Chiefs Free Agency Overview

The NFL free agent signing period has opened, and the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking to fill several holes on its roster. The team has already been busy this offseason, acquiring new players while releasing several veterans.

The Chiefs have made two big acquisitions already this offseason – trading two draft picks for 49ers quarterback Alex Smith and signing defensive back Dunta Robinson. Smith should be an instant upgrade at quarterback, while Robinson will bring experience to a defensive backfield that struggled last season. The team also resigned wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, tackle Branden Albert and punter Dustin Colquitt. To clear up cap space for these signings, the team released tackle Eric Winston, tight end Kevin Boss and wide receiver Steve Breaston.

Kansas City has already done a good job of addressing some glaring needs, but the team still has several holes to fill. The Chiefs could use some help at wide receiver, especially after letting Breaston go. Former first-round pick Jonathan Baldwin has been a bust so far in the NFL, and the team will need to find another target to pair with Bowe for Smith to throw to. Losing Boss makes the tight end position thin as well, and the team could use some insurance behind Tony Moeaki, who has struggled with injuries in his career.

Defensively, the Chiefs could use more depth in the secondary and will have to find a capable starting inside linebacker next to Pro Bowler Derrick Johnson. Despite spending several early draft picks on defensive lineman over the past several years, the team could also still use an upgrade there.

New general manager John Dorsey could have a lot of flexibility in how he will build the Chiefs’ roster, as the team has several unrestricted free agents. Dorsey will need to figure out which players to bring back first, and then start finding free agents that can address some glaring needs on the roster, particularly at wide receiver, tight end and linebacker.

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Chiefs Sign Bowe, Colquitt To Long Term Deals

The Chiefs were busy yesterday, reaching long-term agreements with wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and punter Dustin Colquitt. The team has also decided to place the franchise tag on tackle Branden Albert.

Bowe’s deal is for five years and $56 million with $26 million guaranteed. The contract makes Bowe the second highest paid receiver in the NFL behind Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald. During the season, it appeared that Bowe’s days as a Chief were numbered, as he suggested that he would like toplay for a winner and it was clear that the Chiefs were about to enter a massive rebuilding project. Despite all that, Bowe has been very productive in his career, and the team is extremely thin at WR without him in the lineup.

Bowe wasn’t the only Chief who hit it big yesterday – Dustin Colquitt became the highest-paid punter in the NFL when Kansas City inked him to a five year, $18.75 million deal with $8.9 million guaranteed. There is no denying that Colquitt is an elite NFL punter – last season, he placed 42 punts inside opponents’ 20-yard line (two short of the NFL record) and he has continuously bailed the team out of bad field position when the offense stalls. Despite Colquitt’s talent, that is a lot of money to give to a punter – especially when the Chiefs are rebuilding for the future and not in a “win-now” mentality.

The third and final big move the Chiefs made was placing the franchise tag on left tackle Branden Albert. The former first round pick has started 71 games for Kansas City and has slowly developed into one of the better tackles in the league. It was rumored that the Chiefs were strongly considering drafting tackle Luke Joeckel, and it is unknown at this time if resigning Albert will change that.

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2013 NFL Draft - What If The Chiefs Don't Take A Quarterback With Their Top Pick?

With only two games remaining in the 2012 NFL season, Kansas City is guaranteed to have one of the top two picks in the 2013 NFL draft and is a heavy favorite to land the top overall pick. Many draft experts feel the Chiefs will take a quarterback with their first-round pick, as the team desperately needs an upgrade over Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn.

While the Chiefs will certainly address the QB position this off-season, they may not do it via their top draft pick. Geno Smith and Matt Barkley are the consensus top two QBs in the draft, however many feel that both are not worthy of being the top pick in the draft. The combination of Smith and Barkley doesn’t appear to be in the same league of Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, the quarterbacks who went one-two last year and are both enjoying fantastic rookie seasons.

So what are the Chiefs’ choices? For starters, they could bring in a veteran QB for this season and take a shot on a QB later in the draft or wait until next year. Seattle used this strategy last off-season, signing veteran backup Matt Flynn from the Green Bay Packers and drafting Russell Wilson in the third round. Several veteran quarterbacks such as Alex Smith or Michael Vick will be looking for a new starting opportunity this off-season, and the Chiefs might feel better about grabbing one on a bargain deal and finding a QB later in the draft or taking a chance on one next season.

If the Chiefs do elect not to take Smith or Barkley at number one, they would have several options. First, they could attempt to trade down and a quire more picks, however it might be hard to find a suitor. The team could massively upgrade both its offensive or defensive line with Texas A&M OT Luke Joeckel, Utah DT Star Lotulelei, Ohio State DT Johnathan Hankins or Florida State DE Bjoern Werner. The team could also acquire a pass rusher, although this may be a lower priority with former pro bowler Tamba Hali and Justin Houston on the team (the latter has developed into a good NFL starter).

The question for the next Chiefs General Manager will be this: Is Smith or Barkley worth taking with the top pick in the draft? Chiefs fans will have to wait until the end of the season to see which direction the team is leaning.

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Chiefs' Jovan Belcher Kills Girlfriend, Commits Suicide At Practice Facility

Reports are coming in that the unidentified Chiefs player who killed his girlfriend and then took his own life is Javon Belcher.

The first shooting occurred around 8:00 a.m. this morning, at 54th street and Chrysler Avenue. Police say that after Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend, he then drove to the Kansas City Chiefs' training facility where he took his own life. Belcher was 25 years old.

After Belcher drove to the Chiefs facility, several members of the team's staff tried to prevent him from committing any other violent acts. When police arrived at the scene, Belcher was standing in the parking lot holding a gun to his head. As police got out of their vehicles to talk to Belcher, he fired his gun on himself.

Belcher was in his fourth season with the Chiefs after playing his college ball at Maine. After seeing action in a few games his rookie year, Belcher earned a starting job next to Derrick Johnson in the Chiefs' 3-4 defense. In 2010 he recorded 84 tackles, and last season he recorded 87 tackles. He had 38 tackles while starting 10 of the Chiefs' 11 games this season.

The Chiefs will host the Carolina Panthers tomorrow at 12:00 p.m.

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Chiefs Raiders 2010 - The Rivalry Continues

Chiefs Raiders 2010 - The Rivalry Continues
by Kansas City News

As the AFC West standings reveal, the only two teams left standing in this division are The Kansas City Chiefs and The Los Angeles Raiders.  The Chiefs are a stellar 5 and 2 and the lowly Raiders are only 4 and 4 due to a recent streak of luck that has befallen them.  So basically, even if the Chiefs lose this game they are still in first place, uncontested.  However if the Chiefs can pound the Raiders back into reality, then they will be a lock for a playoff birth in the AFC.

The Chiefs / Raiders rivalry goes way back to the 60's when the Chiefs, led by Hall of Fame coach Hank Stramm, and the Raiders led by the ever-animated John Madden, were constantly battling it out for the top spot and helped to put the NFL on the map.  The Chiefs, of course went on to win Super Bowl IV in 1970, thus showing their overall superiority.

Las Vegas has the Line pick for The Kansas City Chiefs to win over the Raiders with a spread of 2.5 and a total of 44 points.  I don't think that this game will see 44 points as the 2010 season has shown us that when two high scoring teams meet, the score goes low.  If you're out in Vegas, or betting online, definitely take the under on this game.  This will be a defensive battle, although I do predict most of the scoring to occur early in the game.  Amazingly enough, history shows that if the Raiders score first, they are more likely to lose.  Interesting fact.

The Kansas City Chiefs have the number 1 rushing game in the NFL, and they will relentlessly run against an unpredictable Raiders rushing defense.  Plan on seeing more of Tony Moeaki in this game, as well as sleeper receiver Terrance Copper.  On the Raider's side of the ball they have a BIG problem with super star shut-down corner Nnamdi Asomugha out for the game, and adding to their troubles will be the absense of one Zach Miller, who has been a big part of their recent success.

Ryan Lilja, our prized O-Lineman will be returning to duty this week which should really get that running game moving "early and often" as my old partner Mr. Wonderful would say.  I'm almost relieved that this game isn't being played in Kansas City, at least we won't have to be reminded of how much trash and ghetto folk live here when they all show up at Arrowhead (how do they afford tickets?) in their Raiders Jerseys, poor nasty trash - all of them.  I have good friends who usually serve Mexican cuisine at their tailgate party when the Raiders are in town, nice!

Chiefs Falcons Preseason Game 1 - Are We Going to Throw Long?

 

Chiefs Falcons Preseason Game 1
Are we planning on throwing long anytime this season?

It doesn't matter what happens for the rest of this Chiefs preseason game vs. the Atlanta Falcons, it baffles me that the Chiefs did not attempt one single pass over 15 yards while the starters were in.  Cassel's only attempt at a pass of any noteworthy length was an incomplete pass to tight end Pope across the middle.

The only teams that win in this league are teams that can air it out LONG down the field.  The fact that the Chiefs didn't even ATTEMPT to throw the ball long leads me to believe that we're in for a long and fruitless year.  It is simply not possible to win football games without throwing long.  The defense will abandon coverage and close in on our semi-weak running offense.  The Chiefs are going to have to stretch the field in order to keep the heat off of our running game.

The fact that this is only a preseason game doesn't matter - they still have to get the ball down the field to Bowe or Chambers at least once.

Standouts from tonight's preseason game are Dexter McCluster, who ran the ball successfully for the most part and caught several passes to the wings - short passes that is.  The Chiefs also tried to run a draw up the middle with McCluster - quite possibly the dumbest call of the game.  Dexter McCluster is only 5' 7", 165 pounds, he's NOT going to be able to run up the middle...sheesh.  Another standout was Jamaal Charles who did his usual scampering about for a few yards.

Terrible performances brought to you by Leonard Pope who does not seem to be able to catch the ball at all.  He had two passes bounce off his chest.  Thomas Jones either really sucks or the plays that they had him run were worthless, either way he was suck-o.

All in all this preseason game was quite possibly the most boring football game I've ever witnessed and the Chiefs had better learn to stretch the field with long passes or they are going to lose - a lot. 

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