The Big Get
John Dorsey made a big move and got value for it.
Landing Mitchell Schwartz was lucky and brilliant. The Cleveland Browns reportedly pulled their offer in the hours approaching free agency and the Chiefs swept in and landed the top offensive tackle on the market. That is value.
At the same time, Jeff Allen was signed away by the Houston Texans. Allen had played well at guard, could play tackle in a pinch and had provided an all-important spark for the offensive line in 2015.
It was a trade-off involving two young players signing their second contracts. Looking at those new contracts, two things stand out. The Chiefs gave Schwartz a larger amount of guaranteed money while keeping his cap number down. If both play-out their full contract, the Chiefs will pay less on average to Schwartz than Allen got in Houston.
In addition, tackles are more highly prized than guards are in the NFL. At the end of the day, the Chiefs spent roughly the same money on a more talented player at a more crucial position.
But, it gets better for Dorsey and the Chiefs. Despite Allen and Schwartz both being drafted in 2012, just 7 picks apart, there was a stark difference in their production.
In four seasons in the league Allen started just 44 of 64 games, roughly a third. He played 40 of those games at guard. In the same timespan, Schwartz started every game at tackle. That’s an impressive value on the offensive line. What’s more, he has been able to play a perfect 100% of his team’s offensive snaps since the day he entered the NFL. He currently has more than 4000 consecutive snaps under his belt. That is value that often cannot be bought.
No one bats .1000
The first rush of free agency has seen two losses for the Chiefs. To make a run in the next two seasons, they will need to find a starter-quality guard in either the 2nd tier free agency or the draft. The remaining guards on the roster are journeymen or still developing.
The loss of Sean Smith is significant. Dorsey reportedly put up a long, tough fight to try and retain him. In the end, Smith went over to the Raiders, who are set to give the AFCWest-favorite Chiefs some solid competition in 2016. With Marcus Peters, Philip Gaines and Steven Nelson in place, a veteran should be signed in free agency. In addition, the team should look to draft two quality cornerbacks in April.
All Indications
The contracts push the team up closer to the salary cap and make a playoff team better on offense while giving them a shot to remain dominant on defense. What a start to the team-building part of the off-season! All these moves lead to one conclusion. This franchises leaders are looking to make the leap for a championship now.
What is your biggest/favorite move, Addicts?