Welcome into another edition of our Kansas City Chiefs Monday Mailbag as we answer your fan questions each and every Monday! The latest news with the Chiefs is that there is no news on the Tyreek Hill situation. There have been some rumblings about the Chiefs not being done with additions before the NFL Draft, so whether that means another free agency acquisition or trade, we’ll have to wait and see. We have 8 great questions today and I can’t thank everyone enough who participate in this. So without further ado, let’s open up today’s mailbag!
Tyreek Hill
The investigation is still ongoing, but from all the reports and rumblings in the media it would seem to me that he will eventually be good to go. The Chiefs have to wait for official word to come down that no charges will be filed against Tyreek and the case is closed. Then, and only then, will the Chiefs comment and hint at what their plans moving forward may be. There were also reports that the Chiefs were looking at trading Tyreek even before the incident so if he’s cleared the Chiefs may get back on the phones and trade him. It’s really all still up in the air at the moment. If Tyreek is charged then it’s clear that he will no longer be a member of the Chiefs. If Tyreek isn’t charged and the case closes then the Chiefs either trade him or give him a deal that fully protects them and voids the contract if any other incident comes up. I wish I had more information for you guys, but everyone is in a holding pattern right now and we continue to sit in wait and see mode.
Chris Jones’ Contract
While Chris Jones has been a consistent force for the Chiefs along the defensive line he’s still far away from being the most dominant disruptor in the game like Aaron Donald. Chris Jones will get a good size extension not only for his play on the field, but how he conducts himself off the field with fans and in his charitable efforts. However, I’m a believer, as much as it pains me to say, in the Patriots way of paying or not paying players. Look at what the Patriots did with Richard Seymour trading him away to the Raiders and Jamie Collins trading him away to the Browns, which ultimately allowed them the flexibility to build high level depth throughout their roster. We just saw what happened with Justin Houston and Eric Berry’s huge contracts and how when they got injured it held this team back from getting to where they wanted to go. Even if Aaron Donald were a Chief, I would be more of a proponent of trading him rather than signing him to that mega deal, as I feel there are only a handful of players worth those contracts in the NFL. Obviously, Patrick Mahomes is one of those rare instances in which I would gladly draw up that mega contract and throw a party when he signs it. Personally, I’m in a wait and see approach with Chris Jones as I could go either way on keeping him or trading him away. If the Chiefs can work out a team friendly structure in his deal then I’d love to keep him, but if Chris Jones wants Aaron Donald money then I’d be perfectly okay with shipping him out and letting someone else pick up that bill.
Draft Prospects
As we sit here today I fully expect the Chiefs to take an edge rusher or secondary player, but if they wanted to jump up in the 1st round to take one of the outstanding linebackers I would be happy with that as well. Let’s take a look at some of the prospects at each level of the defense I could see making a big impact in 2019 for the Chiefs.
- Deandre Baker, CB Georgia: Team sources say that Baker could slide some in the first round because he does have some off-the-field and makeup concerns. (walterfootball.com) – This makes him less likely of an option to me with what the Chiefs have gone through with Kareem Hunt and now Tyreek Hill.
- Greedy Williams, CB LSU: Williams had a good combine and helped himself with a fast 40 time. In the field drills, he had some struggles, showing poor technique. Still, his physical skill set with length and speed impressed enough to have him improve his first-round positioning in Indianapolis. (walterfootball.com) – This could actually help the Chiefs land Greedy as he could slip in the 1st round down to where the Chiefs pick. He has all the physical skills and could learn a better technique to make him a steal at the bottom of the 1st round. He also will have that LSU connection with the Honey Badger, Tyrann Mathieu.
- Nasir Adderley, S Delaware: Adderley has impressed evaluators, and some teams have him graded higher over more high-profile safeties. Adderley racked up nine interceptions over the past two seasons, and he improved his tackle production every year over the past three seasons. Scouts say that Adderley is a true free safety with good range downfield and makes plays on the ball. They say that Adderley plays hard, runs around and smacks people, but he has a cornerback build, so he should get stronger to tackle in the NFL. He had a good week of practice at the Senior Bowl. (walterfootball.com) – Nasir has a Delaware connection with Brett Veach who went to school there. He played at a lower level of competition, but has all the physical traits and tools you are looking for at the next level. This would bolster the Chiefs secondary which was a big weakness for them last season.
- Brian Burns, DE Florida State: Burns helped himself at the combine with a fast 40 time and showing up with more weight on his frame. On top of a good workout, team sources say that Burns interviewed well with teams. He recorded 52 tackles with 15.5 tackles with a loss, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles and three passes batted in 2018. (walterfootball.com) – I don’t expect the Chiefs to take an edge rusher in the 1st round, but if they did I could see Brian Burns being the choice. The Chiefs need depth at the position as we still aren’t sure what we have there with Okafor, Speaks, and Kpassagnon.
- Devin Bush, ILB Michigan: At the combine, Bush blazed a fast 40 time and helped to solidify his standing as a first-round pick. (walterfootball.com) – This is where the Chiefs would have to considerably move up in the draft to snag this player, but he would drastically improve a what appears to be weak linebacking corps. I think the Chiefs expect Hitchens to be better in the 4-3 and Wilson played well in spot duty for the Cowboys last season. Reggie Ragland is a very big question mark especially if he’s going to play middle linebacker. The Chiefs still need to figure out some answers there and while this probably isn’t going to be the solution with how far the Chiefs would have to move up, there have some rumblings and we know the Chiefs aren’t afraid to make a bold move.
Damien Williams a Top 5 RB in 2019
Let’s first take a look at who some of the top running backs are going into 2019:
- Ezekiel Elliott
- Saquon Barkely
- Todd Gurley
- Le’Veon Bell
- Alvin Kamara
- Melvin Gordon
- Joe Mixon
- Derrick Henry
I love what Damien Williams did coming in for Kareem Hunt and I do believe he will be a nice asset and not a huge drop off like I thought it was going to be. Damien will share some time with Carlos Hyde who is looking to regain form and become that feature back he was early on in San Francisco. However, I don’t believe he will be anywhere near a top 5 back in this league having to compete with those names I listed above. Also, in the long term I’m not sure the Chiefs will be able to count on Damien as a feature back and I think they need to keep looking for a future star at the position. Damien did average 5.1 yard per carry, but on only 50 attempts it’s just not enough to say he can give you that for a full 16 game season while staying healthy. Kareem Hunt was a top 5 back and was so versatile and while Damien was a nice surprise, he was no Kareem and that held this offense back and ultimately cost us down the stretch.
Super Bowl Ready Defense
As of today, the Chiefs defense is not Super Bowl ready and still has some heavy lifting to prove otherwise. A lot of this also sits with Steve Spagnuolo and how different guys play in his 4-3 versatile defense as opposed to Bob Sutton’s complicated 3-4. The Chiefs have said they aren’t done making acquisitions before the draft and it’s rumored they are looking to make a trade if it makes sense for both sides. The Chiefs have been linked to Houston Texans DE Jadeveon Clowney, Arizona Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson, Jacksonville Jaguars Jalen Ramsey, and Minnesota Vikings CB Xavier Rhodes. I’m not sure an AFC team would trade one of their best players to the Chiefs so that leaves Patrick Peterson or Xavier Rhodes and I’m all for the Chiefs making the Patrick Peterson trade happen. It may cost the Chiefs two 2nd round picks, but it would provide the Chiefs a playmaker at corner when their Super Bowl window is wide open. It would also pair former Arizona Cardinals and Louisiana Tigers teammates together in Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu. The Chiefs still need help at every level of the defense wether it’s edge rush, linebacker, corner, and even another safety to pair with Tyrann. This may be the most important draft and offseason as the Chiefs have a Super Bowl window open right now with Patrick still on his rookie deal.
AJ Green Trade
I don’t think the Bengals have any real interest in trading AJ Green, but from what I’ve heard it would cost two 2nd round picks or a 1st round pick. That would at least get the Bengals to pick up the phone and listen, but AJ Green is pretty much the only thing keeping them out of the NFL’s witness protection program. They have a new head coach Zac Taylor that most people doubt is ready for that role and the rest of the NFL has given up on Andy Dalton. There’s not much reason to be excited in Cincinnati so all they have left is being able to watch one of the best receivers in the game do his thing. I also don’t think the Chiefs are willing to pay that price tag when they have greater needs on the defensive side of the ball. Now, if Tyreek Hill is cut, traded, or put on the commissioner’s exempt list after this investigation then maybe the Chiefs make that move, but til then they are making trade calls for defensive players.
Can We Buy the Old Seats
It’s still up in the air as a large number of the seats were not in good condition when torn out. Also, the seats belong to Jackson County, not the Chiefs, so it’s up to them as to what they do.
For more on this I found a story on the Kansas City Star:https://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article228393624.html
Thank You!
That’s it for another edition of our Chiefs Monday Mailbag! Thank you to Isaia Manu, John Bailey, Owen Long, Ken Hansen, Russ Giles, Larry Word, Adam Russell, and Kim Moseley for the great questions! Also, a big thank you to everyone who took time out of their day to read this! If you want to submit a question just comment below and I’ll answer it for next week’s mailbag! Until next time, take care of yourself and each other!
Let Your Voice Be Heard in the Comments Section Below
- What do you think happens with Tyreek Hill – sign, cut, trade?
- What kind of contract does Chris Jones get?
- Will Damien Williams be a Top 5 running back?
- Who do you think we draft?
- Is the Chiefs defense Super Bowl ready?
- Would you want the Chiefs to trade for AJ Green?
- Would you want a seat from Arrowhead?
- Have a question for next week’s mailbag? Drop it below!
