John Dorsey’s ill-timed decisions are currently crippling the Kansas City Chiefs defense

Houston/Berry contracts

This isn’t a point to belabor since others have made it before (and they’ve made it better than I will), but it definitely influences this year’s defense. Looking back on the mega-contracts handed out to Justin Houston and Eric Berry, both of whom are by far the highest paid defenders on the Chiefs, it’s clear that the timing was off in both cases and that John Dorsey paid for it, literally, because he was late.

Houston has the single highest cap hit in 2017 of any non-quarterback and the only one over $20 million. Berry is the game’s highest paid safety and deserved such a contract. Unfortunately, in both cases, the Chiefs signed these Pro Bowlers at their most expensive, after forcing them to prove it only yielded even stronger results, forcing K.C. to pay a premium.

It’s not about whether or not the Chiefs should have offered Justin Houston or Eric Berry an extension. The answer is a resounding “yes” in both instances, but the reality is that Dorsey was one year too late on both contracts. Houston should have been locked up before he put up 22 sacks in a single year. He was already emerging as the team’s best pass rusher before having such impressive stats to bring to the negotiating table.

The same can be said of Berry. The year after he returned from Hodgkin’s lymphoma was the time to strike. He’d proven himself yet there was also a bit of a cloud overhead, which most certainly would have helped the asking price. However, Dorsey gave Berry another year to show what he can do and he fared even better. Suddenly Berry’s cost went higher than expected, an eerily similar scenario to what the Chiefs experienced with Houston.

Being flush against the cap has kept the Chiefs from making various moves over the last year or two, and the expensive payments for Houston and Berry are a major part of the issue. If Dorsey had timed each just one year earlier, the Chiefs would have more resources available to meet various needs.