Three Kansas City Chiefs Gearing Up For Roster Bonuses Or Guarantees

Dec 8, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) throws the ball in front of Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Mike DeVito (70) in the first quarter at FedEx Field. The Chiefs won 45-10. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

March is a huge month for the NFL when it comes to roster bonus and the activation of guarantees and clauses in a player’s contract. This is no different for the Kansas City Chiefs, who will have three players looking at either a roster bonus or the activation of guaranteed salary to their contracts. More money means decision-making time for these three players. Let’s take a look at who they are and what they are owed.

*Note: All numbers are from Spotrac.

MIKE DEVITO

Contract Remaining: one-year, $3,750,000 in base salary

Cap Hit: $5,400,000

Potential Cap Savings: $4,000,000

Bonus in Question: $250,000 roster bonus

DeVito is recovering from a ruptured achilles that was suffered in week one of the season. Reports are that he is up and walking around and could potentially be ready for the start of offseason training activities in the spring. To what degree he will be able to participate is unknown but there is something to be said about him being mobile without the use of a walking boot or crutches.

Kansas City could use some defensive line help against the run. DeVito was brought in by John Dorsey in his first wave of free agent signings in 2013 after Dorsey and Andy Reid were hired by the Chiefs with the idea of him bolstering the run defense. And he did, posting a +16.4 grade (PFF) against the run in 2013.

The problem with DeVito is twofold. One, he’s coming off the achilles injury that ended his 2014 season. What kind of player he will be in 2015 is unknown, and for $5.4 million in cap space the Chiefs need a certain level of certainty that DeVito will be what he was in 2013.

The other issue with DeVito is he does not rush the passer very well. In 2013 he had a -4 grade rushing the passer, according to PFF. Kansas City’s defense doesn’t have a lot of interior pass rush beyond Dontari Poe and Allen Bailey, and can’t really afford to have players on the field who are virtual black holes against the pass in what is a pass happy league and division.

Further, the Chiefs need all the cap space they can get. Kansas City has no commitment to DeVito beyond 2015 and he is not a pillar to what the Chiefs are trying to do in the future. One would think with 11 draft picks the Chiefs could find someone who does something similar to what DeVito does without having to pay the $5.4 million price tag.

Spotrac doesn’t have a particular date for when DeVito’s roster bonus is owed other than it is due sometime in March, so a decision needs to be made soon on whether or not to keep him. One would think letting him walk would make the most sense for the Chiefs as the extra $4 million in cap space savings could go a long way towards re-signing Rodney Hudson.

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