Kansas City Chiefs Salary Cap Questions: What To Expect From The Chiefs In February

Dec 7, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Anthony Fasano (80) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Chiefs 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

THE LESS OBVIOUS ROSTER CUTS

Dorsey has a couple of options at his disposal to add a few extra million to Kansas City salary cap space including more cuts or restructuring/extending some contracts.

One possible restructure may be Sean Smith, who is coming off an excellent, if not spectacular, season for the Chiefs. Next season represents the final year left on his current contract, and the Chiefs don’t have a lot behind him right now to come in and replace him. Additionally, his $7.5 salary cap number represents the sixth largest cap hit on the Chiefs roster, so it may make sense to work out a deal that keeps him here a little longer and softens his 2015 cap blow.

Or Dorsey could decide to make a couple more touch decisions on some roster cuts.

Mike DeVito is coming off a torn achilles from this season’s opener against Tennessee. While he is an excellent run defender and the Chiefs need help in that area, it is not for sure he’ll be able to perform at the same level he did a year ago. KC could save $4 million in cap space by cutting him as opposed to rolling the dice on what kind of player he’ll be in 2015.

Anthony Fasano is another potential cut be he has less benefit in terms of salary cap relief. He would seem to be a roster move the Chiefs would make if either a veteran becomes available at a decent price or if the a tight end they like falls to them in the draft in the third or fourth round. Otherwise, Fasano seems like a lock to stay.

Those three moves are the last of the ‘least painful’ moves the Chiefs could make to open up cap space. The rest of what is ahead for the Chiefs is far more complicated.

Next: The Dwayne Bowe Question