Kansas City Chiefs Free Agents: Keep Or Cut?
Today the Kansas City Star’s Red Zone blog released the full list of Chiefs players that will become restricted or unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins in mid-March.
Just like last year, I decided to go through the list and give my take on who should be brought back and who should be sent packing (looking at you, Piscitelli).
As always, we want to hear from you so make sure you chime in after the post. Let’s get to business.
RB Jackie Battle (UFA)
Battle proved himself a useful player in my eye this season. He contributes on special teams and can get some things done on the ground as well. He is still young enough to contribute, and he’ll cost absolutely nothing. In the end, keeping Battle could come down to a numbers game and it might depend on how many RBs the Chiefs want to carry. They will almost certainly add a big, complementary back to Charles. It became clear this season that the Chiefs need a guy that can not only help shoulder the load with Jamaal but that is also talented enough to lead a strong running game on his own.
Battle could likely run with Charles, but isn’t good enough to hold things together on his own. Still, he has value.
Keep him.
TE Anthony Becht (UFA)
Aside from Tony Moeaki, this entire position group needs to be scrapped.
Cut him.
LB Jovan Belcher (RFA)
Belcher is a restricted free agent and is a key player on the defense. Unless the Chiefs get an offer that knocks Scott Pioli’s glasses right off his face, I would imagine that Belcher will be brought back. ILB isn’t a huge need, and I think the Chiefs will be content letting Belcher and Brandon Siler fight it out for the honor of playing next to DJ.
Belcher may not be great, but he is solid and is still at a point in his career where he could improve. Remember, it took DJ seven years to reach his potential. On a team shallow on depth, Belcher is too good and too experienced to let go. He’s also cheap, which as we know, the Chiefs love.
Keep him.
WR Dwayne Bowe (UFA)
It give me heartburn that we are even discussing the possibility of Dwayne Bowe leaving the Chiefs. Short of a franchise and trade situation that nets the Chiefs a draft pick that they can use to get a franchise QB (RGIII), I could never agree with the departure of D-Bowe. In fact, even for RGIII I am not sure I could stomach it. I think valuing draft picks over proven players in their prime is insanity.
Pay the man.
CB Brandon Carr (UFA)
See Man, Pay The.
DB Travis Daniels (UFA)
I like Daniels. Always have. He’s a vet, and he offers decent depth. He also has a nose for the football. Whenever the Chiefs have needed him to step in and play, he’s always done a good job. That is exactly what you want in a backup.
Keep him.
DE Wallace Gilberry (UFA)
The Chiefs should have traded Gilberry last offseason. He was a promising young pass rusher who would have been gobbled up by a 4-3 team looking for a value DE. Instead the Chiefs made Gilberry put on weight to try to make him a more effective 3-4 end but never really gave him a chance and kept using him as a sub pass rusher. Only now he was too fat, and he lost his mojo. That is my take anyway.
Gilberry’s trade value is now back to almost nothing. He won’t be expensive so the Chiefs should tell him to drop the weight and see if he can replicate his 2010 season where he finished second on the team in snaps.
Keep him.
DL Amon Gordon (UFA)
My boy Amon Gordon was solid all season long. He provided depth at NT and since we have no clue if Powe can play and Kelly Gregg is likely to walk off into the NFL sunset, I say this is a guy the Chiefs need to hang on to for another year.
Keep him.
DL Kelly Gregg (UFA)
It is time to move on at the NT position. Gregg did well this season considering his age, but NT is a tough position for even young guys to play. Time to call it a career for Gregg.
Cut him.
RB Thomas Jones (UFA)
His biggest contribution in 2011 was ruining Jonathan Baldwin’s rookie season. That’s leadership.
Enough is enough.
S Reshard Langford (ERFA)
Langford might have some physical ability but I am not sure he has football smarts. He blew coverages way too often and probably cost the Chiefs a playoff berth all by himself. Sadly, he was the team’s best option with Shabby and Donny Washington hanging around.
Cut him.
FB Le’Ron McClain (UFA)
I wasn’t very impressed with McClain’s blocking. Some Chiefs fans seemed to be high on him but I never was. All I remember about McClain was that he fumbled a goal line carry and still got credit for a TD and that he dramatically jumped between Matt Cassel and Todd Haley, thus making what was probably not that big of a deal look like a big deal.
Still I think he can do some damage with the ball in his hand and the KC offense could use some attitude.
Keep him.
S Jon McGraw (UFA)
One of my favorite Chiefs of all time. I can almost promise you that if McGraw had not suffered a high ankle sprain at the end of the season that the Chiefs would have won the AFC West. McGraw made a career out of making heady plays to make up for his lack of physical gifts. With him on the field, Reshard Langford wouldn’t have been biting on play fakes.
Unfortunately, McGraw spent too much time banged up and a big part of that likely had to do with his age. The Chiefs have their starters at safety, but they need depth. McGraw doesn’t seem to be a reliable option in that department any more.
So long Quick Draw.*
*Am I the only one that thinks if McGraw retires the Chiefs should hire him as an assistant DB coach?
OT Ryan O’Callaghan (UFA)
With Barry Richardson being the worst Chiefs RT since Damion McIntosh, I almost want to say bring the big Irishman back but O’Callaghan has hardly played in two years, and he wasn’t that great when he did. No more BS at RT, Pioli.
Cut him.
TE Jake O’Connell (RFA)
He sucks. Always has sucked.
Cut him.
QB Kyle Orton (UFA)
I still believe that if the Chiefs aren’t going to draft a QB or get Peyton Manning that they should re-sign Orton, keep Cassel and run a two QB system. Orton between the 20s, Cassel in the red zone. Together, they might actually make an effective QB. Apart, they’re mediocre. Just good enough to hang around but not good enough to take your team anywhere.
But that idea is way too weird and makes way too much sense for anyone to ever accept.
Orton is going to leave whether the Chiefs want to keep him or not.
But try to keep him.
QB Tyler Palko (ERFA)
Put him in a box and send him to Todd Haley with his severance checks.
S Sabby Piscitelli (UFA)
Put him in a box, secure it tightly and drop him in a river.
TE Leonard Pope (UFA)
Pope? Nope.
OT Barry Richardson (UFA)
I’ve wasted enough imaginary ink writing things about Barry Richardson. But I’ve got enough for three more words.
Cut his ass.
WR Jerheme Urban (UFA)
Another Todd Haley pet. Can you believe that Haley tried to start this guy on multiple occasions.
Cut him.
C Casey Wiegmann (UFA)
The word on the street is that Wiegmann will retire. That is for the best. He played decent this year, but it is time for the Chiefs to assemble their offensive line of the future and Wiegmann is a remnant of the past. The way, way, way far away past.
Hell of a career, Casey. Sorry we couldn’t get you a ring.
Let him walk.