The key to the Chiefs decisions that loom next offseason is really Chris Jones, IMO.

If Jones shows that he can be a big time player and difference maker, let Poe go elsewhere and lock up Berry. If Jones is a letdown, may have to go the opposite.

Either way, I think one of them remains a Chief while the other does not.

Berry is gone.

Which is exactly why signing a 4 year deal, at age 27, worth $15 million guaranteed is a much more favorable deal than 2 years, $12 million with $8 million guaranteed.

No one is turning down $15 million versus $8 million to "bet on himself" in two years at age 29.

And hell, while the KC Star reported it as a 2 year, $12 million dollar deal, Spotrac and Over The Cap have it as a 2 year, $10 million dollar deal.

That sucks.

Why?

He's doing exactly what Bowe did before the 2012 season, right before we locked him up to a terrible contract in hindsight.

Jones isn't an NT, so if Poe walks, they've got Howard for a year and no one else.

That doesn't seem like a good plan.

Why? Because the Chiefs are smart enough not to pay a soon to be 29 year old safety, with more health risks than any other safety in the NFL, $12 million per year.

If a new regime comes in next year, maybe Berry is back.

There won't be and the current one just made the decision to not lock him up longterm. He's gone.

Guys are playing well into their 30's these days. I don't think the age is a big factor there.

We forget too how easily we could gain large amounts of cap space from extending Fisher, which I fully expect to happen sooner than later.

Idk man, Berry just now is hitting his prime from what we saw last year. I don't mind paying him into his low 30s.

As for the Poe/Jones thing, that's what I meant in saying that Jones would fill in at end while Howard replaced Poe. They could get something done with Howard again if need be or a replacement in the next two years.

And guys that have been paid top dollar are retiring in their late 20's.

We're going to see this more and more as concussion data is released to the public.

This year alone Megatron (30), Marshawn Lynch (30), Percy Harvin (28), Eugene Monroe (29), Jerrod Mayo (30) and a bunch of guys in their early 30's like Jared Allen, Greg Jennings, Heath Miller, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and more.

Isn't Jones listed as a NT?

I think thats a combination of skills declining due to injury and teams not wanting them anymore. Megatron is the only exception there.

I will say this, I'm not opposed to letting Berry walk IF you absolutely keep Poe.

It would resemble that Carolina approach, betting that a dominate front 7 can always cover up for lesser secondary play.

Paying a safety, a ****ing safety, $12 million per year is ludicrous. Do you believe a safety is worth more than Travis Kelce or Jeremy Maclin? Is
Eric Berry twice as good as Ron Parker?

Howard will be 29 when his deal expires in two years. If he's healthy, he'll be a rotational player, not an every down players. And it would be utterly ridiculous to give Eric Berry money that should have been allocated to Poe, because true NT's are much more difficult to find than a safeties.