Chiefs roster: A look ahead at the offseason

Defensive Line

Mike DeVito – Defensive End – UFA:  A lot of people have already written off DeVito as a probable cut.  I’m not so sure.  Yes, he is on the wrong side of 30 and not the most dynamic of players (note: dynamic is not a synonym for talented).  And the Chiefs certainly do have a bevy of talent to choose from moving forward.  However, that talent is very likely to get pretty expensive, and the Chiefs may have to make a difficult choice.  Having DeVito in pocket makes that choice a little easier.  The good news is that Mike isn’t likely to be an early signing in Free Agency.  The Chiefs should have a little extra time to see how things play out.

Jaye Howard – Defensive Lineman – UFA:  Here’s where things get tricky.  There is no doubt that Jaye Howard has earned a new contract.  The question is how big will that new contract be?  Not only has Jaye Howard emerged as a quality interior linemen, he did so with national fan fare from Jon Gruden.  Believe it or not, that does get the attention of NFL front office personnel.  And at 27 years old, this is his only real shot at a big time deal.

The Chiefs will surely make an offer, but if Howard decides to test the market, he will certainly get some decent offers.  On top of that, there is still the issue of Dontari Poe’s contract next year, as well as other deals for this season.  See why I wasn’t so ready to bail on Mike DeVito?

The saving grace here is that the defensive lineman market may be flooded with talent this year, plus there is a very highly acclaimed rookie class coming in.  That means many teams may decide to hold off on paying a free agent big money.  So there’s no telling where Howard will end up at this point.  I’d mark him down as a 50/50 shot at returning to KC in 2016.

David King – Defensive End – ERFA:  This should be an easy answer for the front office.  King hasn’t done much of note this season, but the three year man from Oklahoma flashed some talent in preseason and the Chiefs have clearly decided that he was worth keeping around despite a very deep defensive line group.  That means they likely see something in him that they want to try and develop.  As an Exclusive Rights Free Agent, he comes with a cheap price tag that can be walked away from if a better option presents itself.  This shouldn’t be a tough decision.

Nick Williams – Defensive Tackle – ERFA:  Williams is pretty much in the same boat as King, but has shown a little bit more on the field and is younger to boot.  If tendering King isn’t a tough decision, then this is a no brainer.  There is nothing lost by bringing Williams back, and he has shown that there may be some real quality to gain.  While it is unlikely he’ll have a Jaye Howard-esque breakthrough, he has shown enough talent that becoming a similar player to Mike DeVito is a decent possibility.  And, as with King, if a better option emerges the Chiefs are in a position where they can walk away from Williams with no cap damage.

Next: Our Defensive Playmakers