Chiefs Podcast: The Justin Houston contract and the key to Alex Smith

On this episode of Roughing the Kicker, Joshua Brisco breaks down the numbers and meaning behind Justin Houston’s historic new contract, looks into the future of upcoming key Chiefs free agents, dissects Tamba Hali’s comments about Dee Ford, discusses the one factor that most-impacts Alex Smith’s performance, and addresses the idea that the Kansas City Chiefs are just one piece away from becoming a dynasty.

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As the franchise tag deadline approached, the Chiefs Kingdom waited to see if a Justin Houston contract would come before the buzzer. Not only did the Kansas City Chiefs announce the deal with hours remaining before the deadline, Houston cashed in on a historic payday, and the Chiefs locked up the best outside linebacker in football. Now where does this leave the Chiefs and Houston for the next several years?

With Houston’s deal completed, the Chiefs front office can focus on future free agents. However, the next-highest priorities are players who are under contract through 2016.

Tamba Hali discussed Dee Ford recently, and when paired with a locked-up Justin Houston, Ford’s future becomes an interesting topic of conversation. What is his role this season, and what does he have to do to earn a starting role in 2016?

Alex Smith never fails to start a conversation in the Chiefs Kingdom, and a fascinating statistic highlights the difference between Smith being a top-10 NFL quarterback or a top-25 one.

Have ideas, questions or opinions for next week’s episode? Tweet @jbbrisco or comment here on Arrowhead Addict. Subscribe to RTK on iTunes and never miss an episode.

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