Maclin, W. Fuller*, C. Conley, A. Wilson, H. Sharp*
TE(3) - T. Kelce, J. O'Shaughnessy, D. Harris
OL(9) - E. Fisher, M. Schwartz, J. Reid, B. Grubbs, M. Morse, Z. Fulton, L. Duvernay-Tardiff, J. Pughsley, T. Johnstone*
DL(6) - D. Poe, A. Bailey, M. DeVito, A. Washington*, N. Williams, R. Nunez-Roches
OLB(5) - J. Houston, T. Hali, D. Ford, K. Correa*, F. Zombo
ILB(5) - D. Johnson, S. Weatherspoon, J. Mauga, R. Wilson, J. March
CB(5) - M. Peters, N. Carroll, P. Gaines, S. Nelson, D. White*
DB(5) - E. Berry, R. Parker, T. Branch, S. Davis*, D. Sorensen
ST(3) - C. Santos, D. Colquitt, J. Winchester

Synopsis

There's obviously going to be quite a few questions raised about not signing Sean Smith nor Jaye Howard to long-term deals, while offering one to Mitchell Schwartz when the Chiefs just signed Jah Reid to a contract extension.

Let's be honest, Jah Reid was anything but "good" outside at tackle, but he looked a bit serviceable at guard. I'll be the first to say I very much disliked the deal Dorsey offered up to Reid and I feel as though he's thrown quite a bit of cash at below average players along the front line. This is the same front line that was inconsistent and nearly got Alex Smith killed on several occasions. Mitchell Schwartz isn't only a significant upgrade, he's the best right tackle in the NFL.

While Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff and Zach Fulton have made tremendous strides as late-round draft selections, they are far and away subpar starters at the guard position. At this point, I'm more than comfortable listing Reid as the odds on favorite to win the right guard spot heading into 2016 if the Chiefs can add a good tackle like Schwartz. Fulton is a capable back-up at both guard and center, but isn't starting material. While LDT has grown, he still lacks considerable strength to be a full-time starter.

If Ben Grubbs can return to health at left guard, a starting lineup of Fisher, Grubbs, Morse, Reid, and Schwartz would be a significant upgrade over what we've seen over the past few seasons. I also add Tyler Johnstone in this scenario, who looked like a first round lock before his knee injuries. If he continues to rebuild his lower body strength and ascend off of his good play of 2015, he could be a legitimate "sleeper" prospect as an NFL left tackle.

There will be those who say that letting go of Jeff Allen is a mistake, but I really don't think so. Jeff Allen was subpar more often than not throughout his career here, and while 2015 might have been his best year, he is still very average. Additionally, Allen just cannot remain healthy, and unless he'd sign for a very team friendly deal laden with injury incentives, I can't see the Chiefs bringing him back.

Onto the Jaye Howard situation. Jaye Howard has become a very good football player, but with only one season of top level production, I just can't see spending the type of money I'm assuming it will require to retain his services. Not only that, the 2016 draft is one of the best defensive line drafts I've seen in the past decade. First round caliber talents will almost assuredly be available late into the second round. If there is a time to pass the dollars off, there is no better time than now.

And onto Sean Smith... While I like Sean Smith as a $6-7 million per year cornerback, I don't like him as a $10 million per cornerback, and that is likely what it will take to retain his services in the current market. Smith gets beat over the top often enough and he really fared better than his average this season due to teams targeting rookie Marcus Peters instead. I really believe the Chiefs can function with solid play opposite Peters and I think Gaines and Nelson can provide that. They, obviously, cannot function with the sub-par play that Cooper and Fleming provided, but Gaines has proven he's far better than either and Nelson has flashed ability in limited action. To fortify the position, I add Nolan Carroll on a 3 year deal that makes him a cut option after the first year, and I also add a good play-maker in D.J. White in the middle of the draft.

Instead of re-signing big dollar guys, I instead chose to bring back several important veterans that get the job done, including Eric Berry, Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson, Mike DeVito, and Tyvon Branch. I think the sum of the parts is greater than a single piece and I just can't fathom this defense losing that much talent for one or two guys. I also feel like adding a key cog on the offensive line is a much better play, and will make the Chiefs less of a one-dimensional team.

Onto the draft, I really looked for explosive players and play-makers. Fuller is a taller version of DeSean Jackson and could add that explosive second receiving option that the offense is missing. Coupled with better offensive line play, this could put the Chiefs over the top on the offensive side of the football.

Adolphus Washington and Kamalei Correa are both very explosive defenders that can push the pocket in a hurry, something the Chiefs proved they can ill-afford to lose due to injuries. I see Washington as a much more athletic defensive end than Howard was and a guy that should be able to create more pressure and more negative plays. Correa is explosive out of his stance and plays the run really well. He's a little on the small side, but his athleticism might let him play inside as well. Having multiple pass rushers on the field at once is never a bad thing.

In the defensive backfield, I more or less filled holes, but went for guys that make plays on the football. Neither DB is likely going to get 8 picks in a rookie season like Peters, but these are guys that can get 3-4 picks in a season. Both guys tackle really well, which is something the Chiefs are good at and should want to retain. I think White has the skills to come in and play the nickle spot immediately if need be. Davis has potential to be an impact special teams player immediately and develop into a really good defensive back in time. He's got some great traits, having also played some corner.

The last two picks are, more-or-less, luxury selections. I think the back-up QB position needs more competition and I see a whole bunch of Alex Smith in Driskel. That may not be popular with the masses, but if Alex Smith was a 6th round pick and was your back-up, you'd be thrilled. I'm not convinced that Murray has the arm, nor Bray the brain, to be anything significant in the NFL. We'll see. Sharp is a guy to add to the WR depth and he is DJs cousin, so there is that family mentor connection there, plus Sharp has the skills to be a really good return man in the NFL, something Frankie Hammond has proven not to be.

There you have it, chop away.

**The Franchise** · 02-01-2016, 11:35 AM

Might want to add Allen in the letting go category.

And **** Avant.

CrossCheck · 02-01-2016, 05:12 PM

I like Correa, but I doubt he will be there at the bottom of the 3rd.

Former Boise State defensive end Kamalei Correa has a 90 percent chance of landing in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft based on recent results.

Correa received a second-round grade from the NFL’s College Advisory Committee, new Boise State defensive coordinator Andy Avalos said Friday. In the past two years, 90 percent of underclassmen with grades in the first two rounds have been selected in those rounds (38 of 42). In the past five years, no more than three such players have fallen out of the first two rounds.

kccrow · 02-01-2016, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrossCheck

I like Correa, but I doubt he will be there at the bottom of the 3rd.

Former Boise State defensive end Kamalei Correa has a 90 percent chance of landing in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft based on recent results.

Correa received a second-round grade from the NFL’s College Advisory Committee, new Boise State defensive coordinator Andy Avalos said Friday. In the past two years, 90 percent of underclassmen with grades in the first two rounds have been selected in those rounds (38 of 42). In the past five years, no more than three such players have fallen out of the first two rounds.

Good stuff. Do you have a link? Love to get more information on some other guys.

CrossCheck · 02-01-2016, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kccrow

Good stuff. Do you have a link? Love to get more information on some other guys.

I couldn't post the link since I'm a newbie, but it's not a draft site, it's just an article from a local paper up there.

kccrow · 02-01-2016, 07:19 PM

Realized I'm making a gross overstatement on the rookie pool. The current estimate is $5,501,463. I've been using $7,000,000.

Pick-by-pick salaries are:
Round 1 - $ 1,637,807
Round 2 - $ 724,383
Round 3 - $ 614,657
Round 4 - $ 573,682
Round 5 - $ 504,459
Round 5 - $ 502,307
Round 6 - $ 479,466
Round 7 - $ 464,702

Also, I've been forgetting to restate that amount as a "cap figure" because of the top 51 offset which is roughly $450,000 for every draft selection signed. This is relatively "theoretical" based on Over The Cap's thought that each draft pick replaces another player on the roster and the minimum salary is $450,000.

The theoretical cap hit for the rookies is$1,901,463 ($5,501,463 - $3,600,000).

When I put the draft picks into my spreadsheet under the current scenario, the draft picks that count against the cap are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rounders at a total of $2,976,847. The top 51 contracts total $145,654,182 leaving the Chiefs with considerable space remaining (roughly 4.3-6.3 million) without using their 2015 rollover, which could add as much as $2.9 million based on the figure currently being reported (although I suspect it is slightly inaccurate because of the Sherman deal) which could leave the chiefs with between $7.2 and 9.2 million in space.

I normally reserve most of the top 51 offset because the Chiefs generally try to remain around $2-$3 million under the cap for in-season moves and the like.

I'll make some considerations for this and likely make a change in the not too distant future.

Saccopoo · 02-01-2016, 07:51 PM

Is Fuller actually worth a first round selection with guys like TCU's Josh Doctson, Michael Thomas (Ohio State) at the position not to mention obvious need trench guys?

Fuller looks like he could break in half in a stiff wind. Emmanuel Sanders-ish, but is that worth a first rounder considering Maclin on the roster and the pending problem at DT (Austin Johnson) and the obvious hole at RT (Germain Ifedi)?

CleveSteve · 02-02-2016, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kccrow

Good stuff. Do you have a link? Love to get more information on some other guys.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrossCheck

I couldn't post the link since I'm a newbie, but it's not a draft site, it's just an article from a local paper up there.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/sports...e56172285.html

Boise State’s Kamalei Correa received second-round NFL Draft grade

Former Boise State defensive end Kamalei Correa has a 90 percent chance of landing in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft based on recent results.

Correa received a second-round grade from the NFL’s College Advisory Committee, new Boise State defensive coordinator Andy Avalos said Friday. In the past two years, 90 percent of underclassmen with grades in the first two rounds have been selected in those rounds (38 of 42). In the past five years, no more than three such players have fallen out of the first two rounds.

Correa’s agent announced his decision the day after the Poinsettia Bowl. The Idaho Statesman reported the night before the game that Correa had made his decision and would leave. Correa said immediately after the game that he hadn’t seen the NFL report.

The report indicates that he made a sound decision to leave early despite slipping from first-team All-Mountain West in 2014 (12 sacks, 19 tackles for loss) to second team in 2015 (seven, 11).

He finished his career as the defensive MVP of the Poinsettia Bowl with four tackles, two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

“Extremely excited for Kamalei,” said Avalos, who was the defensive line coach when Correa was recruited in 2012 and began playing in 2013. “It’s been his dream. ... Basically what the NFL said was, ‘He can come out.’ ”

Correa’s agent hasn’t responded to an interview request.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/sports...#storylink=cpy

kccrow · 02-02-2016, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

Is Fuller actually worth a first round selection with guys like TCU's Josh Doctson, Michael Thomas (Ohio State) at the position not to mention obvious need trench guys?

Fuller looks like he could break in half in a stiff wind. Emmanuel Sanders-ish, but is that worth a first rounder considering Maclin on the roster and the pending problem at DT (Austin Johnson) and the obvious hole at RT (Germain Ifedi)?

Sac, here's a post I made to something similar over at the Coalition, so I'll just copy and paste...

I think far too many Chiefs' fans far undervalue a good #2 WR in today's NFL. It's not that I think you guys are entirely wrong about not drafting a receiver in the first round, but I think you are very wrong for thinking that a good #2 isn't necessary because we have Maclin and Kelce. We all saw this past season how good the Chiefs are offensively without Maclin. The offense, quite literally, imploded. I'm not overly confident if the team lost Kelce for an extended period of time either.

Let me point you to the 2010-2013 Philadelphia Eagles under Reid. That team featured Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, and Brent Celek. All of those players put up good statistics, and the offense had explosive capabilities. When Maclin went down in 2013, Jackson was able to step up as the #1 and have a career year. When Jackson left in 2014 and the Eagles added Jordan Matthews with an early 2nd round pick, they were again a top tier offense with explosive capability.

And that is a big key with this team, they cannot score quickly on anyone. They are a slow as hell, dink and dunk only team. They need more firepower to strike quickly when needed. They need to be multi-dimensional so teams don't double-cover Kelce and Maclin. You could take a receiver in round 3 and wait for him to develop for two years, or you can take a much better one in the first and get immediate production.

I like Conley, but I see him as more of a straight line player. A guy you put in as a number 3 to stretch the field from time to time, much like Reid did with Riley Cooper. I want that DeSean Jackson type that will keep defenses honest immediately.

I'm really sick and ****ing tired of watching this franchise draft fatass after fatass in the first round while ignoring critical skill positions when they are more than necessary. Dorsey did a great job selecting Peters last year and they were fortunate he fell. Hell, when the Chiefs draft receivers in round 1, they take fatasses there too. Quickness and speed really matter. I will say though, if the Chiefs do take a fatass, I want it to be D-Line in this draft.

Drafting a Right Tackle in round 1 is not a theory I'm very high on. It's an absolutely stupid move in my book. I'd never draft a right tackle over playmakers on either side of the ball. If the guy isn't touching the ball on offense, stopping the guys that do on defense, or protecting my QB from blind-side hits, I'm not taking him in round 1. That means no guards, no centers, no right tackles. Do I agree that this team needs help on the offensive line? Absolutely. I've had at least 2 being picked up in some fashion in every edition of this hypothetical "offseason plan" I've put out to date (or at least as much as I remember). I'm not at all opposed to the Chiefs spending multiple picks in the 2nd-5th round range on offensive lineman. I'll talk some more about the tackles.

I have the following rated as first round tackles, because they all appear to have what it takes to man the left tackles spot in the NFL:

Laremy Tunsil - Ole Miss (top 5)
Ronnie Stanley - Notre Dame (top 5-7)
Taylor Decker - Ohio State (top 20, projects well to RT as well)
Jason Spriggs - Indiana (20-30)
Jack Conklin - Michigan State (20-30, projects well to RT as well)

I have the following rated as right tackles only (draft rd):

Shon Coleman - Auburn (2)
Kyle Murphy - Stanford (3)
Pearce Slater - San Diego State (4-5)
Cole Toner - Harvard (5-6)
John Theus - Georgia (5-6)
Alex Lewis - Nebraska (6-7)

I have the following as developmental left tackles (draft rd):

Willie Beavers - Western Michigan (2-3, projects well to RT as well)
Joe Haeg - North Dakota State (3-4)
Tyler Johnstone - Oregon (4-5)

I have the following listed tackles fitting as guards only in the NFL (draft round):

Germain Ifedi - Texas A&M (1-2)
Jerald Hawkins - LSU (2-3)
Avery Young - Auburn (4-5)

I think that if I'm targeting a tackle in this draft early on, I'm looking at Willie Beavers at the end of round 2. He has good movement and great size as well as the type of ability that could make him a very solid player at right tackle. He sports that big, thick lower half with a bubble ass paired with good power that you look for in a rock at right tackle, but he has enough athleticism to swing to the left in a pinch.

I also don't believe this team needs to draft a CB in round 1 when you have a 1st round pick (Peters) and two 3rd round picks (Gaines & Nelson) all on the roster already. Would I grab one on day 1 or 2? I might, if the right one falls. I think this is a position that has starting talent and needs added depth. Looking at Day 1 and day 2, Eli Apple is a consideration if there in round 1. William Jackson III, Artie Burns, and Deiondre Hall are considerations in round 2. I think Eric Murray, D.J. White, and Maurice Canady are guys I'd look at in round 3 or 4 and lean towards 4 with the latter two.

What is everyone's fascination with ILB? Yes, if a good one falls into the Chiefs laps I'd most definitely consider it. If a guy like Myles Jack, Darron Lee, Jaylon Smith or Reggie Ragland drops in the first, then I'd absolutely have to take a long, hard look. The only "no brainer" for me is Jaylon Smith. Scooby Wright in the 2nd or 3rd, maybe, but I see him as a better pass-rushing version of Mauga. Other than those guys, I don't see much advantage out there over what the Chiefs got last year. The Chiefs picked up 3 ILBs a year ago in Wilson (Rd 4), Alexander (Rd 5), and March (UDFA). These players need to develop, and are doing just that behind veterans Johnson and Mauga. I really liked that March kid before he got injured and he could end up being a real steal. I like Deion Jones (LSU) in the 3rd, but he's very much the same type of linebacker the Chiefs picked up last year x3.

If I took WR out of the first round, I'd likely take advantage of the plethora of talent along the defensive front in this draft.

CleveSteve · 02-02-2016, 10:10 AM

El Jefe · 02-02-2016, 10:11 AM

I am a big buckeye fan, so I have watched Adolphus his entire career. That guy is a monster, I think late 2nd is the perfect spot for him.

kccrow · 02-02-2016, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CleveSteve

http://www.idahostatesman.com/sports...e56172285.html

Boise State’s Kamalei Correa received second-round NFL Draft grade

Former Boise State defensive end Kamalei Correa has a 90 percent chance of landing in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft based on recent results.

Correa received a second-round grade from the NFL’s College Advisory Committee, new Boise State defensive coordinator Andy Avalos said Friday. In the past two years, 90 percent of underclassmen with grades in the first two rounds have been selected in those rounds (38 of 42). In the past five years, no more than three such players have fallen out of the first two rounds.

Correa’s agent announced his decision the day after the Poinsettia Bowl. The Idaho Statesman reported the night before the game that Correa had made his decision and would leave. Correa said immediately after the game that he hadn’t seen the NFL report.

The report indicates that he made a sound decision to leave early despite slipping from first-team All-Mountain West in 2014 (12 sacks, 19 tackles for loss) to second team in 2015 (seven, 11).

He finished his career as the defensive MVP of the Poinsettia Bowl with four tackles, two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

“Extremely excited for Kamalei,” said Avalos, who was the defensive line coach when Correa was recruited in 2012 and began playing in 2013. “It’s been his dream. ... Basically what the NFL said was, ‘He can come out.’ ”

Correa’s agent hasn’t responded to an interview request.

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/sports...#storylink=cpy

Not a single draft media outlet is corroborating that in their rankings. Interesting.

kccrow · 02-02-2016, 07:19 PM

I updated the OP. Added two signings, Nolan Carroll (CB, Philadelphia) and Sean Weatherspoon (ILB, Arizona) to use cap space I wasn't properly reflecting earlier and add talent back to the team. I'm going to continue to keep Correa as a 3rd rounder until I see something more from scouting sites going forward. I'll adjust that pick going forward, if necessary.

My cap breakdown and signings contract breakdown are included as attachments.

01-31-2016, 07:41 PM
kccrow MVP Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Michigan Casino cash: $-1070000	Offseason Plan 5.0 - UPDATED Unrestricted Free Agents ERIC BERRY, SS/FS (KC) - Berry may feel inclined to sign with the Chiefs given how they treated him in dealing with his cancer, but he's still one of the premier safeties in the league and will expect to be paid as such. I have Berry on the books for a Devin McCourty-like deal. Contract structure is 5 years, $48 million, with a $15 million signing bonus and $22.5 million in total guarantees (1st and 2nd year salaries). Cap hits are $6.5, 8.0, 10.0, 11.0, and 12.5 million. MITCHELL SCHWARTZ, RT (CLE) - Scwhartz has quietly become one of the premier right tackles in the NFL and is the lone splash I have the Chiefs making in the market. Dorsey has shown he's willing to sign or trade for lineman and pay them fairly well. I have the Chiefs making Schwartz the highest paid RT (depending on how you view the future of Lane Johnson) in the NFL to get him here and fix their biggest hole on the front line. Contract structure is in line with what Bryan Bulaga received from the Packers at 5 years, $34 million, with an $8 million signing bonus and $9.25 in total guarantees (1st year salary). Cap hits are $3.6, 5.6, 7.5, 8.6, and 8.7 million. DERRICK JOHNSON, ILB (KC) - Johnson should sign a deal similar in nature to Darryl Smith of Baltimore and within the Chiefs' cap restrictions as he won't likely see a big offer at his age if he leaves. I have Johnson at 2 years, $7.5 million, with a $2 million signing bonus and cap hits of $3.5 and $4.0 million. NOLAN CARROLL, CB (PHI) - Nolan Carroll stepped up for the Eagles this past season as a starter and was playing extremely well before a broken ankle ended his season after 11 weeks. Carroll is a long, thick corner at 6'1" 205 with great speed (4.43), and plays similarly to Sean Smith. Carroll just turned 29, so he isn't a long-term type of guy, but he can be a great stand-in while the Chiefs develop their youth and is an insurance policy in the event Gaines isn't back at 100% to play the outside. Carroll should receive a contract similar to what Greg Toler received from Indianapolis. I have the contract structure at 3 years, $15 million, with a $3 million signign bonus and $6.5 million in total guarantees (1st year salary). Cap hits are $4.5, 5.0, and 5.5 million. TAMBA HALI, OLB (KC) - Hali essentially played for 6 million (5 million bonus) last year but the Chiefs cap hit was a modest 2 million for the current portion of the deal (870,000 salary, 1 million signing bonus for reworking his deal, and 130,000 workout bonus) and a total cap hit just under 5 million in 2015. The 2016 vet minimum is $985,000 for players with 10 accrued seasons. I think Hali signs for that minimum and adds on a 1.515 million roster bonus to become fully guaranteed the first day of training camp, ending with a total cap hit of 3.5 million (includes the 1 million in bonus money prorated from last years deal). The Chiefs have 5 days after the Super Bowl before his contract voids and the 4 million in bonus money accelerates against this season's cap, so we'll likely know sooner than later what will happen with him. SEAN WEATHERSPOON, ILB (ARI) - Weatherspoon was a very good linebacker on the verge of being one of the better one's in the league before he was injured during his contract year with Atlanta, missing 10 games. Weatherspoon signed a 1 year "prove it" deal with the Cardinals during the off-season, but ended up in Bruce Arians' dog house after he was nicked up with a hamstring injury for the bulk of the preseason and didn't see much of any regular season action. Weatherspoon went to college at Missouri, so going to the Chiefs could be something he considers if they can agree to terms. I have the Chiefs signing Weatherspoon to a Wesley Woodyard (TEN) type of deal, but as more of a "prove it" deal with more roster bonus money tied in as injury incentives ($500,000 in each of the first two seasons and $1,000,000 in each of the last two). I have the contract structure as 4 years, $16 million, with a $3 million signing bonus and $4 million in total guarantees (1st year salary). Cap hits of $2.25, 3.5, 4.75, and 5.5 million. TYVON BRANCH, SS/FS/NB (KC) - Branch became an integral piece to Sutton's defense last season, so I expect he'll be a guy that the Chiefs will want to try to re-sign and he is younger than Husain Abdullah. I have Branch penciled in with a deal above Patrick Chung and in the top 40 range. Contract structure is 2 years, $5.4 million, with $1.6 million guarnteed and including $500,000 per year in game day incentives. Cap hits of $2.4 and 3.0 million. MIKE DEVITO, DE (KC) - DeVito quietly had a really solid season for the Chiefs in a reserve role coming off his Achilles injury, and given he re-worked his contract to play for far less money last season, he could be a budget signing going into the end of his career. I have DeVito's contract structure in line with Chris Canty's (Baltimore) at 2 years, $4.885 million, with a $1.5 million signing bonus and including $500,000 in game day incentives. Cap hits of $1.885 and 3.0 million. JASON AVANT, WR (KC) - Avant has been primarily a coach on the field during the week and limited contributor on Sunday's, but he's the kind of player Andy Reid will want to keep around as he continues to add more youth at the position. I have Avant signing for the vet minimum of $985,000 along with a $50,000 signing bonus and $30,000 in incentives which will give him a veteran discount cap hit of $680,000. FRANK ZOMBO, OLB (KC) - Zombo is a core special teams player and solid part-time contributor on defense, so it only makes sense to re-sign him at the vet minimum of $760,000 with a $50,000 signing bonus and $30,000 in incentives, which will give him a veteran discount cap hit of $680,000. Restricted Free Agents CHARCANDRICK WEST, RB (KC) - West became a key piece to the Chiefs success in 2015 and they'll want him back. As an ERFA he has no choice but to sign for the vet minimum of $600,000. DANIEL SORENSEN, SS (KC) - Sorensen was a key special teams player and part-time player in the secondary for the Chiefs. As an ERFA, he'll be back with no choice but to sign for the vet minimum of $600,000. NICHOLAS WILLIAMS, DE (KC) - Williams is coming along as a 3-4 DE prospect for the Chiefs, having spent quite a bit of time on the active roster. He'll be back in 2016 and as an ERFA he'll sign for the vet minimum of $600,000. DAVID KING, DE (KC) - Like Williams, King has also been a developmental DE for the Chiefs. He'll be back as well and as an ERFA he'll sign for the vet minimum of $600,000. Let Walk SEAN SMITH, CB CHASE DANIEL, QB HUSAIN ABDULLAH, FS DONALD STEPHENSON, OT JAYE HOWARD, DE JAMELL FLEMING, CB DEZMAN MOSES, OLB JEFF ALLEN, OG/T Estimated Cap Impact Chiefs total $152,919,182. The estimated cap, announced at the owner's meeting, will be somewhere between $150.0 million and $153.4 million. My estimates are closer to the high end, and I expect $152 million. In any event, the Chiefs have an estimated rollover of $2.9 million. Using the low end cap figure with the rollover nets a cap of $152,951,340, leaving the Chiefs with total cap space of $32,158. Anything over $150 million, I'll consider space the Chiefs reserve to make in-season transactions. Cap hits for re-signings reflected and closely approximated (Kelce $2,948,226, Harris at $1,442,500, Reid at $1,825,000). Draft Selections 1(028) WILL FULLER, WR (5'11" 185) Notre Dame Lean with good muscle tone, good arm length, high cut with long legs. Solid lower body strength with sprinter traits and speed. Shows sudden burst, rapid stride, quick feet, lateral agility, and flexibility to elude and create in the open field. Quick-twitch athlete that can snap off routes. Explosive off the snap, closing cushions quickly and forcing defenders to play off the ball. Adjust his stride once hitting the second level to pull away from defenders deep, possessing excellent pure speed and might run in the 4.3's. Great vision as a runner, elusive. Relatively clean route runner. Finds soft spots and works to get open for his quarterback. Excellent hands, extends and plucks away from his frame. Incredible core flexibility and body control to contort his body adjusting to the football to make difficult catches. Slides to catch the ball within his frame, but can make acrobatic catches outside of his frame. Good field awareness and sideline awareness. Outstanding ability to track the deep ball. Patient setting up blocks on bubble screens. 2(059) ADOLPHUS WASHINGTON, DL (6'4" 297) Ohio State Long player with good thickness throughout, good bubble. Washington shows excellent quickness at the snap, immediately eating up valuable space against offensive lineman. Displays a developed swim move and solid bull rush right away. Can make himself skinny and slide into lanes. Very disruptive player, allowing his teammates to feed off of him collapsing the pocket. Outstanding burst and closing speed to the ballcarrier. Takes good angles in pursuit. Will need to learn to use his hands better and needs to develop better play recognition. First round calibert talent that may fall due to insane depth along defensive line in this draft coupled with his recent arrest for soliciting a prostitute. 3(091) KAMALEI CORREA, DE (6'3" 245) Boise State Correa is a compact player for the defensive end position but will fit in well as an outside or inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense in the NFL. Sports an explosive first step and excellent burst to get into defenders quickly. Maintains good balance and uses his hands extremely well to fight off lineman. Can jolt lineman backwards on initial contact. Excellent closing speed to the ball-carrier. Very good recovery speed and change of direction ability to make second effort plays. Great lateral quickness to make plays away from his area. Can get skinny and slip past blockers. Plays the run very well, especially for his size. An impact pass rusher. Sports the athletic ability to also make a move inside, similar to Jaime Collins in New England. Size, competition, and a deep draft along the defensive front may be the only reasons Correa may slip in this draft. 4(127) D.J. WHITE, CB (5'11" 189) Georgia Tech White is a well built, athletic player with good musculature and strength for his size. Excellent press coverage. Good short area quickness and solid deep speed. Flexible athlete, exhibiting excellent body control to turn and play the football. Click and close defender against the run and hits with authority using textbook form. Fluid hips and quick feet in transition. Reads the quarterback and breaks on balls well. Experienced in press man and off man. High points on the ball and breaks up quite a few plays. Excellent field awareness to find ball-carriers away from his area. Hustle player. May struggle against larger receivers and top-flight speed. 5(162) SEAN DAVIS, FS (6'1" 201) Maryland Davis sports an athletic frame with a good build for either cornerback or free safety. He has long arms, a well built upper body, and long legs. Davis is a very aggressive defender, which is a big reaosn he's excellent playing downhill with the action in front of him. Davis has very quick feet and excellent closing speed to come downhill and make tackles. Extremely explosive hitter. Plays the ball well in the air and generally gets his head turned to the football. Good leaping abilty. Ace special teams gunner. Has developed a knack for forcing turnovers. Experience at corner, which makes him a valuable every down defender. Doesn't exhibit good enough footwork and technique to immediately play the boundry, but doesn't appear to be limited athletically if a team wanted to put him there. High backpeddle and clunky transition at this point, common with long-legged players. Gets overally aggressive with his hands at times in pass coverage. Will be at his best as a free safety or nickle defender in the NFL. 5(167) TYLER JOHNSTONE, OT (6'6" 295) Oregon Johnstone is a long, well-proportioned player with good thickness throughout but should add about 20 pounds in the pros. Looks to have long arms. Not too highly cut for his height. Sports excellent quickness off the snap either getting into the pads of defenders immediately or dropping into his solid kick slide. Generates decent pop into defenders with his hands, but needs to develop more upper body strength for the pros. Technically sound in most aspects. Keeps his hands inside on the defender. Generates solid movement drive blocking in the run game. Can adequately get up on second level blocks. Generally keeps his shoulders square on the perimeter and rides defenders around the pocket. Needs work on his power step to cut off inside moves. Needs to continue working on keeping square and keeping ready hands, sometimes allowing his arms to fall and letting defenders get leverage before having to recover. Must generate better foot movement after contact in the run game. Was looking to be a 1st round player before consecutive ACL injuries. May still be a 2nd day prospect depending on how teams feel about his time missed. Will require thorough medical evaluations. 6(208) JEFF DRISKEL, QB (6'4" 230) Louisiana Tech Driskel has prototypical NFL size at the QB position with well-distributed weight. Pro-ready set-up and delivery of the football, giving him solid accuracy and good velocity on the ball. Shows good touch on fade/corner routes. Good trajectory and accuracy on deep balls. Needs better accuracy on lateral passes. Athletic with the ability to create plays with his legs. Good pocket awareness, climbs the pocket, protects the ball, moves around well, and scrambles to avoid defenders. Capable of progressing through reads. Like all rookie QBs, will need work on those read progressions. Primary concern is poor body of work at Florida followed by primary success coming from shotgun spread at lower level of competition. Shows developed pro traits and could be a late bloomer/steal prospect if he continues to put it all together. 7(249) HUNTER SHARP, WR (5'11" 199) Utah State Sharp is a smaller receiver but has decent bulk and good overall musculature with longer legs and thick shoulders. Explosive off the line, accelerating quickly into routes, with a burst at the top that can leave defenders in his wake. Quick and fast athlete overall. Agile and shows some wiggle to create in the open field. Flexible athlete that adjusts well to the ball in the air. Good punt and kick returner. Extremely productive given the run heavy offense he played in. Decent open field blocker. Inconsistent hands, will drop some easy passes but will also make some spectacular ones. To his credit, terrible QB play with a duck one pass and one rifled in the next and rarely on target, in stride. Cousin to Derrick Johnson. Offseason Roster (Less any UDFAs/Lower Tier UFA pick-ups. * Denotes rookie) QB: Alex Smith, Aaron Murray, Tyler Bray, Jeff Driskel* RB: Jamaal Chalres, Spencer Ware, Charcandrick West, Knile Davis, De'Anthony Thomas, Darrin Reaves, Deveron Carr FB: Anthony Sherman, Trey Millard TE: Travis Kelce, James O'Shaughnessy, Demetrius Harris, Brian Parker Ross Travis WR: Jeremy Maclin, Will Fuller, Chris Conley, Albert Wilson, Jason Avant, Hunter Sharp, Frankie Hammond, Da'Ron Brown, Fred Williams, Kenny Cook OT: Eric Fisher, Mitchell Schwartz, Jah Reid (OG), Tyler Johnstone, Reid Fragel, Curtis Feigt, Laurence Gibson OG: Ben Grubbs, Zach Fulton (OC), Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff, Paul Fanaika, Jarrod Pughsley (OT), Michael Liedtke OC: Mitch Morse, Daniel Munyer DE: Allen Bailey, Mike DeVito, Adolphus Washington, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, David King, Niko Davis DT: Dontari Poe, Nicholas Williams (DE), Alameda Ta'amu, Jimmy Staten OLB: Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, Dee Ford, Kamalei Correa, Frank Zombo, Cameron Gordon (ILB), Tyrell Adams (ILB) ILB: Derrick Johnson, Sean Weatherspoon, Josh Mauga, Ramik Wilson, Justin March, DJ Alexander CB Marcus Peters, Nolan Carroll, Phillip Gaines, Steven Nelson, D.J. White, Marcus Cooper, Keith Lewis FS: Ron Parker, Tyvon Branch (NB), Sean Davis* (CB), Jordan Kovacs SS Eric Berry, Daniel Sorensen ST: Cairo Santos (K), Dustin Colquitt (P), James Winchester (LS) Projected 53-Man QB(3) - A. Smith, A. Murray, J. Driskel* RB(3) - J. Charles, S. Ware, C. West FB(1) - A. Sherman WR(5) - J. Maclin, W. Fuller, C. Conley, A. Wilson, H. Sharp TE(3) - T. Kelce, J. O'Shaughnessy, D. Harris OL(9) - E. Fisher, M. Schwartz, J. Reid, B. Grubbs, M. Morse, Z. Fulton, L. Duvernay-Tardiff, J. Pughsley, T. Johnstone* DL(6) - D. Poe, A. Bailey, M. DeVito, A. Washington, N. Williams, R. Nunez-Roches OLB(5) - J. Houston, T. Hali, D. Ford, K. Correa, F. Zombo ILB(5) - D. Johnson, S. Weatherspoon, J. Mauga, R. Wilson, J. March CB(5) - M. Peters, N. Carroll, P. Gaines, S. Nelson, D. White* DB(5) - E. Berry, R. Parker, T. Branch, S. Davis, D. Sorensen ST(3) - C. Santos, D. Colquitt, J. Winchester Synopsis* There's obviously going to be quite a few questions raised about not signing Sean Smith nor Jaye Howard to long-term deals, while offering one to Mitchell Schwartz when the Chiefs just signed Jah Reid to a contract extension. Let's be honest, Jah Reid was anything but "good" outside at tackle, but he looked a bit serviceable at guard. I'll be the first to say I very much disliked the deal Dorsey offered up to Reid and I feel as though he's thrown quite a bit of cash at below average players along the front line. This is the same front line that was inconsistent and nearly got Alex Smith killed on several occasions. Mitchell Schwartz isn't only a significant upgrade, he's the best right tackle in the NFL. While Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff and Zach Fulton have made tremendous strides as late-round draft selections, they are far and away subpar starters at the guard position. At this point, I'm more than comfortable listing Reid as the odds on favorite to win the right guard spot heading into 2016 if the Chiefs can add a good tackle like Schwartz. Fulton is a capable back-up at both guard and center, but isn't starting material. While LDT has grown, he still lacks considerable strength to be a full-time starter. If Ben Grubbs can return to health at left guard, a starting lineup of Fisher, Grubbs, Morse, Reid, and Schwartz would be a significant upgrade over what we've seen over the past few seasons. I also add Tyler Johnstone in this scenario, who looked like a first round lock before his knee injuries. If he continues to rebuild his lower body strength and ascend off of his good play of 2015, he could be a legitimate "sleeper" prospect as an NFL left tackle. There will be those who say that letting go of Jeff Allen is a mistake, but I really don't think so. Jeff Allen was subpar more often than not throughout his career here, and while 2015 might have been his best year, he is still very average. Additionally, Allen just cannot remain healthy, and unless he'd sign for a very team friendly deal laden with injury incentives, I can't see the Chiefs bringing him back. Onto the Jaye Howard situation. Jaye Howard has become a very good football player, but with only one season of top level production, I just can't see spending the type of money I'm assuming it will require to retain his services. Not only that, the 2016 draft is one of the best defensive line drafts I've seen in the past decade. First round caliber talents will almost assuredly be available late into the second round. If there is a time to pass the dollars off, there is no better time than now. And onto Sean Smith... While I like Sean Smith as a $6-7 million per year cornerback, I don't like him as a $10 million per cornerback, and that is likely what it will take to retain his services in the current market. Smith gets beat over the top often enough and he really fared better than his average this season due to teams targeting rookie Marcus Peters instead. I really believe the Chiefs can function with solid play opposite Peters and I think Gaines and Nelson can provide that. They, obviously, cannot function with the sub-par play that Cooper and Fleming provided, but Gaines has proven he's far better than either and Nelson has flashed ability in limited action. To fortify the position, I add Nolan Carroll on a 3 year deal that makes him a cut option after the first year, and I also add a good play-maker in D.J. White in the middle of the draft. Instead of re-signing big dollar guys, I instead chose to bring back several important veterans that get the job done, including Eric Berry, Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson, Mike DeVito, and Tyvon Branch. I think the sum of the parts is greater than a single piece and I just can't fathom this defense losing that much talent for one or two guys. I also feel like adding a key cog on the offensive line is a much better play, and will make the Chiefs less of a one-dimensional team. Onto the draft, I really looked for explosive players and play-makers. Fuller is a taller version of DeSean Jackson and could add that explosive second receiving option that the offense is missing. Coupled with better offensive line play, this could put the Chiefs over the top on the offensive side of the football. Adolphus Washington and Kamalei Correa are both very explosive defenders that can push the pocket in a hurry, something the Chiefs proved they can ill-afford to lose due to injuries. I see Washington as a much more athletic defensive end than Howard was and a guy that should be able to create more pressure and more negative plays. Correa is explosive out of his stance and plays the run really well. He's a little on the small side, but his athleticism might let him play inside as well. Having multiple pass rushers on the field at once is never a bad thing. In the defensive backfield, I more or less filled holes, but went for guys that make plays on the football. Neither DB is likely going to get 8 picks in a rookie season like Peters, but these are guys that can get 3-4 picks in a season. Both guys tackle really well, which is something the Chiefs are good at and should want to retain. I think White has the skills to come in and play the nickle spot immediately if need be. Davis has potential to be an impact special teams player immediately and develop into a really good defensive back in time. He's got some great traits, having also played some corner. The last two picks are, more-or-less, luxury selections. I think the back-up QB position needs more competition and I see a whole bunch of Alex Smith in Driskel. That may not be popular with the masses, but if Alex Smith was a 6th round pick and was your back-up, you'd be thrilled. I'm not convinced that Murray has the arm, nor Bray the brain, to be anything significant in the NFL. We'll see. Sharp is a guy to add to the WR depth and he is DJs cousin, so there is that family mentor connection there, plus Sharp has the skills to be a really good return man in the NFL, something Frankie Hammond has proven not to be. There you have it, chop away. Last edited by kccrow; 02-02-2016 at 07:10 PM.. Reason: Cap/Additional Signings
Posts: 14,012

02-01-2016, 05:12 PM	#3
CrossCheck Starter Join Date: Aug 2015 Casino cash: $-418471	I like Correa, but I doubt he will be there at the bottom of the 3rd. Former Boise State defensive end Kamalei Correa has a 90 percent chance of landing in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft based on recent results. Correa received a second-round grade from the NFL’s College Advisory Committee, new Boise State defensive coordinator Andy Avalos said Friday. In the past two years, 90 percent of underclassmen with grades in the first two rounds have been selected in those rounds (38 of 42). In the past five years, no more than three such players have fallen out of the first two rounds.
Posts: 375

02-01-2016, 07:19 PM	#6
kccrow MVP Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Michigan Casino cash: $-1070000	Realized I'm making a gross overstatement on the rookie pool. The current estimate is $5,501,463. I've been using $7,000,000. Pick-by-pick salaries are: Round 1 - $ 1,637,807 Round 2 - $ 724,383 Round 3 - $ 614,657 Round 4 - $ 573,682 Round 5 - $ 504,459 Round 5 - $ 502,307 Round 6 - $ 479,466 Round 7 - $ 464,702 Also, I've been forgetting to restate that amount as a "cap figure" because of the top 51 offset which is roughly $450,000 for every draft selection signed. This is relatively "theoretical" based on Over The Cap's thought that each draft pick replaces another player on the roster and the minimum salary is $450,000. The theoretical cap hit for the rookies is$1,901,463 ($5,501,463 - $3,600,000). When I put the draft picks into my spreadsheet under the current scenario, the draft picks that count against the cap are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rounders at a total of $2,976,847. The top 51 contracts total $145,654,182 leaving the Chiefs with considerable space remaining (roughly 4.3-6.3 million) without using their 2015 rollover, which could add as much as $2.9 million based on the figure currently being reported (although I suspect it is slightly inaccurate because of the Sherman deal) which could leave the chiefs with between $7.2 and 9.2 million in space. I normally reserve most of the top 51 offset because the Chiefs generally try to remain around $2-$3 million under the cap for in-season moves and the like. I'll make some considerations for this and likely make a change in the not too distant future.
Posts: 14,012

02-01-2016, 07:51 PM	#7
Saccopoo Kindness in words... Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Zion Casino cash: $10025483	Is Fuller actually worth a first round selection with guys like TCU's Josh Doctson, Michael Thomas (Ohio State) at the position not to mention obvious need trench guys? Fuller looks like he could break in half in a stiff wind. Emmanuel Sanders-ish, but is that worth a first rounder considering Maclin on the roster and the pending problem at DT (Austin Johnson) and the obvious hole at RT (Germain Ifedi)?
Posts: 15,450

02-02-2016, 10:10 AM	#10
CleveSteve Veteran Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Pflugerville, TX Casino cash: $10010636	* Last edited by CleveSteve; 02-02-2016 at 05:12 PM.. Reason: fixed
Posts: 1,150

02-01-2016, 11:35 AM	#2
The Franchise Most Valuable Villain Join Date: Dec 2006 Casino cash: $2085047	Might want to add Allen in the letting go category. And **** Avant.
Posts: 92,316

02-02-2016, 10:11 AM	#11
El Jefe Don't tread on me. Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Where the peaches grow Casino cash: $9030572	I am a big buckeye fan, so I have watched Adolphus his entire career. That guy is a monster, I think late 2nd is the perfect spot for him.
Posts: 8,540