Last week, I wrote that I was not opposed to acquiring Alex Smith per se, just against looking to him the “answer” to our quarterback woes. It appears that the team has done exactly that.

This post is scheduled to come out at 4 p.m. Central, but as I write this, we do not yet know whether the franchise tag has been used on any of the Chiefs’ three most important free agents – WR Dwayne Bowe, LT Brandon Albert or P Dustin Colquitt.

The early signs and reports are that the Chiefs will likely franchise Bowe, let Albert walk, and draft LT Luke Joeckel 1^st overall. I’ve read countless articles and analyses for and against the trade (most of them for), and my thoughts on this scenario have not changed. Last week I wrote, “if what we end up with is San Fran’s average-to-above-average castaway and a replacement for Brandon Albert who’s unproven in the NFL for the 1st overall pick and, say, a 3rd of 4th this year, it will be hard to deem this offseason a success.”

Even I didn’t think Smith would cost a 2^nd and a 2014 3^rd, as has been reported.

Since 1987, the year I was born, the Chiefs have only started two quarterbacks they drafted themselves – Doug Hudson (7^th round, 1987) and Brodie Croyle (3^rd round, 2006). In fact, since I have been alive, the Chiefs have only twice drafted a quarterback higher than the 3rd round – Mike Elkins in the 2nd in 1989 and Matt Blundin in the 2^nd in 1992. The last time the Chiefs used a 1^st-round pick on a quarterback was exactly 30 years ago in 1983.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

None of this has anything to do with Smith, GM John Dorsey or HC Andy Reid, except that it meant that this trade was automatically going to be met with disappointment by a large swath of Chiefs nation.

I hope this move works out, I really do. But, history and precedent have not been kind to the Chiefs when acquiring quarterbacks in this fashion.

I think Trent Green was worth the 1^st-rounder we traded for him and I suppose Joe Montana, who got us our last playoff victory 20 years ago, was worth that 1^st-rounder too by some measure. Green gave us five (mostly) competitive seasons and Montana gave us two before inevitably retiring.

I guess my question is what will Smith have to do to earn what we gave for him? Playoff wins, surely. A Super Bowl? How many years do we expect him to play for us? If we win a sufficient number of games next year, then that conditional 3^rd-rounder becomes a 2nd which, given that we already gave the 49ers the #34 overall pick, means that we will have gotten Alex Smith for the equivalent of a 1^st-round pick in terms of draft capital.

In Montana’s last year, the Chiefs traded a 4^th-round pick to San Fran for his former backup there, Steve Bono. In his first season starting for Kansas City, Bono had a pro-bowl season and went 13-3. Would that be an adequate return for the draft haul we gave up for Smith?

The Chiefs went 9-7 the next year and cut him in favor of another San Fran backup, this time Elvis Grbac. In college he twice won the Big Ten passing efficiency award, holding Michigan’s record for that mark until being passed up by John Navarre and later Chad Henne. He also went 13-3, but really hit his mark of efficiency in 2000 throwing for 4,169 yards with a 59.6 completion rate … in a year we won seven games.

Efficiency wasn’t enough, so we traded for Trent Green in 2001 who got us a 13-3 season in 2003 (are you starting to see the pattern here?) and a playoff loss. Then he got injured and we opted for his 33-years-young backup Damon Huard, who got us to another playoff loss. When Huard and Croyle washed out we traded for Matt Cassel, who got us one more good season, one more playoff loss.

These guys were all above average quarterbacks with some physical limitations but were seen as good decision-makers that took care of the football. They all got us to the playoffs at some point before we realized they wouldn’t take us any further than that.

Look, this isn’t a science and it’s not like the Chiefs have just been pressing the wrong button over and over again. But, this mentality that the Chiefs are just one safe, limited quarterback away from crawling to the promised land seems to have kept the franchise in neutral for practically my entire life.

If Alex Smith takes us to the playoffs next year, I will be overjoyed, but I’m not sure that alone will make this trade worthwhile. Because of the Smith trade, the Chiefs will almost certainly be once again forgoing the roll of the dice that is drafting a QB in the first two rounds – something we haven’t tried for 21 years.

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Think about that. By the time the Chiefs do (maybe) pick a QB next year, it is likely that this quarterback will not have been alive when the Chiefs last drafted a QB so high.

A lot of commentators have been dismissive of the large group of Chiefs fans that are nervous, disappointed or downright nauseous about the Smith trade, claiming that we’re all just blind Geno lovers. As a passenger on the Geno bandwagon, I would like to respectably disagree. We Alex-Smith pessimists are merely those fans who hoped desperately that the team would depart from its philosophy of the past.

So, I ask again, because I’m not sure I have the answer myself, what does Alex Smith have to do to be a good acquisition? How many starts, playoff victories and championship appearances are adequate compensation? Will you be satisfied if he is our next Trent Green?

Because he’s about to begin his 8^th NFL season and won’t be with us forever. Right now, he is our “answer” at the position. He has to be. We have no one to develop beside him, and probably won’t until at least next year.

It has been several years since so much was at stake for the Kansas City Chiefs in a single offseason.

For now, we are the worst team in the league.

We have no credible starting quarterback.

Three of our best players are not under contract.

And we have no idea what our front office is thinking right now.

Like most rabid Chiefs fans, I think that both new Head Coach Andy Read and General Manager John Dorsey were good hires and I want to believe they will make the best possible decisions in this pivotal offseason.

However, the Pioli regime left my heart and soul battered and, like a chronically abused spouse, I’m a basket case struggling to trust. Add to this that we are at the height of the NFL misinformation season, where GM’s go out of their way to confuse and manipulate the agents and other teams to lower contract offers and juke out opponents. Unfortunately for us shell-shocked fans, the tactics work on us too.

We don’t know what to think.

By the end of the day, if reports are to be believed, it may be announced that the Chiefs have secured a deal to trade for San Francisco QB Alex Smith. Then again, we may end up trading for Eagles QB Nick Foles once the league years starts on March 12, and apparently talks are already running for that.

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Meanwhile, we have been told both that the team is working to re-sign LT Brandon Albert and that is also is high on LT draft prospect Luke Joeckel. Dorsey has come out poo-pooing the QB class, while it appears to be a consensus that Geno Smith solidified his status as a top 10 pick with his performance at the Combine.

We have yet to use the franchise tag, which will allow us to lock up Albert, WR Dwayne Bowe or P Dustin Colquitt.

I wish I had some insight into what is going to happen with this team, but the truth is that no one outside of a very small club within the Chiefs’ front office has any idea.

Here’s what I think I think:

I will be disappointed if Alex Smith becomes our “answer” at quarterback. He’s been productive in his last two seasons under Jim Harbaugh, but was a disaster for the franchise for years before that. While he was ranked 7^th in overall QBR for his 10 games in 2012, the three years before that he was rated thusly, 2011: 45.8, 2010: 40.1, 2009: 40.2. By comparison, Blaine Gabbert’s QBR in 2012 was 40.9. Christian Ponder’s was 53.8.

Still, I don’t want to be misunderstood. I’m not necessarily against acquiring Alex Smith if the compensation is reasonable. I am whole-heartedly against trading for him and thinking we’re set at the position. The fact is that we need three quarterbacks. Cassel could possibly restructure for a less egregious cap number this year, but I feel like a clean break would be best for both player and team. Brady Quinn is a free agent and good riddance. Ricky Stanzi and Alex Tanney haven’t shown us anything and probably only have the upside to become backups even if they develop.

In a perfect world, we could acquire either Smith or Foles and still draft Geno. Alex can hold down the fort for a season or two while Geno works on the “inconsistencies” all the scouts have been talking about and Foles could also compete with Geno long-term as an option with upside.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

However, if what we end up with is San Fran’s average-to-above-average castaway and a replacement for Brandon Albert who’s unproven in the NFL for the 1^st overall pick and, say, a 3^rd of 4^th this year, it will be hard to deem this offseason a success.

Alex Smith is just 28 and maybe his best football is ahead of him. Then again, maybe he is nothing more than a system quarterback who benefited from great coaching and a strong team around him that plays both solid defense and hosts a running game that averaged 155.7 yards per game (4^th in the league in 2012).

Maybe his best football is behind him. Cassel’s 2008 QBR rating with the New England Patriots was 63.1 – 11^th in the league and comparable to Smith’s 70.1 rating this year.

On either side of Smith in the QBR rankings this year are rookies RGIII (71.4) and Russell Wilson (69.6).

It was pretty clear that RGIII was going to be a superstar this year, but that didn’t stop the Redskins from hedging their bets and picking up Kirk Cousins as well to develop along side him.

As we all know, Wilson was believed to have limitations in his game and the Seahawks got him for a song in the 3^rd round. Even then he was considered to be a reach. They also gave a big contract to Matt Flynn and had Tavaris Jackson on their roster when the training camp began last year and I don’t think they are kicking themselves.

Like I said, I am only going to be upset with Alex Smith if the Chiefs bring him in on a chariot as the sole answer to our QB woes. We need multiple options for the future. How we go about getting them will define this team for years. There are several cards to play and we can’t see Dorsey’s hand.

So, as much as it’s killing us, all we can do is wait.

We’re now headed into what will be one of the more interesting Chiefs’ offseasons we’ve had in a while.

As we’ve already discussed up and down on this site, the biggest question the Chiefs now face is what to do with the quarterback position. Matt Cassel has not looked like a franchise quarterback and we need a reliable backup 13 months ago.

While the backup market is going to be workable, it is not going to be easy to get a better starter. Another important point is that, while the Chiefs are making strides in certain areas of the team, we still have a lot of holes to fill on the roster and if we go all in toward one of the bigger name players out there, we automatically hurt our ability to improve the rest of the team — possibly for years.

So here are some of the notable options and what they would likely cost us after the jump. (more…)

What Tony left "behind" at Arrowhead. Photo courtesy of Randy Murawski

But you did.

I began hearing rumors. At first I didn’t believe them. Then I saw the looks on your face from the sidelines the cameras missed at home. I saw the anguish. I saw the sadness. I saw the frustration.

The same looks I was seeing in my bathroom mirror.

Even before Adam posted it on AA, I knew it was true.

And it made me angry.

I didn’t give up on the Chiefs. I kept going to the games. Some of them by myself, some of them when I couldn’t even give away my tickets. I didn’t give up. So how could you? (more…)

Ciao!

Au revoir!

Sayonara, sucker!

Do svidan’ya, douchebag!

Hasta la vista, baby!

Pat Bowlen and his Denver Broncos are going to trade Jay Cutler. From PFT:

In a statement released Tuesday night, owner Pat Bowlen says that the team will accommodate quarterback Jay Cutler’s request for a trade:

“Numerous attempts to contact Jay Cutler in the last 10 days, both by [coach] Josh McDaniels and myself, have been unsuccessful.

“A conversation with his agent earlier today clearly communicated and confirmed to us that Jay no longer has any desire to play for the Denver Broncos.

“We will begin discussions with other teams in an effort to accommodate his request to be traded.”

This is huge. What does it mean, exactly? Well, to me it basically means that the Broncos are starting over. Either that or they’ll bring someone like Byron Leftwich, Jeff Garcia or J.P. Losman in. Good luck with that. Our Chiefs are fine with Matt Cassel, the guy McD and his Donks wanted instead of Cutler!

Every Monday, Arrowhead Addict editor/lead writer Adam Best will kick off the week with his AA Greeting — his one-of-a-kind POV on all things Chiefs.

Since the Oscars just recently went down, I thought we’d honor the biggest haters from free agency’s opening weekend. Drumroll, please…

Slumblog Millionaire – Merlin

“Caveat Emptor” came off as sour grapes. He wanted Jon Kitna and Tyler Thigpen, while yours truly and a whole lot of others wanted Matt Cassel or a comparable young quarterback. He didn’t get his way, so he tried to paint the move as a mistake. He even went Scott Mitchell on us, which I would have given him points for if he had of actually come up with the zinger on his own. Daddy Defense, like Slumdog Millionaire, your views typically represent all the “little people,” and are presented with a lot of heart. Not this time. “Caveat Emptor” was completely out of touch. Wack.

In Borges – Ron Borges

Who? Who? Never heard of the guy. His whole column just sounds like some serious homespun hatin’ to me. There are “far more personnel men” who think Cassel’s a flop than a franchise quarterback? Really? Who have you been listening to and reading? I’ve heard just the opposite. But screw hearsay; Cassel made a believer out of me late last season, when he went 4-0 down the stretch and posted ridiculous numbers. I understand, Borges — you’re a Bill Belichick apologist. He’s obviously got your balls in his Darth Vader-like vice grip. Even Colin Farrell’s performance in In Bruges didn’t make me laugh as much as your column. You’re a funny guy, Borges.

The Readerless – Jay Mariotti

I’d listen to just about anybody before the guy who gets clowned live and in living color by Woody Paige on almost a daily basis. Conspiracy theory? Not when your fellow haters are calling Cassel and Mike Vrabel a bench-riding phony and a washed-up snitch, respectively. If last year’s Pau Gasol trade in the NBA didn’t get overturned, there is no way this is even going to get investigated. What a desperate attempt to regain some readership after getting canned from the Chicago Sun-Times. Just how I don’t understand The Reader getting the props it did on the awards circuit, I don’t understand how Mariotti has managed to stay relevant for so long.

The Dark Write – Jason Whitlock

Boy, did Jason do some serious damage this past weekend. Way to cast a dark shadow over one of the few happy moments Chiefs fans have experienced during the past few years, Big Sexy.

First off, since he enjoys mafia references, he played the role of Luca Brasi for the Godfather of the Chiefs locker room, Brian Waters. Considering they are dealing with The Pioli Trinity and not King Carl and his consigliere Herm Edwards, I wouldn’t be surprised if B-Dub and Big Sexy were sleeping with the fishes soon. Can’t you just see the Trinity wacking them out as the No. 3 pick gets baptized, er, selected?

But seriously, nobody else even talked about Waters last weekend. After considering that, doesn’t it seem like Big Sexy was simply trying to stir the pot? His rivalry with Carl Peterson was his bread and butter, so it doesn’t surprise me that he wasted no time kicking off his feud with the new regime. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Waters and Whitlock are cool, and I’m sure this was partially done as a favor to Waters. But the big fella definitely had his own agenda.

Then there was his column on the Cassel-Vrabel trade. You know, the one where he belittled Scott Pioli and Tood Haley by calling them Scott Belichick and Todd Parcells. You know Jason, I could do that to you. You have a mentor, too — the late, great Ralph Wiley. I could call you Ralph Whitlock. Real funny, huh? Ha, ha. They went out and did what you, myself and everybody else who covers the Chiefs had been begging them to do for, well, freakin’ forever  — get a franchise quarterback! — and you respond by blasting them for it? Not only that, you went on to compare Haley to Dick Vermeil and Pioli to “King Carl on steroids” not long after you openly campaigned for both men. Worst of all, you welcomed three-time Super Bowl champion and 2007 Pro Bowler Vrabel to Kansas City by calling him a “snitch.” You, my friend, have watched one episode too many of The Wire.

Jason, Jason, Jason. Sometimes there’s no columnist I like better. I have no problem admitting it; for years now I’ve been both one of your biggest fans and your biggest critics. Why? Because when you’re on, you’re as good as anybody. Like the piece you did on the drug war and incarceration for Playboy last year. I always enjoy your FOX Sports columns as well (except when you called Chad Johnson a bojangler, that is). But sometimes you play the contrarian just so you can take the slant that nobody else is taking. Just admit it. I even see why you do it. It makes you look like an independent, outside-the-box thinker with brass balls, plus it stirs up conversation.

This concocted contrarian act is getting a little stale. We’ve seen it more times than Brandon Marshall’s been arrested at this point. Hey, all of us writers do things to elevate our own status and boost our readership. I can admit that I do it, too. But acting like Waters’ pushy divorce lawyer and throwing the new regime and their first two high-profile acquisitions under the bus in the same weekend was completely uncalled for. Especially considering that we are still in the honeymoon period. Besides, can’t you just let us enjoy possibly the biggest trade acquisition in the history of the franchise for a little while? Would that kill you?

Like The Dark Knight, you were the outcast on this one. Problem is, we just got rid of the Joker, we don’t want your gloom and doom right now, and we’re not down with you trying to turn Scott Pioli into Scotty Two-Face.

(more…)

The loss of Tony G will hurt the Chiefs short-term financially, far more than the value of crap draft picks we would gain in return (unless they are 1st or second round). Additionally, God help the player we get in the draft due to the number of Tony G references he would have to suffer through. Also, from a business standpoint, getting rid of the only player most women can name on the Chiefs is a silly idea if revenue has any importance locally. I can name 10 women off the top of my head that will be soured and bitchy on the Chiefs forever if they ship the Big Vegetarian Burrito out of town. That’s 10 people not going to games, buying beers, paying for parking etc. If Tony splits, you can literally multiply that number by 1000. Ask any female Chiefs fan who their favorite player is and they don’t hesitate to tell you, “Tony Gonzalez.” And of course, there will be tons of those “Tony deserves to be traded to a contender” people out there. Y’all are so sweet.

I’ve maintained this position for a week now, and I continue to support the theory that if Herm and Co. would have gotten Tony the record in front of family and Chiefs fans, instead of dissing him; I don’t think Tony would have been as upset or as accepting of a trade. Tony was mad and he had every right to be. Was this the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back? Some have speculated that T.G. went in after the Atlanta game and asked for the trade. After Thiggy Small’s Interception Party, that is believable. “Oh, you guys have a rookie QB in Matt Ryan? Well, we will play our third string QB just to even things out.”

Some of the real offers being reported are: a third rounder from Buffalo, oh and a new set of speculation from Buffalo too, some interest from Philadelphia, and a low-ball sixth-round pick from the New York Giants. (You kinda gotta love someone for low-balling Carl. How’s your own medicine taste King?) Of course, KC’s former favorite redneck footballer, Jared Allen, had to poke his nose into this too. Mind your business Jared. KC is no longer a concern to you. If you don’t like Big Red then #@CK YOU.

There is also some late talk from the “King of plagurizing Rick Reilly”, Adam Schefter*, that the Dolphins are shopping QB John Beck and the Detroit Lions throwing out last year’s surprise garbage time fantasy hero, WR Shaun McDonald. If Beck can’t outplay Pennington, we shouldn’t want him. *I caught A.S. copying a paragraph of R.R.’s and through that, met Woody Paige at the Denver Post. True story.

Here are some of the scenarios of trading Tony G for some “good” players. Listed below are some potential deals and big name players that will be free agents next year, and could immediately contribute to the Chiefs.

• Trade to the Giants for their 2nd and fifth…surely Tony is at least worth Shockey compensation.
• Trade him for the Cardinal’s Anquan Boldin – drawbacks: Q wants paid massively and we’d likely have to throw in a 1st rounder. Worth it? No, probably not with Brokie Croyle at the wheel.
• Trade for Ocho Cinco – No one in the league needs a change of scenery more. Worth it? I personally like Ocho but I’m not sure if I’d like him in my backyard. Worth it if we don’t give anything else.
• Trade him to the Cardinals for Karlos Dansby He’s 26 and a rising star linebacker. We’d have to throw in a 1st. The Cards will probably franchise him.
• Trade him for Derek Anderson - but after he decided to actually play well last night; weeks after RUINING my fantasy draft and being cut (by me), the Browns won’t trade him, and he can kiss my ass.
• Tony wants to cry? Ship him to Oakland to die. We’ll take next year’s FA corner Nmadhi Asomugha out of Davisland: second to Neverland Ranch on “Places not to be in after the sun sets“.

Other Noteable FA’s:
Tank Johnson, Mike Peterson, Bart Scott, Chris Gamble, Dawan Landry, Terrell Suggs, Jonathan Vilma, Eric Barton and Ray Lewis.


Sound off Addicts: What should we do with the Big Burrito?

The Bills are now reportedly offering up a third for Tony Gonzalez. – Arrowhead Pride

Larry Johnson is now also being discussed in trade talks. – FOX Sports

Even Damon Huard might need to back his bags tonight just in case he gets dealt, too. – Arrowhead Pride

Was Monday Tony’s last practice donning the Red and Gold? – Associated Press

Should Brett Favre campaign for Gonzo in green? – FanHouse

Here is what some of our FSB brothers and sisters in blog had to say about their team potentially landing Gonzo (after the jump):

(more…)

It’s the bye week, and after last week’s debacle I’ve tried to make it a mini-bye week for me as well. But I always think about my Chiefs. I can’t help it. A few minutes ago something popped into my head that totally explains the Tony Gonzalez situation. I’m glad, because I was really struggling to explain my stance and was hurting sans the weekly Arrowhead Advantage feature. (By the way, there’s no way I’m doing RW/FF this week. I’d rather watch Gigli for ten hours straight. Besides, I deleted the Carolina Calamity the second it concluded.)

Tony Gonzalez stuck with the Chiefs is similar to when Angelina Jolie was married to Billy Bob Thornton. I love Billy Bob, but much like the Chiefs, the Midwestern favorite wasn’t going to cut it for one of the hottest stars around. Angelina needeed her own star; one who was at the top of his game and in his prime. She found that in Pitt, ten years Billy Bob’s junior and just a tad more handsome, rich and famous.

A team like the New York Giants could be Tony G’s Pretty Boy Pitt. He’s given everything to the Chiefs for over a decade now, on his way to becoming the most prolific Chiefs’ offensive player and NFL tight end ever. He’s basically pulled an Angelilly Bob and worn a vial of the Chiefs’ blood around his neck. He’s been the Red and Gold’s monogamous rock. And what has he received in return? A bunch of playoff one-and-dones.

Don’t give me this “we paid him” crap either. If Billy Bob would have told Angelina she wasn’t worth all of that fuss (she ultimately ditched him), another guy would have disagreed and scooped her up. History proves that statement true. Gonzo would be no different. If King Carl had of decided not to pay Gonzalez, then another suitor would have swooped in within the hour and paid that man–handsomely. As much as we love Tony G, I don’t think even we truly appreciate what he brings to the franchise on a daily basis.

Again, I love me some Billy Bob Thornton. Bad Santa, Sling Blade, The Man Who Wasn’t There, etc. But over the past five years it’s been easy to see why Angelina bounced, especially in favor of Pitt. Not trying to be superficial here, folks, but just look at the situation objectively. Angelina makes beautiful people look in the mirror and say, damn, I’m ugly. She had no business being with a guy closer to her dad Jon Voight’s age than her own. Being married to a star like Pitt has helped her take her career to the next level–to the A-list.

The defending Super Bowl champion G-Men can do the same for Tony. He deserves some actual playoff success and a chance to win a Super Bowl. If you ask me, playing for the small market, playoff pansy Chiefs has also affected his marketability. This guy should be as big as any star in the NFL. The only thing better than his hands and his looks are his personality. The guy is a role model and a bonafide hero. He may not have been able to save the Chiefs from choking, but, much like he did for Ken Hunter, he applied the Heimlich Maneuver. The Chiefs were just beyond even his saving.

My Brangelina Theory states that the right thing for the Chiefs to do is get on the horn and make the Giants the Tony G-Men. At worst, they’d send us a third-rounder. That pick will be worth something when Tony is soaking up the sun with October as a California retiree, waiting to enter the Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor as a Chief. For now, Tony deserves better.

Why? Because it’s clear that neither the Chiefs nor most Chiefs fans like L.J., let alone love him like we do here at the Addict. The Chiefs also have no clue how to use him, and are now taking away his goalline carries. Yes, the top goalline back over a recent two-season period has been replaced.

Herm Edwards is a dumb sonofabitch. There. I said it and feel better.

In a 48-hour period the Preacher has stated that he will not sit Damion McIntsoh for Herb Taylor, proclaimed Tyler Thigpen his starting quarterback and given L.J.’s goalline carries to Kimble Anders Part Deaux and a poor man’s Reggie Bush. Then again, this is the guy who thought he could turn Marques Hagans into the pro version of Eric Crouch circa Nebraska only hours after giving him a playboook. Can’t you just see Borat pointing at him and saying, “is retard?”

Hey, look, I like Jamaal Charles and Kolby Smith, and I think they could be a solid platoon. But we are talking about THE Larry Johnson, the running back who started his career off in Adrian Peterson-like fashion. If we’re not going to use him and use him properly–meaning 20-plus carries per game and goalline carries–then we might as well move him. But for whom?

Roy Williams, the disgruntled Detroit Lions receiver and free agent to be.

Williams was the other star NFL player who complained following last weekend’s action, and with Calvin Johnson, Mike Furrey and Shaun McDonald they don’t need him. They do, however, need a running back. They recently signed Rudi “Poo” Johnson and worked out Cedric “The Non-Entertainer” Benson and Shauna Alexander. That right there shows they are not comfortable at all with Kevin Smith as their feature back. Smith is no Iron Man.

The Lions haven’t been able to run the ball since losing Barry Sanders. You’d have to think that they’d pull the trigger on this trade, especially with Roy Williams’ complaining and impending free agency. And if there’s ever been a sucker GM, it’s Matt Millen.

I say let’s do Larry and the fans (who obviously loathe him) a favor and move him for Roy Williams. Roy is only 26, and with his 4.37 speed he’d give us the homerun hitter we desperately need. At 6’3″ he’d also provide us with another big target, and Optimus Prime does play big. As you all know, there is a difference between being being and playing big.

(Plus, since I’m a ginormous freakin’ Kingpin fan, I’d love saying, “my little Roy toy” over and over again.)

I say why not for both teams. I see this being a deal like the Champ-Portis one from earlier this decade, which I think has been a win-win for both teams involved.

What are your thoughts on my hypothetical L.J.-Roy trade?

His status doesn’t figure to change any time soon. The Chiefs are committed to Croyle as their starter, at least for now. They are intrigued by the ability of Thigpen and want every opportunity to see what he can do.

The Chiefs may wind up trading Huard if that opportunity comes available to them in the next couple of months.

ESPN’s Bill Williamson agrees over on his AFC West blog:

It makes sense if Kansas City considers dealing him because most teams do not have 35-year-old third-string quarterbacks. Experienced backup quarterbacks are difficult to come by, so it would not be a shock if there is some interest in Huard as teams get closer to finalizing their 53-man rosters.

This potential move makes a ton of sense to me. Let’s get whatever we can for Damon, and get another young quarterback–Chris Simms, anyone?–on the roster. It’s also fair to Damon to give him a better opportunity than third-stringer, and on a team that’s looking to win as he winds up his career. Love him or hate him, he’s been a dedicated, respectable Chief. Stay tuned…

Some people call me the space cowboy, yeah
Some call me the gangster of love
Some people call me Maurice
Cause I speak of the pompitus of love.
People talk about me, baby
Say I’m doin’ you wrong, doin’ you wrong
Well, don’t you worry baby
Don’t worry cause I’m right here, right here, right here,
right here at home

Cause I’m a picker
I’m a grinner
I’m a lover
And I’m a sinner
I play my music in the sun.
I’m a joker
I’m a smoker
I’m a midnight toker
I get my loving on the run… wooo woooo… – Steve Miller’s “The Joker”

Whether it was because he was the Space Cowboy off the field, or the Gangster of Love on it, Chiefs fans cherished Jared Allen. When he got his DUIs, a lot of people did worry and, myself included, said that he had done us wrong and didn’t deserve his big raise. Such raises were instead reserved for star players like Larry Johnson and Tony Gonzalez, players who had performed well on the field and off of it. But somehow he soothed our worries, got his suspension cut in half and convinced us that he was a Chief-for-life reborn, despite earlier comments to the contrary.

And that was just for those of us who were skeptical. Most fans already had taken the bait–hook line and sinker. But eventually we all did.

(more…)

Breaking news from NFL.com–the Chiefs have sent Jared Allen to the Vikings. I’m actually quite happy with the two third rounders we got in addition to the No. 17 pick. By my calculations we now have six picks in the top 100, three in the top 40 and more trade value chart points than any other team out there. The draft now rolls through Kansas City. This is just crazy…

The Kansas Chiefs have agreed to trade Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen to the Minnseota Vikings, reports NFL Network’s Adam Schefter.

The Chiefs will receive Minnesota’s first- (17th overall) and both of its third-round picks (73rd and 82nd) as compensation. Kansas City has been looking to acquire additional draft picks in an attempt to speed up coach Herm Edwards’ rebuilding project for a team that lost its last nine games in 2007 and finished 4-12.

The Vikings also agreed on a new contract with Allen, which will be finalized Wednesday. Allen flew to Minnesota on Tuesday night in anticipation of Wednesday’s events.

From Pro Football Talk:

The Chiefs will now add the No. 17, No. 73, and No. 82 overall selections to the No. 5, No. 35, and No. 66 picks, giving them six selections among the first 100 picks…

More PFT:

In addition to the three 2008 draft picks that the Minnesota Vikings gave up in order to acquire the rights to defensive end Jared Allen, the Vikes have made defensive end Jared Allen the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.

Per Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com, Allen will get a six-year, $74 million deal, with $31 million in guaranteed money.

Actually, the guarantee is $31,000,069. That’s right . . . “Wine ‘em, dine ‘em, 69 ‘em.”

We’ll be breaking this down all week, folks. For now, it’s still a bit of a shocker. I wasn’t expecting this until later in the week, personally. Stay tuned!

There have been three previous installments of “The Blueprint” and throughout the series there has been one constant–the Chiefs can’t trade. This seemed to cause considerable grumbling amongst the fanatical Jake-Long-or-trade-down crowd, but with Jared Allen now almost guaranteed to be shipped prior to the draft the only stipulation for “The Blueprint 4” is that I have to explore trades with plausible partners. I’ll do so using a little bit of common sense, realism, rumors and the draft trade chart. The beauty of this edition is that my main theory still applies here, especially since we will now likely have two first rounders to address major needs. That theory: never reach when drafting in the top ten. Ever. EVER!

Before I get started, when we whipped up this image we thought that the wheeling-and-dealing Jerry Jones and his Cowboys would be the ones to shake up the draft with the team’s two first-round picks. Now, with Allen all but guaranteed to be moved it looks like the Chiefs might shake up the draft more than any other NFL squad.

Here are nine teams I have tabbed as potential trade partners: the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Bucaneers. Bloggers from many of these ballclubs will be dropping in with their POV on the situation. From where I’m sitting all of the above-mentioned teams could and might pull off a trade, even after contemplating the considerable costs.

Prior to getting into the hypothetical trade scenarios, I want to rap about the Jared situation a little bit. Chiefs fans seem to be heartbroken over this, but I say screw Jared. That’s right–eff Jared Allen and the horse he rode in on.

Now, I’m not going to defend Carl Peterson‘s overall performance as GM–he should have been canned. But I will defend him when it comes to Jared Allen. No GM in his right mind would have given the One Man Gang a contract after he was racking up DUIs like sacks and driving as recklessly off the field as he plays on it. Not one. He had no reason to gripe last year at all, well, maybe about the taste of O’Douls, but not about his contract. When he said he wanted Dwight Freeney money after the DUIs, I honestly laughed out loud. But, he came in, cleaned up his act and had the best season of any defensive end in football.

That being said, it was one year and he was playing for a contract. Who knows if Jared will fly straight for good. After all, his track record of getting in trouble is pretty extensive, dating back to his wild college days at Idaho. What really chaps my ass is despite all his off-the-field issues, Chiefs fans have embraced him more than any other player. Yes, even more than Tony G. (I think J.A. is just more of a K.C. good ol’ boy-type guy). This is how he repays us? I mean, the Chiefs franchised him and gave him Dwight Freeney money even though he is being an absolute pain in the ass to negotiate with. The key to the city, NFL superstar dough, the adulation of the NFL’s best fans–what the hell more does this guy want? He scoffs at all of this and flies off to try and get something done with Zygi Wilf and the Vikes. To hell with you, No. 69. You should be honored by what Kansas City has given you, not disrespecting our gracious hospitality, brother.

The other thing that annoys me is Chiefs fans getting pissed at Carl for the Jared negotiations when they had Carl’s back during the Larry Johnson negotiations. That makes no sense at all, and it is evident you fans are Jared apologists/L.J. haters. Despite what one research-deficient Chiefs fans stated in the comments, L.J.started his career off with the most brilliant first two-and-a-half seasons a running back has ever enjoyed. You can count on one hand the RBs who have enjoyed back-to-back seasons of 2,000-plus all-purpose yards and 19-plus touchdowns, let alone those who started their careers in such prolific fashion. The guy didn’t have one great season, he had two outstanding seasons and two outstanding half-seasons. Plus, he only had one minor off the field incident and didn’t get in any legal or NFL trouble for it. He had all the leverage with Carl, and he deserved every cent he got. Jared’s been great, but not quite as good as L.J. so far in his career. Also, Jared got in major trouble off the field. Carl’s played it right, and Jared shouldn’t have ever had any leverage.

I think we have to move Jared. We’re rebuilding and he doesn’t want to be here, all of that’s obvious, so I say we move him now. His value will never be higher. I doubt he will ever win another sack title, he’s only 26 and who knows if he will ever fall of the wagon and start boozing like Lindsey Lohan on a bender again. He is our most valuable trading chip considering that L.J. is contractually unmovable. I honestly think we have to get a first this year and a second next and move on. If we could score a player like Bryant McKinnie or Lito Sheppard along with a first, then I’d probably let a third or fourth rounder substitute for that second.

Here we go after the jump…

(more…)

Steve Wyche of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the much-anticipated Falcons-Raiders trade for cornerback DeAngelo Hall is essentially done.

The teams had already agreed that Atlanta would receive Oakland’s second- and sixth-round picks in the NFL draft, but the holdup had been whether the Raiders and Hall could reach an agreement on a long-term contract extension. Hall tells Wyche that the deal will get done.

“There is just some tweaking of the language that needs to be done, some minor details,” Hall said of contract negotiations. “No deal breakers.”

Hall said he is planning to fly to Oakland tomorrow to sign the contract. No details of the contract have been released, but it appears that the Raiders have given in to Hall’s financial demands, which other teams had balked at.

Sorry, Chiefs fans. I guess Justin Hartwig and Max Starks are still out there.

It looks like DeAngelo Hall might not become a Raider after all. From Rotoworld:

NFL Network’s Adam Schefter reports trade talks between the Raiders and Falcons involving DeAngelo Hall hit a stall late Monday.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ran a report claiming the exact opposite earlier this afternoon. Schefter says it no longer appears as though the trade will happen. If it’s a cap space issue for the Raiders, they could clear some room by releasing LaMont Jordan and Stuart Schweigert.

Will the Chiefs renew their interest if the trade falls through? Because of the salary Hall wants, I doubt it, but we have shown interest. We have always known he wouldn’t come cheap, so that right there shows that it is still at least a remote possibility. I guess we’ll just have to take a wait-and-see approach on this one.

That’s a lot to get back in a trade. While it would definitely sting, his value couldn’t be any higher and he might just not want to play for King Carl‘s Chiefs any longer. This might be what we have to do. Nothing has been verified, so stay tuned…