Jeremy Maclin, Tamba Hali, and Keeping Up With Free Agency

Welcome to a week of unbridled optimism.

I am a big fan of Tony Kornheiser’s Washington D.C. radio show. After the rookie debut of Robert Griffin III, Kornheiser told Washington fans that it was time for an era of unbridled optimism. I think that John Dorsey, Andy Reid, Jeremy Maclin, and Tamba Hali have given Chiefs fans at least a Monday’s worth of what unbridled optimism looks like, and we should embrace it.

On this episode of Roughing the Kicker, Joshua Brisco and Ryan Landreth break down the news and implications of the Chiefs signing free agent WR Jeremy Maclin and restructuring LB Tamba Hali’s contract to keep him in Kansas City. RTK also goes through a rundown of the important and big-name signings and speculation across the rest of the NFL.

Sunday afternoon, as I prepared the notes that Ryan and I use for this show, I was happy about the amount of news that we had to talk about. One of my favorite things about Roughing the Kicker is that we focus on the Chiefs but we still spend some time on the rest of the NFL, hoping to provide a place where Chiefs fans can get their Kansas City fix and also a fun and informative look at the rest of the NFL. I was a little bit bummed out to see that the Chiefs section of my notes were mostly about Joe Mays and speculation that Dwayne Bowe and Rodney Hudson would be leaving the team, but I figured that we’d have extra Chiefs news for Friday’s show and I was happy to talk about the busy side of the NFL.

What three words best describe your initial reaction to the news that the Chiefs would be signing Jeremy Maclin?

Then Sunday night, all hell broke loose.

Chris Mortensen tweeted that Maclin would be reuniting with Andy Reid. I had to re-read the tweet several times and double-check Mortensen’s timeline to make sure it wasn’t a parody account.

Shocked. Thrilled. Horrified.

I’m afraid of a big cap number or poor production. I’m afraid of a big swing and a miss. But one of the saddest parts of being a Chiefs fan is almost a comfort here: the Chiefs haven’t won playoff game in my lifetime – who better to take a big shot on a big-name WR than the team ready to roll the dice on a guy because they have the ideal head coach and offensive scheme?

Later Sunday night, reports surfaced that Tamba Hali has restructured his deal/taken a pay cut to stay with the Chiefs. Hali should be considered one of the most loved and respected Chiefs of this era. Now Mike DeVito has restructured and the Chiefs are in discussion for… Darelle Revis?

Along with discussion about Maclin and Hali, we talk about big NFL free agency news (including the Broncos losing a top offensive weapon and Ndamukong Suh’s monster contract) and much more on this episode of Roughing the Kicker.

Tweet us at @jbbrisco and @ryan_landreth, comment on our Facebook page, or give ideas here in the comments on Arrowhead Addict. Subscribe on iTunes and never miss an episode.

Roughing the Kicker is a podcast on Arrowhead Addict Radio hosted by Joshua Brisco and Ryan Landreth. RTK is about the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL through the eyes of Chiefs fans. Music by Baby Spaceman.