Alright, let's get down to some nitty gritty here, folks.
What if Alex Smith is amazing in 2017? The Chiefs hand will be forced -- keep him. 2018 will be the final year of his contract and it's a $20m cap hit. Not unreasonable for a guy playing extremely well.
So, what would the Chiefs have to do?
First, we pretty much have the cap met RIGHT NOW, assuming we bring back absolutely no one who is a free agent. So our cap is royally fucked.
The two most popular ideas right now are cutting DJ/Hali, or letting them both retire, or whatever. Cutting them saves us a combined $15m. We likely have DJ's replacements already on the roster, and Ford will be entering his contract year in 2018.
We can also cut (or trade) Allen Bailey if we want to elevate RNR to a starting slot. Trading Bailey saves us $8m (and nets us a draft pick or whatever). Cutting him saves us $6m.
If Eric Fisher has a really good 2017, maybe we just extend/restructure him at the end of the season. That would lower his cap hit in 2018 (right now it's slated for $14m).
I wouldn't touch Allen Bailey, but I'd cut DJ/Hali and extend/restructure Fisher. That allows us to keep Mr. Smith and have roughly $20m in cap space, $5m of which can go to our rookie class.
I think it's non-negotiable that we bring back Terrance Mitchell, but he shouldn't cost a ton. Bennie Logan might be a good idea -- although, again, we could just play RNR at the nose and be fine (which is what I would do if we kept Smith on the roster).
So my recommendation, keeping Alex rather than trading him:
1. cut/retire DJ
2. cut/retire Hali
3. restructure/extend Fisher
4. extend Terrance Mitchell
5. let basically all of our FAs walk: De'Anthony, Fulton, Logan, Sherman, Albert Wilson, Gaines, Colquitt
6. make a few choice re-signings (Santos, KPL, maybe Gaines?)
That'll leave us thin at DL, OL, and OLB -- which I hate. And the best draft pick we'll have in 2018 will be at the very bottom of the 2nd.
Originally Posted by Direckshun:
Can we at least acknowledge the obvious: so long as Smith plays like he did Thursday on a consistent basis, and the defense doesn't suffer any more devastating injuries like it did with Berry -- this is a Super Bowl caliber team.
Yeah, but that's what we said last year at this time.
Originally Posted by Direckshun:
The way they played on Thursday means that when they are "on" in this regard, only a couple teams can really hang with them, and those teams are all in the AFC.
Uh, wut?
The Cowboys and Falcons might have something to say about that.
1. He takes this team to the Superbowl, which would pretty much force their hand. 100% chance he is kept.
2. He goes for 65% comp, 4+k yards, 25+ tds, >10 INTs and leads the team to the AFC Championship game. About 70% chance he is kept.
Either of these scenarios happen and he'll get a multi-year extension to lower his cap number and keep him around longer. Mahomes gets the Rodgers treatment without the "will he won't he retire" dance. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RunKC:
Carson Palmer looks terrible. I think Alex to Arizona is the right move. 2nd rd pick is fair.
I still think he's the exact opposite of what Arians wants in a passer.
For a lot of coaches facing that dilemma, you'd be right - he's a good stop gap for a team that might not have a wealth of replacement options but has the tools to win over the next 2-3 years.
But man, with Arians emphasis on downfield passing, Smith just doesn't appear to be in his wheelhouse.
I'm still surprised they didn't trade up to get Kizer or snag Webb rather than trade out of the spot in the 3rd. They traded away the pick they could've gotten Webb with for a 3rd they used on a small school WR and a G. That strikes me as a poor use of resources for a team with Carson Palmer under center. [Reply]
I think the Patriots have totally misplayed the Brady - Garoppolo situation and they should be the case study on not to handle the QB position. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DJ's left nut:
I still think he's the exact opposite of what Arians wants in a passer.
For a lot of coaches facing that dilemma, you'd be right - he's a good stop gap for a team that might not have a wealth of replacement options but has the tools to win over the next 2-3 years.
But man, with Arians emphasis on downfield passing, Smith just doesn't appear to be in his wheelhouse.
I'm still surprised they didn't trade up to get Kizer or snag Webb rather than trade out of the spot in the 3rd. They traded away the pick they could've gotten Webb with for a 3rd they used on a small school WR and a G. That strikes me as a poor use of resources for a team with Carson Palmer under center.