Merrill: Chiefs won't need to make more cuts regardless of CBA

tk13 · 03-06-2006, 02:12 AM

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/14026801.htm

Chiefs won’t need to make cuts

By ELIZABETH MERRILL
The Kansas City Star

After weeks of nervous cap watching, and fears of a bloody Sunday, the Chiefs’ bloated number was poised to disappear with nary a whimper.

Pro Bowl guard Will Shields was still on the roster. So was Priest Holmes. By late in the afternoon, Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson said there would be no cuts Sunday. That came hours before the NFL new year was scheduled to begin and teams had scurried to get under a salary cap that had been a moving target.

Then the target moved again. Labor negotiations in New York restarted, then stalled again, then late in the evening, the start of free-agency was postponed — again — for another 72 hours. It meant the Chiefs can wait to get below the $94.5 million cap that could rise by $10 million if a deal is worked out.

But the Chiefs are ready to get below the cap with the help of four to six players who agreed to restructure their contracts.

“I appreciate those who have been receptive to it,” Peterson said, “and obviously there have been some who have not been receptive. And then I’ve had to make a decision to say goodbye to them.”

Documents provided to The Star showed the Chiefs were more than $20 million over the cap last month. About $6 million was cleared Thursday with the cuts of veteran defensive players Eric Warfield, Dexter McCleon, Gary Stills and Shawn Barber. But without a labor extension, the Chiefs were still way over the cap.

It is believed that Holmes, a three-time Pro Bowl running back, was one of the players who restructured a deal that would have cost the Chiefs $5.33 million under his previous contract. Peterson would only say, “First of all, I really appreciate players that think about the team first and themselves second. Priest Holmes has always been that way.”

Holmes’ future has been iffy after a helmet-to-helmet collision in San Diego at midseason. He was put on injured reserve and said he wanted to return pending some tests to determine if he was neurologically sound. If Holmes does come back, he’ll find himself in the unusual position as the franchise’s all-time leading rusher playing backup to Larry Johnson.

But Peterson bristled when asked about the speculation that Holmes’ career may be over.

“Priest is still under contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, all right?” he said. “Specific to his future, it’s still an ongoing evaluation by our medical people. He’s made a lot of progress. We don’t have to make a decision today, and neither does he because we don’t start the season until August.

“I would not count this man out. You or anybody else can speculate, but I will not count him out. I know him. He could’ve said, ‘I retire, I’m finished,’ but he’s not doing that.”

Shields’ return has also been clouded with uncertainty, and late last week he seemed pessimistic about playing in 2006 in Kansas City. Peterson reiterated that Shields would not be a cap casualty Sunday and that he hasn’t been asked to restructure his contract, which would pay him a $5.1 million salary.

Peterson has said the Chiefs are still waiting for Shields, who’s battled arthritis, to tell them he’s definitively coming back. Shields’ agent, Joe Linta, said again Sunday that Shields has made it clear he wants to play.

“The bottom line is that the decisions are all theirs right now,” Linta said. “There’s no fork in the road for Will to take. They haven’t asked him to restructure or cut him. There’s no decision for Will to make.”

But as the waiver deadline initially approached Sunday night, there were plenty of questions for the league. Will there be an uncapped season in 2007? How will the lack of an extension affect the start of free-agency?

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue made a brief appearance on a teleconference Sunday to announce Kansas City’s bid for the 2015 Super Bowl. He was locked in New York with negotiations that were on again, off again all weekend.

“I can assure you I’d much rather be there than where I am today,” Tagliabue said.

Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt thanked him and told him to “get back to work.”
This week, the work gets more complicated. There may be a scarce amount of teams with big cap space to use on free agents. Peterson said he didn’t anticipate the Chiefs being active this spring.

“Last year we went out and spent a lot of money on four or five defensive players,” he said. “The year before we didn’t. Every year is a different year, and it’s almost impossible unless you have an unlimited amount of cash and cap dollars to go out every year and spend a lot of money on unrestricted free agents.

“So probably even if there is an extension, we’re not going to go out and spend a lot of money on our free agents in 2006.”

CHENZ A! · 03-06-2006, 02:24 AM

Nobody better ****ing sleep on Priest, that man has proven himself to come back from injury several times. Bottom line, he needs to be on the Chiefs. God forbid something will happen to LJ, we would have the best RB(when healthy) in the NFL to back him up. good move CP

oaklandhater · 03-06-2006, 02:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk13

[url]““So probably even if there is an extension, we’re not going to go out and spend a lot of money on our free agents in 2006.”

Well at least we will have a high draft pick next year.

**Dunit35** · 03-06-2006, 02:27 AM

I wonder who the 4-6 players are who agreed to restructure? Holmes and Bell did, but Shields hasn't been asked to. I wonder who they could be.

CoMoChief · 03-06-2006, 02:28 AM

Screw that......Cut Bartee, sign Arrington, and trade Bell for a draft pick.

oaklandhater · 03-06-2006, 02:31 AM

who wants a linebacker with a bad shoulder and no burst.

CoMoChief · 03-06-2006, 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oaklandhater

who wants a linebacker with a bad shoulder and no burst.

Maybe some team similar to one that was interested in a 30+ yr old corner coming off of a major foot injury.

royr17 · 03-06-2006, 02:50 AM

Im guessin that the guys that restructured there contract are Priest, Surtain, Bell, Green, Gonzo, and Roaf ..........

royr17 · 03-06-2006, 02:51 AM

Maybe Eric Hicks is one too ........... who knows, its behind doors so we will never know.

CHENZ A! · 03-06-2006, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by royr17

Maybe Eric Hicks is one too ........... who knows, its behind doors so we will never know.

Hicks should give us money, not restructure. What a bum.

BigRock · 03-06-2006, 04:08 AM

You can't believe anything that CP says to the media. Why dodge questions about Priest's contract? And the way he denies that Will Shields worked anything out, "nope, we didn't ask him to restructure and we're not going to cut him," just comes off like spin. He can try to soothe Will's feelings a bit after several days of cut talk, and he can boost himself back up with the people who were mad that he'd cut a HOF'er.

jspchief · 03-06-2006, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRock

You can't believe anything that CP says to the media. Why dodge questions about Priest's contract? And the way he denies that Will Shields worked anything out, "nope, we didn't ask him to restructure and we're not going to cut him," just comes off like spin. He can try to soothe Will's feelings a bit after several days of cut talk, and he can boost himself back up with the people who were mad that he'd cut a HOF'er.

What difference does it make what Peterson says? The media around KC just makes up the news anyway. You're accusing Peterson of trying to spin his way out of a bunch of news reports that were based in nothing but speculation. Carl may be a snake, but I don't see any reason to give more credence to the Nick Athans and Rhonda Mosses of the world.

A few weeks ago, all anyone could talk about was how much cap hell we were in. When it looked like the CBA wouldn't get done, we were told that massive cuts were coming, including some big names. Now here we are, with no CBA, and Peterson has worked the team under the cap, keeping the team largely intact minus some losers that needed to go anyway.

And now, if we do get a CBA done, the Chiefs will have all the extra money that was added to the cap to use in free agency.

We should be applauding what Peterson pulled off.

**Bob Dole** · 03-06-2006, 07:55 AM

Funny the the NFL network was still reporting us $19 million over the low cap number last night around 8pm.

Bob Dole really hates this time of year...

htismaqe · 03-06-2006, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oaklandhater

Well at least we will have a high draft pick next year.

Like bringing in a few low-dollar free agents is gonna make one damn bit of difference.

VonneMarie · 03-06-2006, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHENZ A!

Hicks should give us money, not restructure. What a bum.

03-06-2006, 02:12 AM
tk13 ... Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $-1907500	Merrill: Chiefs won't need to make more cuts regardless of CBA http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/14026801.htm Chiefs won’t need to make cuts By ELIZABETH MERRILL The Kansas City Star After weeks of nervous cap watching, and fears of a bloody Sunday, the Chiefs’ bloated number was poised to disappear with nary a whimper. Pro Bowl guard Will Shields was still on the roster. So was Priest Holmes. By late in the afternoon, Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson said there would be no cuts Sunday. That came hours before the NFL new year was scheduled to begin and teams had scurried to get under a salary cap that had been a moving target. Then the target moved again. Labor negotiations in New York restarted, then stalled again, then late in the evening, the start of free-agency was postponed — again — for another 72 hours. It meant the Chiefs can wait to get below the $94.5 million cap that could rise by $10 million if a deal is worked out. But the Chiefs are ready to get below the cap with the help of four to six players who agreed to restructure their contracts. “I appreciate those who have been receptive to it,” Peterson said, “and obviously there have been some who have not been receptive. And then I’ve had to make a decision to say goodbye to them.” Documents provided to The Star showed the Chiefs were more than $20 million over the cap last month. About $6 million was cleared Thursday with the cuts of veteran defensive players Eric Warfield, Dexter McCleon, Gary Stills and Shawn Barber. But without a labor extension, the Chiefs were still way over the cap. It is believed that Holmes, a three-time Pro Bowl running back, was one of the players who restructured a deal that would have cost the Chiefs $5.33 million under his previous contract. Peterson would only say, “First of all, I really appreciate players that think about the team first and themselves second. Priest Holmes has always been that way.” Holmes’ future has been iffy after a helmet-to-helmet collision in San Diego at midseason. He was put on injured reserve and said he wanted to return pending some tests to determine if he was neurologically sound. If Holmes does come back, he’ll find himself in the unusual position as the franchise’s all-time leading rusher playing backup to Larry Johnson. But Peterson bristled when asked about the speculation that Holmes’ career may be over. “Priest is still under contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, all right?” he said. “Specific to his future, it’s still an ongoing evaluation by our medical people. He’s made a lot of progress. We don’t have to make a decision today, and neither does he because we don’t start the season until August. “I would not count this man out. You or anybody else can speculate, but I will not count him out. I know him. He could’ve said, ‘I retire, I’m finished,’ but he’s not doing that.” Shields’ return has also been clouded with uncertainty, and late last week he seemed pessimistic about playing in 2006 in Kansas City. Peterson reiterated that Shields would not be a cap casualty Sunday and that he hasn’t been asked to restructure his contract, which would pay him a $5.1 million salary. Peterson has said the Chiefs are still waiting for Shields, who’s battled arthritis, to tell them he’s definitively coming back. Shields’ agent, Joe Linta, said again Sunday that Shields has made it clear he wants to play. “The bottom line is that the decisions are all theirs right now,” Linta said. “There’s no fork in the road for Will to take. They haven’t asked him to restructure or cut him. There’s no decision for Will to make.” But as the waiver deadline initially approached Sunday night, there were plenty of questions for the league. Will there be an uncapped season in 2007? How will the lack of an extension affect the start of free-agency? Commissioner Paul Tagliabue made a brief appearance on a teleconference Sunday to announce Kansas City’s bid for the 2015 Super Bowl. He was locked in New York with negotiations that were on again, off again all weekend. “I can assure you I’d much rather be there than where I am today,” Tagliabue said. Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt thanked him and told him to “get back to work.” This week, the work gets more complicated. There may be a scarce amount of teams with big cap space to use on free agents. Peterson said he didn’t anticipate the Chiefs being active this spring. “Last year we went out and spent a lot of money on four or five defensive players,” he said. “The year before we didn’t. Every year is a different year, and it’s almost impossible unless you have an unlimited amount of cash and cap dollars to go out every year and spend a lot of money on unrestricted free agents. “So probably even if there is an extension, we’re not going to go out and spend a lot of money on our free agents in 2006.”
Posts: 56,727

03-06-2006, 02:24 AM	#2
CHENZ A! pimping hoes + clocking a grip Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $9977569	Nobody better ****ing sleep on Priest, that man has proven himself to come back from injury several times. Bottom line, he needs to be on the Chiefs. God forbid something will happen to LJ, we would have the best RB(when healthy) in the NFL to back him up. good move CP
Posts: 6,302

03-06-2006, 02:27 AM	#4
Dunit35 Keepin it Real Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Oklahoma Casino cash: $-2322955	I wonder who the 4-6 players are who agreed to restructure? Holmes and Bell did, but Shields hasn't been asked to. I wonder who they could be.
Posts: 10,507

03-06-2006, 02:28 AM	#5
CoMoChief Mahomes Dynasty Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Parts Unknown Casino cash: $7672254	Screw that......Cut Bartee, sign Arrington, and trade Bell for a draft pick. __________________
Posts: 39,245

03-06-2006, 02:31 AM	#6
oaklandhater future chiefs fans Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: oakland california Casino cash: $5808993	who wants a linebacker with a bad shoulder and no burst.
Posts: 24,003

03-06-2006, 02:50 AM	#8
royr17 MVP Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Lovin my kids Casino cash: $-1641324	Im guessin that the guys that restructured there contract are Priest, Surtain, Bell, Green, Gonzo, and Roaf ..........
Posts: 6,244

03-06-2006, 02:51 AM	#9
royr17 MVP Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Lovin my kids Casino cash: $-1641324	Maybe Eric Hicks is one too ........... who knows, its behind doors so we will never know.
Posts: 6,244

03-06-2006, 04:08 AM	#11
BigRock Pritay Pritay Pritay Good Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: The State of Euphoria Casino cash: $705412	You can't believe anything that CP says to the media. Why dodge questions about Priest's contract? And the way he denies that Will Shields worked anything out, "nope, we didn't ask him to restructure and we're not going to cut him," just comes off like spin. He can try to soothe Will's feelings a bit after several days of cut talk, and he can boost himself back up with the people who were mad that he'd cut a HOF'er.
Posts: 6,989

03-06-2006, 07:55 AM	#13
Bob Dole King Shit of **** Mountain Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Texarkana, Texas Casino cash: $-1344563	Funny the the NFL network was still reporting us $19 million over the low cap number last night around 8pm. Bob Dole really hates this time of year...
Posts: 51,607