UFA’s:

Orlando Brown Jr - Let walk or tag and trade
Juju Smith-Schuster - Re-sign
Carlos Dunlap - Let walk
Derrick Nnadi - Let walk
Khaulen Saunders - Re-sign
Andrew Wylie - Let walk
Chad Henne - Let walk
Ronald Jones - Let walk
Michael Burton - Re-sign
Blake Bell - Let walk
Jerrick McKinnon - Let walk
Mecole Hardman - Let walk
Geron Christian - Re-sign
Deon Bush - Re-sign
Taylor Stallworth - Let walk
Justin Watson - Re-sign
Nick Allegretti - Re-sign

RFA’s:
Chris Lammons - Let walk
Tommy Townsend - Tender
Tershawn Wharton - Tender
Jack Cochrane - Tender
Jody Forston - Tender
Prince Tega Wanohgho - Tender
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Here’s my thoughts half way through the season.

UFA’s:

Orlando Brown Jr-Chiefs will pay IMO but a fair structured contract
Juju Smith-Schuster-I’d pay him

Guys I’d like to bring back for cheap:

Carlos Dunlap
Khaulen Saunders-I think we can get him on a fair deal
Michael Burton
Blake Bell
Jerrick McKinnon
Geron Christian
Deon Bush
Justin Watson-I’d give him a slight bump in pay. Maybe $3.5 million AAV

RFA’s to keep:
Chris Lammons-Toub loves him
Tommy Townsend
Tershawn Wharton
Jody Forston

Hardman is priced out for what he is IMO
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Consider this a 2nd motion.
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All in favor, say "aye:"

"Aye"
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I think the Chiefs want to extend Orlando Brown -- they really like him, and perhaps his price comes down to "merely" 22m/year after this year. I get the feeling, though, they'll have to tag him for the year and trade him afterwards.

WR FA is so bad, I'd probably sign JuJu. 16m/year? Maybe?

I'd let Dunlap, Stallworth and Nnadi walk, Saunders is still TBD based on how the rest of the season goes. If he continues rotating in for 40% of the snaps, and he wants one more year to prove he can be a full time starter here and pump up his value, I'd let him back for a one-year song. But in all likelihood, he has supplanted Nnadi at this point, starts the rest of the way and plays well. Someone will sign him to a good contract for him to start there. Chiefs will shop for a 1-tech plugger in free agency themselves; I've got my eye on Sheldon Rankins in New York.

Wylie's versatility is too valuable. I'd bring him back cheap. Christian can walk. Allegretti has probably priced himself out of Kansas City; a team will sign him to a starter contract.

Henne, RoJo, let them walk. Burton's cheap and he's a FB so whatever.

Blake Bell will be fascinating. He and the Chiefs clearly love each other, and he's probably cheap. But he does crowd a TE room with Noah Gray ascending and Fortson playing a valuable red zone role.

McKinnon is a really good 3rd down option, but the Chiefs have Clyde and Pacheco on the roster and probably want to add more RB talent to the room via the draft. Probably earlier in the draft. I'm not sure there are snaps for McKinnon here, but there's snaps for him elsewhere. I'm guessing he walks.

Hardman has likely priced himself out. The Chiefs seem to have prepared for this with Kadarious Toney anyway.

Deon Bush and Justin Watson are welcomed back to reprise their role as "middle class" players on this team. Neither starts, both have landed very good fits here, and I know the interest in Watson coming back is mutual. Bush, who knows, but would be a welcome 3rd or 4th safety.

Townsend, Wharton, Fortson and Wanogho are slam dunk tenders. Toub loves Lammons and Cochrane, and honestly Cochrane is probably the next Darius Harris. I'd tender them as well.
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UFA’s:

Orlando Brown Jr

OBJ will be back next year, imo. He is well loved by his teammates and the coaching staff. However, they should give him a right tackle contract.

Extension: 5 yrs, ~20MM AAV, ~50% fully gty'd and 65% total guarantees

He can hold down the left side until we find a better LT.


Juju Smith-Schuster

You aren't finding anything better in the open market.
EXTENSION: 5 years, ~20MM AAV, 40% fully gty'd, 62.5% total guarantees.

Carlos Dunlap
Mr Dunlap, we will call you around TC time if we need you.

Derrick Nnadi
Mr. Nnadi,
Thank you for your years with the Chiefs. Your services are no longer required. I do project we will receive a late round comp pick for him.

Khalen Saunders
Mr. Saunders will be back - again he is well loved in the locker room reportedly. I think the Chiefs go the year-to-year route with him to save money, but I would probably throw a 3-4 year low guarantee deal ~4-5MM per.


Andrew Wylie
Mr Wylie can continue on the year-to-year contract as depth, but I am looking to move on a real left tackle this year, so he may find a home elsewhere. He may be worth a comp pick if he leaves.

Chad Henne
I assume Henne retires, but hennething is possible.

Ronald Jones
I assume there is a mutual parting of ways this offseason here.

Michael Burton
Michael Burton will always have a place on this roster as long as I am GM. 1 yr, 1.3MM

Blake Bell
Belldozer will get the Burton treatment. 1 yr, 1.5MM

Jerrick McKinnon
I would roll the dice one more year on McKinnon. 1 yr, 1.5MM

Mecole Hardman
Mecole will be a third round comp pick if we let him walk. So we let him walk. Basically the Toney trade is trading a comp pick this year so we can let Hardman go and get a comp pick next year.

Geron Christian
Good, cheap depth if he takes the one year 1.5MM deal.

Deon Bush
Good, cheap depth and ST contributor - 1 yr, 1.5MM

Taylor Stallworth
Mr. Stallworth, thank you for existing on our roster this year. Your services are no longer required.

Justin Watson
Cheap contributor on offense and special teams. 1 yr, 1.5MM

Nick Allegretti
Mr. Allegretti will start somewhere next year, so unless he is willing to take a cheap contract, we let him go and collect a late comp pick.


RFA’s: All will be tendered.
Chris Lammons
Tommy Townsend
Tershawn Wharton
Jack Cochrane
Jody Forston
Prince Tega Wanohgho


Letting Go:
DT x2
EDGE x1
OT x1
WR x1
OG x1
RB x1
QB x1

Blake Bell will be returned from the IR.

Bear in mind, we have like 11 draft picks this year and, if this plan is implemented, far fewer roster spots - Keep in mind we will have the following folks competing for roster spots as well:

Justyn Ross, Jerrion Ealy

It's a good thing the Chiefs roster is in a good spot though, because free agency looks like a barren cupboard for the Chiefs this year, at least in terms of splashy players.

The Chiefs have ample cap flexibility next year, which should be used to extend Chris Jones and LJ Sneed and manipulate Patrick's contract to optimize it for future free agency spending.
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This isn't the thread but I can't find a good one. But man the guy I hoped we might trade for (not above Toney obviously) was Shenault, as a reclamation project. He looked like he'd be frozen out but annoyingly he's getting snaps and looking good now. If we'd have picked him up for a 4th I'd just use everything else on OT and DL.
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I don't know what about the way OBJ handled this past offseason tells anyone that he'll do a 'fair deal'.

That's just flat not going to happen. We're either paying him top of the market or he's walking, period.

And if we wouldn't do that for Hill, I don't think we will for OBJ, whether he takes his kid trick or treating with Mahomes or not.
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When negotiating with someone who is unreasonable, I don't think there is an approach that is better than "take-it-or-leave-it." Welcome his agent to seek trade/extension talks elsewhere.
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Well, I think it's entirely clear that Brown will in fact leave it.

He's hired a totally inexperienced agent. He's living in a fantasy world, and hired a yes man.

They're going to walk, and go see what they can get elsewhere.

He's not going to sign a 'reasonable deal'.

The Chiefs will not make him the highest paid LT in history. They wouldn't do that for Hill, who is elite, and they won't for Brown, who is not.

Any plan that includes Brown at LT in '23 is absurd.
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Little different take. Here's what I'd put out. I'm probably not smart enough to put a value on the contract. But here is the strategy I'd approach with the players.


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:-)
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Brown Jr will be a Chiefs long term and you’ll like it.

It’s going to happen
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Not a chance in fucking hell that I'd like it. None. It's not a "non-zero chance" to use DJ's eloquent phrase. It's zero. zilch. nada. nil. naught. diddly-f'n-squat. I 100% hate that slow bastard in this offense.
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