I was thinking that much for both of them combined but your probably right therr.

How do you feel about this DJ?

$34.5m projected in the bank and I believe the CB tag will rise to roughly $14m. With $7m needed for the draft, that would leave us with about $14m to sign everybody else.

I wonder if Dorsey will restructure multiple contracts (hi Colquitt) and structure his new deals to give guys a little less in their first year while giving them a signing bonus?
Maybe do that with Berry or Howard and give them $3m less than their yearly avg and say "hey here's a hefty signing bonus that's guaranteed because you deserve it".

After the cap work Dorsey pulled last season, I have faith in him to do what he wants.

Expound.

He showed a fair amount of edge ability as a rookie; many saw that ability and predicted a breakout season for him. To start this season the Chiefs weren't wanting to jerk him around so they put him in the Nickel rather than ask him to cover for Smith when Smith was suspended.

What he did as a rookie absolutely demonstrated the physical tools necessary to be an outside CB. Playing the Nickel was a coaching decision built around Reid's absurd fascination with continuity. And remember, it wasn't Gaines getting his ass kicked in those games - it was Fleming.

The year of lost development will hurt and perhaps makes putting him on an island a season too soon, but if we commit to it we could see a Brandon Carr kind of learning curve where he comes into his own over the course of the season and is a genuine asset by the end of the year.

Backload guys like Berry and Howard. Frontload guys like Sean Smith and DJ. It's absolutely doable and it's consistent with how Dorsey has handled contracts. This time our cap situation gives us a lot of flexibility to do it.

Let Jeff Allen walk, try like hell to sign one of these guys, sign Sorenson for 600k and then draft another developmental S in the mid rounds would be my plan.

I'm fine with bringing Allen back if he agrees to an incentive laden deal.

Berry and Howard are both young enough that I wouldn't be opposed to a deal that's heavier in bonus because you have to figure it's at least 3 years before they've aged out of their primes and with the June 1 designation, you essentially get a 4th season to push out that accelerated hit. So if you sign them to 5 year deals with a heavy signing bonus, it should reduce the AAV needed to sign them, keep the first year hit more reasonable and doesn't really put the team at substantially greater risk.

Really, that's the only way they'll be able to get it done and keep those guys. And frankly, I'm still not sure it would be enough (though I think you're forgetting the 2015 rollover; it's going to be cancelled out in large part by Hali's voided years). It's going to be extremely difficult to get DJ, Howard, Berry and Smith back in here without significant re-structures that would carve into the long-term flexibility we'll likely wish we had back come time to extend Kelce and/or Poe.

I think the answer probably ends up being to let Smith walk; it's just getting harder and harder to avoid that conclusion.

I didn't realize the ages of abdullah and Branch so yeah, probably lessen those deals substantially

Smith is gone.

Charles may be gone too.

While Dorsey has cut a lot of backup guys loose, he's also had a history of giving them frontloaded contracts with easy bailouts. So I don't entirely agree that these are moves that keep you from signing Berry or Howard. Dorsey seems to love making a series of these small moves but then actively uses the draft to find ways to get out of the contract.

Because we're talking about 2 safeties here, I could easily see this happening, because he'll want a stopgap until he finds a replacement.

No it's not.

Over the past seven games, this team is racking up the offensive statistics.

Dorsey has built a very balanced team. The lion's share of the talent is on the defensive side of the ball, but the offense is pretty decent as well.

There has to be balance.

On offense:

They need a legitimate RT. They need a legitimate #2 WR. They need a legitimate #2 TE. They need a legitimate #2 QB to start grooming for the QBOTF spot. (I don't think Murray nor Bray are that guy.)

On defense:

They need a legitimate MLB. They need a legitimate #3 CB.

That's about it. That's how close this team is to really, really being good.

And a lot of that hinges on their free agents.

On offense, I'd cut Fanaika and Grubbs. Fanaika isn't good and Grubbs is expendable due to his injury and the presence of Allen/Fulton/Stephenson. I'd re-sign Stephenson. (Yes, he's going to cost a bit more than a mid-round draftee, but having an understanding of the system, good starting experience and four position versatility is exceptionally valuable. They will absolutely not find anyone on the FA market or in the draft that approaches what Stephenson brings to the table in terms of a backup swing tackle/guard.)

They could take a RT early in the draft, but I absolutely love the idea that someone brought up about signing a guy like the Bengals Andre Smith. However, with Reid signed and Stephenson most likely commanding nowhere close to Smith's previous 3 year, 18 million dollar deal, they might take a RTOF in the draft early instead to focus on the more important re-signings of our key defensive FA's.

On defense, you potentially cut Abdullah and re-sign Sorensen, who is a terror on special teams and has played very good as a front zone/box safety this season. If Abdullah is willing to sign for a decent price, you resign him as well. You re-sign Berry. You just can't let him walk. He means too much to this franchise and it's fan base and he's had a monster second half of the year. You draft another safety in the mid rounds for athleticism and price.

Depending upon how they feel about Nunez-Roches and Williams and how expensive Jaye Howard you either do or do not re-sign Howard. They could take another DT high in the draft if Howard is seen as too expensive on the open market.

They have to get another CB. Sean Smith's absence in the first four games was huge. Sutton's system needs a specific type of player and they can't go into the 2016 season with only two viable CB options in Smith and Peters. Smith may or may not require a lot of money. He's system dependent and might take a bit of a discounted contract to stay in Sutton's defense versus getting into a new team/system and not be as effective. CB should be looked at early in the draft regardless.

And they have to get a QBOTF in right now.

If Murray was the shit, he'd have beaten out Daniel by now. He hasn't. Bray is a pipe dream that they are holding onto for potential trade bait. Daniel is too expensive to pay another 3 per contract and teams are needing quality backups in the worst way. He'll get paid very well again to hold a clipboard for some team. Murray takes that place from Daniel, but they need a legit guy in here as soon as possible to learn the system behind Smith. Prototype guy that fits the system. I'd like Lynch, but he'll be long gone, so my next bunch would be Hackenberg, Hogan and Wentz.

OMG Charles isn't going anywhere!!

Stephenson is gone. He's shit. Let him go, Sac.

Not a chance.

Jeff Allen is better at his position than all of them other than Johnson.

Allen is a complete difference maker next to Fisher at LG. Call it synergy or whatever, but those two playing together take that side of the line to another level.

You can easily replace both Abdullah and Branch with a player in the draft. DeVito is basically been replaced by Howard or Nunez-Roches.

Allen hasn't been replaced by anyone on this roster.

Sucks he keeps getting injured, but he's a key cog on the wheel. As someone said, you sign him to a play by game incentive contract, but you make the effort to re-sign him.

Been enjoying the mature discussion going on in here. Glad to see it. There are definitely lots of interesting FAs that points can and are made for keeping or waving goodbye to.

I know... I know.. go **** myself. Still good stuff. http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/i...sm300peace.gif