What do we do about Tamba Hali?

[ctchiefsfan]

IMO this question is the 9 foot gorilla in the room. We need cap space BADLY. And dumping Hali is a quick and easy way to free up quite a bit of cap space. That said, I think we should make a REAL EFFORT to keep Hali and I think that if we make that effort we'll still be able to open up a lot of cap space, create a situation where Hali plays out his career looking like a major player (which I think he would like to do) and also allow him to retire as a Chief which I also think he'd like to do.

I'll make my case below and hope the guys here that understand the business of football will offer their comments.

1) It goes without saying we can't afford to keep Hali under his current contract.

2) Hali has said publicly he wants to play another year or two and is willing to restructure his contract to free cap space.

3) Without a doubt Hali is losing a step or two. He's not the BEAST he used to be.

4) Hali ain't dumb. He knows he is in the twilight of his career.

5) Playing on the same D-Line as Houston makes Hali look good. Houston is a MONSTER and enemy offenses have to put their primary focus on stopping him so Hali gets more opportunities to get after the QB than he would on almost any other team. That makes him look better than he really is and is a reason for him to want to stay with the Chiefs.

6) A MONSTER (Houston) paired with an aging BEAST makes for a VERY EFFECTIVE pass rush duo.

7) Hali will never look as good playing for another team. So if he goes to the market and gets some team to pay him big money he will get cut after a single year. He doesn't have it left in him to be "THE MAN". But he can still put up pretty good numbers if he is paired with Houston.

Of course it all comes down to the "business of football" but I think it is better for Hali AND better for the Chiefs if they work out a new deal that lets him stay with the Chiefs for another 2-3 years at a greatly reduced cap hit.

Your thoughts?

[jason1981]

Pay cut. I think the will cut his playing ti.e down as well tp give dee ford some game rime as well.

[jap1]

The problem I have is how much IS he worth? He clearly isn't worth his current salary, but how much is he worth? $3mil, $5mil, more? If keeping Hali hinders our ability to sign Houston, even with a lower salary, then I don't think we should do it.

Also, would keeping Hali hinder or help Ford's development? Is it time for Ford to step in and learn on the job, or would he be better off rotating in with Hali??

Also, has anyone considered the possibility of letting Houston walk and going with Hali and Ford? Not saying I want to do it, just saying its a possibility that would give us enough room to go after other FAs.

[ctchiefsfan]

Pay cut. I think the will cut his playing ti.e down as well tp give dee ford some game rime as well.

Interesting idea. Swapping him back and forth with Ford would put less mileage on Hali and due to different styles might confuse enemy defenses. Might make the right side pass rush more effective.

[ctchiefsfan]

The problem I have is how much IS he worth? He clearly isn't worth his current salary, but how much is he worth? $3mil, $5mil, more?

There's a good question. Value should be based on performance. If I understand things right Hali's cap hit is about $12 million. http://overthecap.com/player/tamba-hali/531/ Sure as shootin' he's not worth that money and he's not going to get it in Free Agency. And he (or his agent) knows that. He's 31 and has 8 years service. He probably wants to get to 10 years. What if we took that $12 million, made it $15 million stretched over 3 years of 1 year contracts that are automatically renewed based on performance--games played, sacks and interceptions with only $3 or $4 million guaranteed as a cap hit and that in 2015? That would save us $8 or $9 million this year, cover about 65% of what we'll have to pay Houston and in the event Hali continued to perform at a high level let him make damned good money for 3 more years. I dunno if there is a way to do that under cap rules, but I think somewhere in that framework there is a formula that gets Hali what he wants and frees up the cap space we need. And based on what Hali has said, I think he'd buy into that kind of a contract.

If keeping Hali hinders our ability to sign Houston, even with a lower salary, then I don't think we should do it.

IMO that goes without saying. And Hali knows that. That's why he publicly offered to renegotiate to free up cap money to spend on Houston. Hali wants to leave the game gracefully and as a Chief. But he wants another year or two. Somehow, some way there should be a way do that and still free up the money we need to sign Houston.

Also, would keeping Hali hinder or help Ford's development? Is it time for Ford to step in and learn on the job, or would he be better off rotating in with Hali??

I think jason1981 had a good thought on that. Swap Ford and Hali off. Not play by play but just steadily increase Ford's playing time. Anybody that has watched football for any length of time has seen backup QBs come into a game because of an injury and look like a genious. Not because they were, but because the opposing defense was not prepared for the different style of play by the backup QB. Perhaps swapping Hali and Ford off from time to time would confuse enemy O-lines?

Also, has anyone considered the possibility of letting Houston walk and going with Hali and Ford? Not saying I want to do it, just saying its a possibility that would give us enough room to go after other FAs.

WOW!!! I certainly haven't thought of that. Like most people I have been brainwashed into thinking the Chiefs MUST keep Houston. You're really thinking "outside the box" with that idea! My compliments. I have to think about that idea a little. Tough idea to wrap my brain around. Wonder if we could trade him or tag him and then trade him? Houston is without a doubt a hot commodity. Lots of teams would give their left nut to get him. We could maybe get a player and a few high draft pics for him while at the same time fixing our cap problem. Your idea reminds me of the Herschel Walker trade. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herschel_Walker_trade I wonder if Dorsey could pull off something like this???

You may have made my head explode.

[Seek]

From what I have heard, and this is apparently someone who has talked to Tamba is that Tamba has told the Chiefs that he would take a pay cut to stay, however, based on his age and his vertan status they would still not be low enough for the Chiefs to redo his contract. He is expecting to be released.

Now, I have seen team before release a player from their current contract and then resign them immediately under another for a minimum. I don't know if this something the Chiefs can do.

[Pro_Angler]

pay cut , hopefully will work, i want to keep him

[ctchiefsfan]

From what I have heard, and this is apparently someone who has talked to Tamba is that Tamba has told the Chiefs that he would take a pay cut to stay, however, based on his age and his vertan status they would still not be low enough for the Chiefs to redo his contract. He is expecting to be released.



Now, I have seen team before release a player from their current contract and then resign them immediately under another for a minimum. I don't know if this something the Chiefs can do.

I hope we can find some way to make it affordable to keep him.

[stevefuller]

what do we do... simple reach a new agreement and carry on. we still need him our defense doesnt look the same without him

[ctchiefsfan]

what do we do... simple reach a new agreement and carry on. we still need him our defense doesnt look the same without him

That's my feeling. I sure hope we figure out a way to do it.