[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

I guess it's possible to pay him AND Humphrey, but I'd say the following things have to go right at minimum to make it happen:

1. Jones will have moved on somewhere else by that point. I know that's probably a given, but I figured I should put it on the checklist anyway.

2. Thuney will be gone. Again, not too much of a big ask given where he's at in the contract and his age.

3. Either Taylor moves over to LT or the Chiefs find a way to keep paying that position dirt cheap either through finding a starter in the draft or some other odd solution. I don't think they can spend big on a free agent or through trading for an established veteran, even one who's still got a couple years left on his rookie deal if that somehow manages to manifest itself.

4. The Chiefs continue to go cheap at WR and DB for the next several years. If they end up drafting and developing a WR into a quality starter, he's not going to get paid at the end of his rookie deal with the way WR contracts have exploded relative to the cap in recent seasons. There is some flexibility here if Kelce retires, I'd say, but we definitely can't hand out an AJ Brown-type contract to anybody.

That means the Chiefs need to find the following through cheap means (most likely the draft):

A starting OT, a starting LG, either another quality passrusher or a decent pair of solid starting hogs at DT, and decent replacements for at least half of the secondary and WRs.

Again... it's possible. Worth it, though? I'd rather be able to keep around Bolton and one of Gay or Chenal. Plus a good safety. And Karlaftis and FAU will be getting deep into their rookie deals by that point. We should probably try to keep ONE of them. How about some cash to target a Carlos Dunlap-type veteran to fill in a gap or two? And yeah, you don't necessarily NEED those things, but if you do walk away from them, we're going to need to draft a cheap replacement if we have hope of keeping a balanced and talented team for Pat to work his magic with.

Man, in that case it's just plain easier to try to find a replacement at RG.

Originally Posted by Chief Ten Beers

1 - Jones is gone and we all know it, just praise the saints we weren't left standing there almost naked on the D line this year... both parties will move on amicably next year no doubt

2 - Thuney has been a rock, but I'd bet on a divorce in the future and good luck to him

3 - Taylor moving to LT is the ideal outcome no question about it, that needs to happen

4 - Not worried about the receiver room at all, at least a few of these guys will develop and 15 can shine up a shit sandwich if he has to... but its probably time to find the Kelce heir apparent

5 - not even worried about this defense at all, the pipeline is pretty loaded across the board... and we get an honest chance to move on from Jones next year, not left standing there like idiots in week one

All the other worries about contracts coming up a couple years from now are in the rear view.... Veach will deal with it when we get there

Thuney is guaranteed something like $27 million next year due to the restructure a couple of years ago. He’s going nowhere for another year.

Hopefully, Morris can handle the LT job. We owe him $4.5 million over 3 years. Best LT deal in the NFL.