Jaye Howard should be allowed to walk

This is the most exciting time in the off season not named the draft. Over the next couple of weeks plenty of general managers across the NFL will be trying to tie down impending free agents before they hit the open market on March 9th. John Dorsey, like all of his counterparts, will be a busy man, and has some crucial decisions to make that could effect the future of franchise for years to come.

Most of the head-scratching decisions that Dorsey must make over the coming weeks and months come on the defensive side of the ball. Many of Kansas City’s best impending free agents are apart of the defense, and if contracts cannot be signed, the NFL’s third ranked defense in points allowed per game, could be ripped apart at his heart.

Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali will be back with the team next year. It would be a huge surprise to see either of them leave. However, players such as Eric Berry and Sean Smith could well be on other teams come next season, and it will be fascinating to see who Dorsey chooses to keep and who he decides to let go.

One player that is at the central of all this is Jaye Howard, the defensive end turned nose tackle who had a sensational season. With Allen Bailey, Mike DeVito and Dontari Poe, Jaye Howard helped create perhaps the biggest strength of the Chiefs’ team. The defensive line play was exemplary throughout year, and such impressive performances were lead by Howard himself.

Next: Looking at the whole picture