Ahhh, Salary Cap Room

[okikcfan]

Go ahead and assemble that free-agent wish list, Chiefs fans. Dream big, because salary-cap room won’t be a problem.
And with new coach Todd Haley finally in the fold, he and general manager Scott Pioli can go to town.
A quarterback like New England’s Matt Cassel? Pioli knows about him firsthand.
A linebacker like Arizona’s Karlos Dansby? Haley watched him in practice every day of the season.
The Chiefs would be able to sign both those players and then some like Carolina’s pass-rusher Julius Peppers. Research by The Kansas City Star shows the Chiefs have salary-cap commitments of about $85.6 million, or about $37 million less than the projected NFL limit of $123 million.
The Chiefs could clear plenty more cap room without much pain. Patrick Surtain, the fourth cornerback, has the team’s highest salary-cap figure at almost $9.8 million. A player’s cost against the salary cap includes a player’s base salary plus various bonuses.
Releasing Surtain, who is due a $7 million salary, would save the Chiefs an additional $3.8 million against their cap.
Two other aging veterans who also may not figure in to Kansas City’s plans, linebacker Donnie Edwards and quarterback Damon Huard, are also among the Chiefs’ highest-paid players.
The Chiefs don’t have many prospective free agents of their own. Nine of their players don’t have a 2009 contract, and the only one the Chiefs would probably view as urgent to retain is safety Jarrad Page.
Page would be a restricted free agent, giving the Chiefs the right to match any offer he would receive as long as they offer him a one-year contract.
The Chiefs might also view backup safety Jon McGraw, a potential unrestricted free agent, as a valuable player because of his special-teams skills. McGraw in 2008 concluded a two-year contract that paid him $645,000 last season.

[jmlamerson]

Go ahead and assemble that free-agent wish list, Chiefs fans. Dream big, because salary-cap room won’t be a problem.
And with new coach Todd Haley finally in the fold, he and general manager Scott Pioli can go to town.
A quarterback like New England’s Matt Cassel? Pioli knows about him firsthand.
A linebacker like Arizona’s Karlos Dansby? Haley watched him in practice every day of the season.
The Chiefs would be able to sign both those players and then some like Carolina’s pass-rusher Julius Peppers. Research by The Kansas City Star shows the Chiefs have salary-cap commitments of about $85.6 million, or about $37 million less than the projected NFL limit of $123 million.
The Chiefs could clear plenty more cap room without much pain. Patrick Surtain, the fourth cornerback, has the team’s highest salary-cap figure at almost $9.8 million. A player’s cost against the salary cap includes a player’s base salary plus various bonuses.
Releasing Surtain, who is due a $7 million salary, would save the Chiefs an additional $3.8 million against their cap.
Two other aging veterans who also may not figure in to Kansas City’s plans, linebacker Donnie Edwards and quarterback Damon Huard, are also among the Chiefs’ highest-paid players.
The Chiefs don’t have many prospective free agents of their own. Nine of their players don’t have a 2009 contract, and the only one the Chiefs would probably view as urgent to retain is safety Jarrad Page.
Page would be a restricted free agent, giving the Chiefs the right to match any offer he would receive as long as they offer him a one-year contract.
The Chiefs might also view backup safety Jon McGraw, a potential unrestricted free agent, as a valuable player because of his special-teams skills. McGraw in 2008 concluded a two-year contract that paid him $645,000 last season.

Top 3 Free Agents I Want:

1. Nnamdi Asomugha (CB)
2. Karlos Dansby (ROLB)
3. TJ Houshmenzadah (WR)

Top 3 Players I Want Cut:

1. LJ (RB)
2. Patrick Surtain (CB)
3. Donnie Edwards (ROLB)

Keep McGraw. Keep Page, but try to upgrade the position if possible.

[balto]

TOP FA's I Want:

1) Suggs or Peppers (Need to fix our DE need first)
2) Dansby OLB or VIlma MLB
3) Gross RT

What we should do:

1) Huad OUT
2) Rework LJ's contract then trade him
3) Surtain OUT

LJ has said he would rework his contract IF it gets him out of KC. I see a couple of options

1) Just rework his contract so we don't get hurt and CUT him
2) Trade him straight up for Plax (Giants will need another RB and they are done dealing with Plax. This would also stop us from drafting Crabtree like we all know Haley will do)
3) Sign Brandon Jacobs in FA then trade LJ to the Giants for say a 6th or 5th round? I'm sure we can sign Jacobs cheaper then the contract we gave LJ so we would honestly be trading LJ for Jacobs and a 5th round pick.
4) See if the Packers will trade us Brohm for him hehehe
5) Just keep him

[jmlamerson]

1) Just rework his contract so we don't get hurt and CUT him
2) Trade him straight up for Plax (Giants will need another RB and they are done dealing with Plax. This would also stop us from drafting Crabtree like we all know Haley will do)
3) Sign Brandon Jacobs in FA then trade LJ to the Giants for say a 6th or 5th round? I'm sure we can sign Jacobs cheaper then the contract we gave LJ so we would honestly be trading LJ for Jacobs and a 5th round pick.
4) See if the Packers will trade us Brohm for him hehehe
5) Just keep him

1) That doesn't make sense. We're only hurt by the prorated portion signing bonus we already gave him as it is. Reworking his contract won't make him any easier to cut.

2) The Giants aren't doing that trade.

3) The Giants aren't doing that trade.

4) The Packers aren't doing that trade.

5) No thanks.

[N TX Dave]

I am not sure who the players I want in free agency but I do know most of them are on the defensive side of the ball start with a couple of LB and a passrush lineman any position we have to get better in the front 7 and be able to get pressure on the QB and not let him stand there and pick apart the DB's.

The next place I woul look at is the OL until they get solid the offense will not be able to do anything. We have to be able to run the ball if for no other reason than to keep the other teams defense from pining back their ears and coming after the QB everyplay.

[chiefnut]

i'd like to see us rwork his contract and trade him for a third rounder, he is still a top 5 running back, even if all of you hate him and want him gone cause he is a bonehead. if we cannot get any value then just keep him. he'll complain but he'll perform if he thinks he can still be traded. i wouldn't trade or sign a FA back, Jamal can handle it w/maybe a rookie backup.

[yashi]

1) Suggs or Peppers (Need to fix our DE need first)
...
3) Gross RT

Gross wants to stay with Carolina and will probably sign a huge contract while Peppers is franchised and traded. Basically, I don't think we'll be able to get Gross and Peppers will come at a high cost (draft picks).

[chiefnut]

I am not sure who the players I want in free agency but I do know most of them are on the defensive side of the ball start with a couple of LB and a passrush lineman any position we have to get better in the front 7 and be able to get pressure on the QB and not let him stand there and pick apart the DB's.

The next place I woul look at is the OL until they get solid the offense will not be able to do anything. We have to be able to run the ball if for no other reason than to keep the other teams defense from pining back their ears and coming after the QB everyplay.

Dave you are a kindred spirit, thats exactly what i have been saying. BTW do you remember them as the Dallas Texans?

[yashi]

i'd like to see us rwork his contract and trade him for a third rounder, he is still a top 5 running back, even if all of you hate him and want him gone cause he is a bonehead. if we cannot get any value then just keep him. he'll complain but he'll perform if he thinks he can still be traded. i wouldn't trade or sign a FA back, Jamal can handle it w/maybe a rookie backup.

Top 5? Peterson, DeAngelo Williams, Portis, Turner, LT, Chris Johnson, Westbrook, Forte, Steven Jackson, Frank Gore, Brandon Jacobs, Thomas Jones. All overall better RBs than LJ. Let's not kid ourselves here, he's no longer running behind Shields, Roaf, and Wiegmann.

[jap1]

My Dream List:
Free Agents-
1. Suggs (will take Peppers if Suggs wants to stay home)
2. Karlos Dansby or Vilma
3. Jordan Gross
4. Jahri Evans (offensive guard)

Draft-
1. Maualuga or Curry (hopefully we can trade down for them)
2. Best Center available in round two (hopefully Mack, but probably not)
3. Offensive guard (to eventually replace Waters)
4. RB to replace LJ if we get rid of him.
5. Young DE to develop
6. A speedster WR/KR

That would be an awesome offseason!

OL: Gross/Waters/Mack/Evans/Albert

DL: Suggs/Dorsey/Tyler/Hali

LBs: Dansby/Maualuga/DJ

I think with some good coaching and this offseason, we will be a force to deal with in the AFC west this season and for many seasons to come. And I think that FA dream list is not super far-fetched except Gross probably wont want to come here. And Im not sure Evans would want to leave the Saints.