Interesting article here. Not a huge fan of Verderame but he was at the Super Bowl and he does go to the combine. I think he gets some tips, albeit from Terez (who is a nice guy).
Here is the most interesting part of the article. 2021 and 2022 would be extremely difficult to manage.
Originally Posted by :
What the Chiefs can do with their money
Looking at Kansas City’s cap situation, it can release wide receiver Sammy Watkins and linebacker Damien Wilson, clearing out $18.5 million in space. Combined with rollover money and already existing room, that’s enough cash for Veach to tag Jones, re-sign a few other pending free agents and extend Patrick Mahomes.
Speaking of Mahomes, the 24-year-old quarterback is likely to soon be the highest-paid player in the league. This is another important factor to consider.
Let’s play GM for a moment and do the following to the Chiefs’ roster:
•Cut Sammy Watkins
•Cut Damien Wilson
•Cut Cam Erving
Extend Patrick Mahomes on a five-year, $200 million deal
Use franchise tag on Chris Jones
Allow $10 million for free agents and draft picks
Keep $2 million in emergency space
Using the Jared Goff and Carson Wentz extension structures as a template, Mahomes’ cap hit would approximately be $11 million this season. Factor in Jones’ tag and the $12 million outlined above, and Kansas City is laying out $35 million.
The Chiefs could do it. But while it’s palatable for 2020, what about 2021 and beyond?
If Kansas City gave Mahomes the aforementioned extension, his cap number would be enormous in 2021, potentially the full $40 million figure. If the Chiefs also signed Jones to Clark’s exact deal, the cap number would be $22.7 million in 2021.
If we account for a slight rise in the NFL salary cap both this year and next, it’ll be around $210 million. Under these parameters, Kansas City would be looking at the following cap hits in 2021:
Patrick Mahomes ($40M)
Frank Clark ($24.2M)
Chris Jones ($22.7)
Tyrann Mathieu ($19.7M)
Tyreek Hill ($15.7M)
In total, the top five players on the Chiefs would be earning $122.3 million, or 58 percent of the salary cap.
Going into this offseason with a projected $200 million salary cap, only one team is currently allocating more than 50 percent to their top five players: the Los Angeles Rams at 54 percent.
Kansas City can always create cap space with extensions and releases, but tying up such a large chunk of money in five players is dangerous. The Chiefs would be largely unable to sign any other meaningful free agents for a few years — including their own — while being completely reliant on the draft to restock departing talent.
In his three years at the helm, Veach has proven to believe in acquiring top-shelf talent and filling in around them with low-cost, high-upside veteran deals (see: Damien Williams, Stefen Wisniewski, Mike Pennel) and rookie deals.
Jones certainly fits Veach’s profile. The question is if he fits into Kansas City’s payroll.
Originally Posted by DRM08:
Would be nice if something drastically changes on how QB salaries are handled in the cap.
I woud just like a system that really rewards teams for drafting well.
It sucks that we found guys like Jones and (if he was still here we would be in the same position with) Hunt and we wouldn't be able to keep either of those guys, even though they want to be here, because we can't afford it.
I'm all for competitive balance, but I think the league should have a system that allows teams to be able to keep elite talent that they homegrew. [Reply]
I like this plan! I also think we can find a nice offer for Watkins or another vet WR looking to win a ring with this strategy. No need to ring any fire alarms. [Reply]
Originally Posted by comochiefsfan:
I woud just like a system that really rewards teams for drafting well.
It sucks that we found guys like Jones and (if he was still here we would be in the same position with) Hunt and we wouldn't be able to keep either of those guys, even though they want to be here, because we can't afford it.
I'm all for competitive balance, but I think the league should have a system that allows teams to be able to keep elite talent that they homegrew.
Originally Posted by BossChief:
We currently have 13.7m in cap space.
We get 14m for trading Sammy Watkins.
We get 5m for trading/cutting LDT.
We can save 5-6m by extending Kelce deal.
Another 4-5m can be saved by adding on a year or 2 to Fishers deal.
That’s about 43m in cap space.
If we give Jones the same deal as Franks, his 2020 cap hit will be 6.5m.
5m for rookies.
Kemp, Yelder and Wylie are exclusive rights free agents...so they will be ultra cheap.
That leaves around 30m left in team cap space and hopefully 2 draft pics in return for LDT and Watkins.
Most GMs like to have 5-7m in space going into the season so that leaves 23-25m to fill the remaining spots.
Pick 3 of these:
CHJ
AJ Green
Emmanuel Sanders
Logan Ryan
Byron Jones
Mackenzie Alexander
Sean Lee
Lorenzo Alexander
Pick 2 of these:
Pennel
Ogbah
Wisnewski
Fuller (he might be priced out of this group. Someone will overpay him)
That’s realistically what we’re looking at.
Veach will need to be smart with his decisions and hit on all of his draft picks again.
This Athletic article has Jones as the #6 free agent and the #2 non-QB behind Amari Cooper.
Originally Posted by :
6. Chris Jones, DT, Chiefs (26)
His 31 sacks over the last three seasons are tied for 10th most. And as Jones showed in the Super Bowl, he can be disruptive even when he’s not producing sacks. Jones doesn’t turn 26 until July, has missed three games in four seasons and has developed into one of the best interior pass rushers in the NFL. Trey Flowers’ five-year, $90 million deal with the Lions last offseason could be a good comp for what Jones is looking for. He’s a candidate for the franchise tag.
Trading Watkins? Who is going to give us a damn thing for him? They just wait till we cut him and get him for no trade value.
Extend Kelce 2 years early? Why? Deal with that cap hit later. Giving aging star/beloved players new contracts when there is no demand/need is what baseball gets wrong every year. How many 32 year old TE’s have ever got a new contract with big money?
We are not just going to have an issue with cap room next year. It’s going to be an issue for the next decade. Veach can’t fanagle, smoke and mirrors the cap. Hard decisions will need to be made in trades and cuts of beloved and or needed players. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigRedChief:
Trading Watkins? Who is going to give us a damn thing for him? They just wait till we cut him and get him for no trade value.
Extend Kelce 2 years early? Why? Deal with that cap hit later. Giving aging star/beloved players new contracts when there is no demand/need is what baseball gets wrong every year. How many 32 year old TE’s have ever got a new contract with big money?
We are not just going to have an issue with cap room next year. It’s going to be an issue for the next decade. Veach can’t fanagle, smoke and mirrors the cap. Hard decisions will need to be made in trades and cuts of beloved and or needed players.
Someone who needs a WR badly but can’t commit big $$ in free agency and wants to have one year of known $$ control?
I could see the Cowboys or Eagles liking that one-year deal and using it as a basic for an extension.
They’re going to have to draft well and make smart signings in FA as long as they’re paying Pat. That’s nothing crazy.
Veach has shown well in making the types of small-seeming, sneaky deals you have to make to work around it. So that’s encouraging. [Reply]
Originally Posted by DRM08:
Jones was part of the defense in 2018 and it was terrible. They improved in 2019 because of Spags' scheme/playcalling and new guys such as Suggs, Pennel, Badger, Thornhill, Breeland, Clark (overpaid as he might be), Wilson, etc.
Chris Jones had 15.5 sacks, a pick 6, 29 QB hits, and 19 tackles for loss in 2018. Spags is/was an upgrade over Sutton in every way, but those numbers are all-world for a DT.
This franchise has wasted more high draft picks than any other looking for a dominant DT. Unless we tag him and get two high first rounders, and a second or a couple of thirds in exchange, he has to stay on this team.
Originally Posted by ChiefsFanatic:
This franchise has wasted more high draft picks than any other looking for a dominant DT. Unless we tag him and get two high first rounders, and a second or a couple of thirds in exchange, he has to stay on this team.
:-) No team has ever gotten that level of return in a trade, for any player at any time in the leagues 100 year history. Not even half of that.
I understand Chief fans are having a hard time adjusting to the new reality when you have the best QB in league with a cap. But, come on man.:-) [Reply]
Originally Posted by BigRedChief: :-) No team has ever gotten that level of return in a trade, for any player at any time in the leagues 100 year history. Not even half of that.
