The Kansas City Chiefs cannot afford to sign all their key free agents this off season, which is why it’s the right move to let nose tackle Dontari Poe walk.
For the Kansas City Chiefs it is not the will that is the problem for their expected free agents, it’s the way. The Chiefs have very little cap space for the 2017 season. According to OverTheCap.com the Chiefs have a little over $3 million in cap space as it stand right now. The team currently has 6 players that will be unrestricted free agents, most notably, safety Eric Berry and nose tackle Dontari Poe.
So how does KC pick which is to stay and which is to go is something that will be racking general manager John Dorsey. In a perfect world, there would be some cap-magic and both players would sign on for the long term. But reality will set in and a decision will have to be made on who they can live without and who is vital to the team; this is where Poe comes in.
Now, in no way is Dontari Poe an expendable player for the Kansas City Chiefs. He has helped solidify a defensive line, and has the ability to push around an offensive line and stuff both the run game and the passing. He also is a surprising offensive weapon, rushing for two touchdowns and even passing for one in 2016. However, his stats over the last couple of season have not been very good.
In 2016, Poe registered 18 tackles, and 1.5 sacks, with three passes defended and one forced fumble. Compare that to a year ago and he had 29 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. However, giving what he is asked to do in defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s defense, numbers don’t truly measure what he is capable of. Injuries have also plagued the Memphis player over the last couple of seasons, so his playing time has been reduced compared to years past.
Poe’s production aside, it comes down to what is the greater need for the team. Take a player like Eric Berry, who anchors down the secondary with his ball skills, and has shown time and again that if given the ball can take it to the house. Another factor is depth when it comes to the position.
At safety, the Chiefs really have no good replacements for Berry, but have options for Poe’s. Players like Allen Bailey and Chris Jones can replace the kind of player that Dontari Poe is for that defense. There are even interesting draft prospects that could be suitable replacements at that position. Letting a great player like Poe walk might just be the best option for the team both financially and personnel-wise, and allow them to keep Berry on through the rest of his career.
As it has been stated, in a perfect world the Kansas City Chiefs would be able to keep both players on the roster, but that is not the case. As sad as it would be to still a player like Poe leave for another team it might be the only choice that Dorsey has in order to keep the heart of the defense intact.
What do you think, Addicts? Should Poe be allowed to walk to let Berry stay on, or should it be the other way around? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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GO CHIEFS!!!