There has been a ton of arguing about left tackle Eric Fisher since he was drafted with the first-overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.
At the time, some wished general manager John Dorsey would have taken Luke Joeckel, another left tackle who went with the next pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars. While that debate clearly went in Fisher’s direction, there is still plenty to talk about.
In his first two years, Fisher was bad. No way around it. Last year, Fisher was one of the best lineman on the team and while still not great, certainly much better. He was a shining star in the playoffs against the Houston Texans, absolutely destroying J.J. Watt.
Now, the Chiefs are faced with a huge decision. Fisher’s fifth-year option is due on May 2. If Kansas City picks it up, Fisher will remain with the team at least through 2017. The option is for $11.1 million which would be a large cap hit but not unreasonable for a quality left tackle.
Recently, Dorsey spoke to the press and talked about the situation, per Chiefs Digest:
"“We have had very positive discussions with regards to his option here,” general manager John Dorsey said Tuesday in a conference call with Chiefs beat writers. “We’ve got plenty of time here … We have had discussions with regards to this. Let us get close up to the draft here and let’s see where we are.”"
Should Dorsey decline the option, Fisher becomes a free agent after this season. He would be one of two big-name free agents on the team along with Dontari Poe.
If I’m Dorsey, I would exercise the option and then try to nail down an extension of four or five years at around $10 million per season. That number is the going rate for a quality left tackle and with the cap going up every year, it is reasonable.
The other reason I go with the option is to keep Poe in town. Kansas City can open up some cap space with the contracts of Paul Fanaika, Jamaal Charles and Dustin Colquitt if they want. The Chiefs could also franchise tag Poe and then work on a deal with him, a la Eric Berry and Justin Houston.
What do you think, Addicts?