NFL business can be risky, but worth it

In the past week, NFL fans have seen a couple draft trades come down that left us with our jaws on the floor and stunned amazement.

The Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles made huge moves, expending a lot of draft resources in an effort to land a quarterback. There are differing opinions about the moves, but what I will say is this; If the Rams and Eagles are right, they are the smartest guys in the room and likely will win a lot of football games for years to come. I will go on record and say that I’m a fan of the trades and deals for all teams involved.

I like the Rams trade far more then I do the Eagles deal. The Rams have a fairly solid roster and are opening in a new city, and desperately needing a ‘face of a franchise’ type guy. The Rams wanted to ensure they landed the quarterback they wanted, so they made the only move you can, they landed the top pick in the draft. If Goff (the likely pick for the Rams) turns out to be a solid quarterback, the Rams appear to be set for years to come.

To a degree, the same argument is there for the Eagles trade, though one has to wonder why exactly they sign both Bradford to an extension and former Chiefs backup quarterback Chase Daniel to a fairly large backup contract if they wanted to move up and get a quarterback. The Eagles have now sunk a massive amount of both draft resources and cap dollars into the quarterback position.

Of the two teams that ‘earned’ the top two picks that have now been dealt, the Titans deal far and away is a more attractive package then the one received by Cleveland. Sure, the Titans had to move much further back, but, again, they picked up a slew of assets to make moves, and with a quarterback coming back next season in Mariota, the Titans appear to be set to make a large move in the AFC South.

If the Titans find some guys that work out, and do so early, this team could be real trouble for the Chiefs when they come to Arrowhead this upcoming season. While the Browns move is also a move I’m a fan of, their roster is so awful and without a quarterback, the Browns, in my opinion, are in direct competition with the Chargers to have the top overall pick in the 2017 draft. Both Cleveland and San Diego appear to be headed nowhere fast (and yes, that includes the Chargers moving to LA)

Yes, at some point, the Chiefs will decide they want to have a quarterback they can call their own. Will they make this move? Highly doubtful as I can’t imagine the Hunt’s green lighting a move like this. Lets be honest, if we use the tried and true phrase ‘ The past is prologue,’ then we know for certain, this type of move will never happen here in Kansas City. Maybe that’s a good thing, maybe it’s not. That’s certainly up for debate.

The Chiefs, as I’ve mentioned before, are rapidly approaching a point where they will need to make a move at quarterback, and a decision, is Alex Smith the guy we want to commit another 3-5 years to. We can debate whether they should or shouldn’t all day long, but, that will be a question that’s answered only by the fine people inside of the offices at Arrowhead.

Random Thoughts:

• The Chiefs pass defense will be far worse this season then in years past. Simply put, it can’t get any better and there is a large drop off in talent as current as there was last year. Not having Sean Smith and Hussain Abdullah will really hurt the Chiefs pass defense, and regardless of when he’s able to return, Houston will likely not be the impact guy he was in years past, at least not in the 2016 season.
• The draft could be a bit ugly from an initial standpoint and reactions for Chiefs fans. I can’t imagine a player being on the board at 28 for KC that a team will be willing to trade up for and I don’t quite see the player that will make an impact. I believe the Chiefs sense this as well, as they have spent far more time and effort visiting and scouting mid round prospects then they have first round candidates.
• Speaking of the board, here’s something to keep in mind. Find the list of the prospects the Chiefs have confirmed visits with. The prospects on that list slated to be a first round pick, then all likelyhood, one of those names is the Chiefs draft pick. Rarely, and this has not occurred with the Chiefs new brass. Yes, it was confirmed the Chiefs had visited with Marcus Peters last year. The reason I bring this up is, to this point, the Chiefs have not meet with either Houston CB William Jackson or Ohio State CB Eli Apple. Both are oft-mocked prospects for the Chiefs, but at this point, I don’t foresee either as likely. Should be noted, the organization has meet with sliding prospect Mackensie Alexander.
• I try not to be a downer, but this needs to be pointed out. Save for right tackle, this team looks far more like the team that started 1-5 then the team that won 10 straight games. I think this can be a good team, but those people predicting the team to win a 12, 13 games this upcoming season need to remember this team is capable of both winning the AFC and picking in the top 10 of the 2017 NFL Draft.