The Kansas City Chiefs have signed Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware to contract extensions.
The Chiefs are making some moves on the last day of March, signing running backs Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West to extensions, according to Ian Rapoport.
The #KCChiefs are signing RBs Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West to contract extensions today, source said. Solidifying their backfield.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 31, 2016
West was given three years while Ware was signed for two. This should give Kansas City an excellent combination for years, with West more of a pass-catcher out of the backfield while Ware runs like a bulldozer.
Spencer Ware's extension is for two years, a source tells me.
— RIP Terez A. Paylor (@TerezPaylor) March 31, 2016
Here is how the money breaks down…
#KCChiefs RB Spencer Ware got a 2-year extension worth $3.6M for '17 & '18. Can be worth up to $9.6M based on YDs & TDs. Guarantee: $2.35M
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 31, 2016
Last year, West rushed for a team-high 634 yards and four touchdowns on a 4.0 yard per carry average, while Ware went for 403 yards and six touchdowns on a 5.6 YPC.
This is very interesting on a few fronts. The Chiefs are paying each of them $600,000 this year. What does this mean for Jamaal Charles? Charles is due $6 million this season but is coming off a torn ACL and is 29 years old. General manager Josh Dorsey has repeatedly said Charles is going nowhere, but these moves give him leverage to get Charles on a lower cap hit. Charles is signed for the next two seasons, and isn’t owed a cent of guaranteed money, meaning there is not cap hit to release him.
Both Ware and West are 24 years old and were slated to be restricted free agents in 2017, so these contracts didn’t have to come yet. Clearly, Dorsey wanted to sign both while he had the leverage. Both guys likely realize that running backs don’t last long in the NFL, and this is a great way to bypass the low numbers of restricted free agency to cash in now.
We will continue to update this story….