Post by MizzouTiger on Feb 24, 2008 16:15:24 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/sports/story/502663.html
Chiefs not expected to go for older free agents
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
This year’s list of potential NFL free agents carries an enticing bounty for any team.
Imagine what it looks like to the Chiefs, who not only lost their final nine games last season and finished 4-12 but are armed with ample room under the salary cap.
They could load up with such veterans as Alan Faneca and Flozell Adams to help fix their broken offensive line, a wide receiver like Jerry Porter to complement Dwayne Bowe and a cornerback like Asante Samuel to replace Ty Law, who could soon be released.
Just don’t expect any of that to happen when the free-agent signing period begins Friday. The Chiefs appear prepared instead to pursue players who better fit their free-agent strategy which, to put it succinctly, is younger and cheaper.
“Age is a big factor for us in free agency,” Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. “You’d like to get guys (heading into) their second contract and not their third contract, guys that have played three or four years and kind of established themselves. They might not be a starter but they’re about to be a starter, probably in a bad spot somewhere else because there’s a guy in front of him.
“Those are the guys we’re going after, the guys who are 26, 27.”
Law, Donnie Edwards, Damion McIntosh and Sammy Knight are a few of the veteran free agents signed by the Chiefs in recent years. Each was 30 or older by the time he played for the Chiefs.
“We’re not going down that road anymore,” Edwards said. “We’ve been down that road.”
That comment would seem to eliminate Adams (who is 32), Faneca (31) and Porter (he turns 30 in July). It leaves room only for the 27-year-old Samuel, who should command a premium contract since he’s generally considered the best available cornerback.
But another one of Edwards’ comments would seem to eliminate Samuel as well.
“We might have champagne tastes but we have beer money,” Edwards said. “We’re only going to spend a certain amount in free agency, which is a wise thing to do. You’re not going to handicap yourself (in future seasons). You don’t do that. We want to build this thing through the draft. We’re not going to live in free agency.”
Edwards also suggested the Chiefs might be bystanders during the early days of free agency, when the big money tends to be doled out.
“Those are always guys you pay too much money for,” he said. “You always (pay more) because you’re buying a guy’s name. It looks good in the paper. It looks good when you make the announcement. But at the end of the day, does the guy play up to the name? If they’re at a certain time in their career, I say they don’t.”
The Chiefs have 10 picks in this year’s draft, including extras in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds. They haven’t had as many as 10 picks since 1994.
Having extra draft picks allows the Chiefs to be more selective in free agency.
“Maybe that means we only get two or three players in free agency,” Edwards said. “We don’t have to go after five guys. You really don’t want to do that. Once you establish your drafts and you have some good drafts back-to-back-to-back-to-back and you get your team (going in the right direction), you go out and get one or two guys in free agency and that’s it.”
In free agency, the Chiefs would like to obtain at least one offensive lineman as well as a cornerback and wide receiver.
The model for the Chiefs in free agency might be Alfonso Boone, who signed last year and immediately became their best defensive tackle in years.
Boone was unheralded when he signed, mostly because he was stuck behind premier players and was only an occasional starter for Chicago.
Potential free agents who fit his profile include Indianapolis guard Jake Scott, San Diego cornerback Drayton Florence and Arizona wide receiver Bryant Johnson.
Florence is 27, and Scott and Johnson are 26.
Chiefs not expected to go for older free agents
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
This year’s list of potential NFL free agents carries an enticing bounty for any team.
Imagine what it looks like to the Chiefs, who not only lost their final nine games last season and finished 4-12 but are armed with ample room under the salary cap.
They could load up with such veterans as Alan Faneca and Flozell Adams to help fix their broken offensive line, a wide receiver like Jerry Porter to complement Dwayne Bowe and a cornerback like Asante Samuel to replace Ty Law, who could soon be released.
Just don’t expect any of that to happen when the free-agent signing period begins Friday. The Chiefs appear prepared instead to pursue players who better fit their free-agent strategy which, to put it succinctly, is younger and cheaper.
“Age is a big factor for us in free agency,” Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said. “You’d like to get guys (heading into) their second contract and not their third contract, guys that have played three or four years and kind of established themselves. They might not be a starter but they’re about to be a starter, probably in a bad spot somewhere else because there’s a guy in front of him.
“Those are the guys we’re going after, the guys who are 26, 27.”
Law, Donnie Edwards, Damion McIntosh and Sammy Knight are a few of the veteran free agents signed by the Chiefs in recent years. Each was 30 or older by the time he played for the Chiefs.
“We’re not going down that road anymore,” Edwards said. “We’ve been down that road.”
That comment would seem to eliminate Adams (who is 32), Faneca (31) and Porter (he turns 30 in July). It leaves room only for the 27-year-old Samuel, who should command a premium contract since he’s generally considered the best available cornerback.
But another one of Edwards’ comments would seem to eliminate Samuel as well.
“We might have champagne tastes but we have beer money,” Edwards said. “We’re only going to spend a certain amount in free agency, which is a wise thing to do. You’re not going to handicap yourself (in future seasons). You don’t do that. We want to build this thing through the draft. We’re not going to live in free agency.”
Edwards also suggested the Chiefs might be bystanders during the early days of free agency, when the big money tends to be doled out.
“Those are always guys you pay too much money for,” he said. “You always (pay more) because you’re buying a guy’s name. It looks good in the paper. It looks good when you make the announcement. But at the end of the day, does the guy play up to the name? If they’re at a certain time in their career, I say they don’t.”
The Chiefs have 10 picks in this year’s draft, including extras in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds. They haven’t had as many as 10 picks since 1994.
Having extra draft picks allows the Chiefs to be more selective in free agency.
“Maybe that means we only get two or three players in free agency,” Edwards said. “We don’t have to go after five guys. You really don’t want to do that. Once you establish your drafts and you have some good drafts back-to-back-to-back-to-back and you get your team (going in the right direction), you go out and get one or two guys in free agency and that’s it.”
In free agency, the Chiefs would like to obtain at least one offensive lineman as well as a cornerback and wide receiver.
The model for the Chiefs in free agency might be Alfonso Boone, who signed last year and immediately became their best defensive tackle in years.
Boone was unheralded when he signed, mostly because he was stuck behind premier players and was only an occasional starter for Chicago.
Potential free agents who fit his profile include Indianapolis guard Jake Scott, San Diego cornerback Drayton Florence and Arizona wide receiver Bryant Johnson.
Florence is 27, and Scott and Johnson are 26.