via www.timescolonist.com

I'm going to piss off a lot of people by saying this, but I just have to. I don't want Peyton Manning in KC, because there's just too much uncertainty that comes with him. His injury is a major concern and the fans are just willing to write that off because he's been the best QB (or 2nd best) in the NFL for the last decade. Fans need to stop stop looking at what he WAS and instead look at what he is capable of NOW. The problem? We have no idea what he is capable of. Sure, we saw a youtube video that gave us a good idea that he is on his way to a positive recovery. But teams need to see this firsthand. There's so much competition for Manning, though, that it appears most teams are willing to overlook that aspect in order to speed things up. It doesn't help that Manning wants to make a decision by Tuesday. He's playing it the right way, certainly, but teams should not be foolish in such an important decision.

Here is what I'm seeing currently in this ongoing process. Remember when we all speculated that Manning would not command much in terms of guaranteed money, that his contract would mostly contain incentive clauses such as playing time. Throw all that out the window at this point. The competition for Manning is intense and the team that can offer more guaranteed money will probably be the one who signs Manning. Now, I'm not saying that Manning is only interested in the money, but players need to protect themselves. Guaranteed money protects Manning in case he doesn't fully recover or reaggravates his neck injury early in the season. I think Pioli and Hunt realize this and most likely offered him a contract that contained little in terms of guaranteed money. They were smart to do so, but teams like the Broncos and Dolphins, who will do whatever it takes to get him, are willing to overlook the caution that comes with Manning.

Like most of the fans, I would love to see Manning as a Chief. He would do a lot for Kansas City and I'm not just speaking in terms of his play on the field. He would bring a renewed passion to the fans. We certainly need that given our lack of success for many years. But don't be upset if Manning fails to visit the Chiefs and consequently signs with the Broncos/Dolphins. Pioli/Hunt did the right thing. They were interested, but not willing to forfeit at least half of their remaining salary cap for such an uncertainty. We can win with Orton, and hell even with Cassel, but we need to continue to build this team the right way. The smart way.

Denver will sign Peyton Manning.

Denver will trade Tim Tebow to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Kansas City will sign Kyle Orton as "competition" to Cassel.

Miami Dolphins will sign Matt Flynn.

Cleveland Browns trade up for RG3.

Washington Redskins draft Ryan Tannehill.

Seattle Seahawks sign Jason Campbell

(I apologize for the lack of effort in this post. I believe it when I hear John Elway is going to do everything in his power to get Manning to Denver. I think he gets his wish.)

It breaks my heart to see all of my fellow Chiefs fans posting their thoughts on our upcoming free agent additions. As I read each post, it's almost assured that I will come across the same names in each post. The Chiefs have a glaring weakness at NT, so it's natural to think we will be in the front running for the former Miami NT Soliai. Sorry, not going to happen. Apparently, Ryan Lilja was so horrible last year that the Chiefs might try to sign one of the two big-name guards, Nicks or Grubbs. ABSOLUTELY not going to happen (I actually thought Lilja is one of our better lineman btw). Manning may become a free agent soon, so he has to consider the Chiefs an option right?! Maybe, but Pioli wouldn't come anywhere close in terms of money in contract proposals. His heart clearly belongs to Cassel and his vastly overpaid contract. Competition is good, but not when both QB's are probably making a #1 salary.

I'm not trying to be a "negative nancy" here, as my wife always calls me, just trying to point out the Pioli "Patriot Way". Instead, the Chiefs will most likely concentrate on 2nd tier players, which is absolutely fine with me! I surely won't be disappointed when the Chiefs fail to come up with a "HUGE" signing. Look for guys like Benjarvus Green-Ellis, Chad Henne, Shaun Rogers, etc. getting some attention from the Chiefs. They all have something in common: connections. The Chiefs will continue to do the right thing and build through the draft. My money is on the Chiefs moving down in the draft, just to emphasize this point.

I should also add that this post was meant to recognize signing any OUTSIDE free agents. My hope is that the Chiefs will resign Dwayne Bowe, as I'm sure the Chiefs are really working hard to do. I'm sure someone was biting at that as a big "F#*# you, you're wrong!" comment. So, while this post is basically pointless, I think it's important to not get too emotional with FA coming up. Don't throw your computer against the wall, or throw a football through the TV, when one-by-one, an "ELITE" FA passes over our beloved Chiefs to sign a bigger contract.

The Chiefs have many areas to address on the team, but none are more pressing than the O-Line. Whether you have Cassel, or potentially an all-pro like Manning, that O-line is going to really cause detriment to the success of any QB we have starting. Most people may believe that our main, and only, culprit is Barry Richardson at the RT spot. While he is the main culprit, there are other areas where we can definitely improve and we should certainly do so if we want to do a better job of protecting our QB. Let's prioritize this:

PRIORITY #1

Barry Richardson cannot be a starter on this line, I think that's quite obvious. But I do believe he offers very good value as depth and I don't think it should be a problem getting him signed back for a few years. David Mims has some potential as depth as well, but probably not as a starter for at least a few more years, if ever. The Chiefs will absolutely need to look to FA or the Draft for a suitable replacement. Here are the options, worth listing, in FA:

Free Agent RT:

Demetrius Bell

Jeff Backus

Kareem McKenzie

Anthony Collins

Wow, that list does a lot to intrigue me....Backus and McKenzie are over-the-hill players at this point, so that's a big "NO". Collins shows some potential, but I don't think he offers much of an upgrade over Richardson, so let's pass. Bell has to be considered here, but he has had numerous knee injuries in his career and I think Buffalo will probably over-pay to keep him. Best bet is to look to the Draft early for this one:

2012 NFL Draft RT:

1st Round: Riley Reiff, Jonathan Martin, Mike Adams, Cordy Glenn

2nd Round: Zebrie Sanders

I would really hate to see the Chiefs spend a 1st round pick, let alone a Top 15 pick, on a RT. You could pick a guy like Reiff or Martin to start on the right side with the idea of replacing Albert when his contract his up next year, but for the sake of my post we will just pass on these guys. Adams and Glenn would be too early here, but trading back and picking one of these guys would be a smart choice. Since we don't know if that's possible, we will pass for now. I personally would love the selection of Zebrie Sanders in the 2nd round. He stepped in as a LT for Florida State last season and played pretty well. The Senior Bowl was kind of a rude awakening for him, though, and scouts believe he would be a better fit as a RT in the NFL. So here's my answer for RT: Zebrie Sanders

via cdn.bleacherreport.net

PRIORITY #2:

Promote Rodney Hudson to starting Center

via nflsoup.com

PRIORITY #3

This is where I'm going to get a lot of disagreement, but hear me out. Branden Albert is set to become a Free Agent after this upcoming season, so we may have a hole at the most important position on the line coming soon. Here is my solution: move Albert over to LG, his natural position. I know, I know, everyone thinks he's been a great LT (I disagree, though), but he could be one of the best in the NFL if he moves to Guard. Also realize that we can then franchise Albert as a Guard, not as a LT, which would save a significant amount of money, if we decided that was the only way to keep Albert. But now we have an opening at LT. My scenario only works here if Arizona releases Levi Brown, who is due to make $17 million next year, as a cap casualty. While he hasn't lived up to his high draft selection, he has improved every year and played very well as their LT. I say go after him, get into a bidding war if you have to, because there is no position more important to this offense IMO. This opens up a scenario where the Chiefs can truly pick BPA at #11, or trade down if the offer is right. (I'd love to see the Chiefs select LB Luke Kuechly, by the way!)

You now have an O-line that looks like this:

[Levi Brown]---------[Branden Albert]---------[Rodney Hudson]---------[Jon Asamoah]---------[Zebrie Sanders]

A young offensive line, yes, but one that we can keep intact for many years. Criticize away!

5. Whoever made the rule to push kickoffs to the 35 yd line, go to hell. You've taken a critical element away from the game, for no reason whatsoever. They might as well eliminate kickoffs altogether and just place the ball at the 20yd line every single time. Shame on you....

4. Tyler Palko, you absolutely suck. Sure, you completed a few passes out to the flat but you always took your first read and went with it, despite the coverage. This team is in dire need of a veteran QB. Stanzi looks promising, but will not be ready to come in and lead this team in case of the dreaded "i" word. Unfortunately, there may not be one left on the market that could offer anything more than Palko. Calling Marc Bulger, "will you come back for 2 million?!".

3. Coach Haley absolutely loves you Jackie Battle. He's given you a lot of opportunities, probably more than any other coach would, and you continue to let him down. Sure, the fumble was bad. But it happens. Watching you repeatedly run with your head down, and going down on first contact, makes you expendable. Chiefs most likely go with McClain as the 3rd RB, or Dexter, but don't worry Jackie. Todd will always have a spot for you on his Practice Squad.

2. 2nd team O-Line. What can I say? You let down your QB's tonight. You let down your RB's tonight. Maybe Palko and Battle look considerably better with an actual functioning offensive line that can execute its blocks. Who knows? All this hype about Mims has to stop, though. I've heard too many get caught up within the media, of this so-called "raw potential", and are ready to enshrine him as our swing tackle behind Albert and Richardson. Not going to happen. There's a reason why he wasn't drafted. Another PS candidate, nothing more.

1. And shame on you Todd Haley. You put a team on the field that looked no where near as ready as the Bucs. I'm not saying that is entirely your fault. The lockout definitely has something to do with that. But everyone has had the same time to practice and this team was clearly not ready to go, embarrassed in front of their home crowd. Sure, it's just a preseason game. But couldn't you have at least given us one TD to celebrate? One big INT? Anything....? I had free tickets to last nights game. Even that wasn't enough to cover the $27 parking fee you have charged us, Mr. Hunt. And to think, I stayed the whole game waiting for that TD to come....

I know free agency has not been very exciting for us Kansas City Chiefs fans, but keep your head up. We have many key players who are playing on the last year of their contract this year and I would value re-signing those specific players more than some overrated free agent.

Pat Kirwan recently updated a list of his top 40 free agents remaining. Keep in mind that some of these players have recently signed with a team. Perhaps I should also add Bryant McKinnie for him, in case anyone wants to make an argument for him. Here's the link.

So if you're Pioli, who is your primary target? Pick one and explain why. I'll make sure to tally up the votes and have the information sent to Pioli immediately for consideration.....haha

1. Zach Miller, Raiders, TE (Agreed to deal with Seattle)
2. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants, RB (Re-signed with New York)
3. Braylon Edwards, Jets, WR
4. Kevin Boss, Giants, TE
5. Roman Harper, Saints, S (Re-signed with New Orleans)
6. Aubrayo Franklin, 49ers, NT
7. Carlos Rogers, Redskins, CB
8. Dashon Goldson, 49ers, S
9. Shaun Ellis, Jets, DE
10. Jason Snelling, Falcons, RB
11. Le'Ron McClain, Ravens, FB
12. Cadillac Williams, Bucs, RB
13. Manny Lawson, 49ers, OLB (Agreed to deal with Cincinnati)
14. Derrick Mason, Ravens, WR
15. Shaun O'Hara, Giants, C
16. Leonard Davis, Cowboys, G
17. Brian Waters, Chiefs, G
18. Marc Bulger, Ravens, QB
19. Brodney Pool, Jets, S
20. Tully Banta-Cain, Patriots, OLB
21. Madison Hedgecock, Giants, FB
22. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins, RB
23. Matt Roth, Browns, OLB/DE
24. Max Starks, Steelers, OT
25. Brady Poppinga, Packers, OLB
26. Ty Warren, Patriots, DE
27. Lofa Tatupu, Seahawks, MLB
28. Malcom Floyd, Chargers, WR
29. Olin Kreutz, Bears, C
30. Donte Whitner, Bills, S
31. Terrell Owens, Bengals, WR
32. Charlie Johnson, Colts, OT (Signed with Minnesota)
33. Ben Leber, Vikings, LB
34. Pat Williams, Vikings, NT
35. Steve Smith, Giants, WR
36. Stylez G. White, Bucs, DE
37. Bo Scaife, Titans, TE
38. Rocky McIntosh, Redskins, LB
39. Dhani Jones, Bengals, MLB
40. Gerald Sensabaugh, Cowboys, S

News just came out that the Chiefs were in consideration for OT Jammal Brown, who eventually resigned with the Redskins. No surprise that the Chiefs are looking for an OT, but I'm sure Brown wasn't on most fan's radar. We've seen many FA OT's leave the market, with most of them being resigned by their 2010 teams. Let's look at the Top 5 who are left and if there's a chance Pioli brings one of these guys to KC. (Information supplied by WalterFootball.com)

1. Matt Light, OT, Patriots. Age: 33
   Matt Light can still be a dependable left tackle, but he's past his prime. He struggled on a few occasions this season, surrendering seven sacks.
   
   
2. Sean Locklear, OT, Seahawks. Age: 30
   Sean Locklear is pretty abysmal when it comes to opening up lanes for running backs, but he does a really good job in pass protection. He surrendered only five sacks in 2010 (including the playoffs). 
3. Ryan Harris, OT, Broncos. Age: 26
   A young, decent, zone-blocking right tackle, Ryan Harris struggled in Josh McDaniels' new offense. Harris will probably be heavily pursued this spring, though he's been injured a lot in the past two years.
4. Max Starks, OT, Steelers. Age: 29
   Max Starks is a starting-quality left tackle. Well, he was before he ballooned up to 400 pounds. Starks lost his job because he wasn't able to work out after suffering a neck injury.
5. Nick Kaczur, OT, Patriots. Age: 32
   Nick Kaczur played well at right tackle for New England in 2009, but missed all of 2010 with a back injury. It's unclear if he can still be a starter in this league.

So what does everyone think? I know the general consensus is that we should sign Ryan Harris because he "appears" to fit the scheme within our offense. If that were so, though, why has Pioli not jumped all over this guy? Would you feel comfortable with Barry Richardson and Ryan O'Callaghan fighting it out for the RT spot? Just my opinion, I would love to see us sign Matt Light somehow, away from the Patriots. Just like Kelly Gregg, Light is a stopgap, but provides us with a mentor for Richardson, and is still an upgrade over what we have at this time.

So we know some of the common names listed in the Top 10, but is there anyone further down the list that you are rooting for as a potential Chief? (Due to this being an ESPN Insider article, I've left out the profile provided by Scouts for each player)

1. Joe Lefeged, S, Rutgers

2. Kendric Burney, CB, North Carolina

3. Cedric Thornton, DT, Southern Arkansa

4. Darvin Adams, WR, Auburn

5. DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson

6. Jeron Johnson, S, Boise State

7. Ian Williams, DT, Notre Dame

8. Mark Herzlich, OLB, Boston College

9. Derrick Locke, RB, Kentucky

10. Nick Bellore, ILB, Central Michigan

11. Zach Hurd, G, Connecticut

12. Ricardo Lockette, WR, Fort Valley State

13. Scott Lutrus, OLB, Connecticut

14. Dane Sanzenbacher, WR, Ohio State

15. Orie Lemon, ILB, Oklahoma State

16. Willie Smith, OT, East Carolina

17. Will Hill, S, Florida

18. Terrence Toliver, WR, LSU

19. David Sims, S, Iowa State

20. Brandon Bair, DT, Oregon

21. Kai Forbath, PK, UCLA

22. Ryan Winterswyk, DE, Boise State

23. Ryan Jones, CB, NW Missouri State

24. Martin Parker, DT, Richmond

25. Zack Pianalto, TE, North Carolina

26. Weslye Saunders, TE, South Carolina

27. Deunta Williams, S, North Carolina

28. Garrett Chisolm, G, South Carolina

29. Ryan Donahue, P, Iowa

30. Graig Cooper, RB, Miami (Fla.)

31. Charlie Gantt, TE, Michigan State

32. Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati

33. Alex Linnenkohl, C, Oregon State

34. Mario Addison, OLB, Troy

35. Joe Torchia, TE, Virginia

36. Terrance Turner, WR, Indiana

37. Ricky Henry, G, Nebraska

38. Tori Gurley, WR, South Carolina

39. Pierre Allen, DE, Nebraska

40. Mike Holmes, S, Syracuse

Let's say hypothetically you're given a scenario where Denver offers their 1st round pick next year for any one of 4 different players on the Chiefs roster. They need pieces for their defense and a #1 receiver seeing as how Demaryius Thomas may not be able to play next year. IF you decide to make this trade, who do you give up? Your answer can be that you would not make this trade, but let me remind you that Denver most likely will not be a good team next year. That means a very high pick in the 1st, which potentially gives the Chiefs a shot at a superstar such as QB Andrew Luck. Make your vote and please explain why. (I know this would never happen, just interested in seeing the results!)

Denver trades 2012 1st Round Pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for:

• WR Dwayne Bowe
• DT Glenn Dorsey
• CB Brandon Flowers
• DE Tamba Hali
  

1. Scott Pioli called Seattle GM John Schneider and congratulated him on taking WR Kris Durham with their 4th round pick. Were the Chiefs going to take him with their 4th round pick? Is it common for a team to congratulate another team based on a selection they were interested in? Was he congratulating Seattle because they didn't take Ricky Stanzi like they should have?!

2. Is Andy Studebaker a better fit at MLB? I'd love to see Houston starting at the other OLB spot. Will we see a rotation instead with Houston and Studebaker at OLB? Belcher was decent last year but would Studebaker be an upgrade? 

3.. How happy were you when the Chiefs re-signed Chris Chambers last season? How badly do you want the Chiefs to release him now?! (Interesting how in the course of one year, most of us have pulled a 180)

4. Should the Chiefs sign a rookie FA like Ian Williams, re-sign Ron Edwards, or stick with Anthony Toribio as part of our NT rotation with Powe?

5. Will the Chiefs resign Shaun Smith? Where does he fit, DE or NT? (DE: Jackson, Dorsey, Bailey, Gilberry)

6. What's worse? Denver keeping Orton or Denver receiving a 2nd round pick in a trade of Orton?

Don't get me wrong, I love our draft. But as I listened to all these analysts grade the Chiefs draft, it gave me the idea to revise the Chiefs draft so that every expert would give us that much desired "A". OK, I'm being sarcastic, but tell me you don't scour the web after a Chiefs draft, wondering what grade was given to us from those "know-it-all" draft analysts. We love the one's who grade us highly and give the finger to the one's who don't. Well, except Trent Dilfer. He's just awesome. So here goes...

(1) 26th pick - I'm keeping the trade down and going with RT Gabe Carimi. Just about every analyst had an OT mocked to us and we end up trading down and getting a great value.

(2) 55th pick - I have to keep C Rodney Hudson here. Fits a great need and there is some value there where he is selected..

(3) 70th pick - I'd love to keep OLB Justin Houston here because he's such great value at this spot, but analysts continue to highlight the pick saying he goes against Pioli's "character" players. I don't get it, I actually have heard he has become an active leader and is involved in community service. Sure his motor runs hot and cold, but that could simply be due to conditioning, etc. Oh well, better make the analysts happy. I'm picking WR Leonard Hankerson here. Great value and fits a great need.

(3) 86th pick - Allen Bailey is a great value here, but it's not a great need. At this point, I think it's absolutely necessary to grab an OLB that fits the 34. My choice is DE Sam Acho. Acho was actually drafted at the top of the 4th, but he would still be good value here in the 3rd round. He has to make the conversion, but he possesses the skills and character attributes to do so.

(4) 118th pick - This is a tough round to pick. I like that the Chiefs grabbed a CB here, but its not perceived as being a position of need, although I disagree. I could go with the AP favorite, FB Owen Marecic, but I think it's a little too early for a FB. I'm going to surprise a few and double dip at the receiver spot. I'm taking WR Tandon Doss, because he represents great value here and I think he is going to be a great receiver. Go ahead and disagree with me, but I just don't see Dwayne Bowe sticking around after his contract up (no way we are going to franchise him as well).

(5) 135th pick - Wow, do I love this pick. Sticking with QB Ricky Stanzi here. Great value and great need. I see a lot of similarities between Stanzi and Cassel, so if Cassel ever goes down I don't see us having as tough of a time replacing him e.g. Croyle.

(5) 140th pick - I'm pretty sure nobody knew who the hell Gabe Miller was, and just about every analyst reached the same verdict of an "F" grade for this pick. So I'm going with RB Jacquizz Rodgers here. Great value and will be groomed to replace Thomas Jones. He's on the short side and will not run over people (not as if Jones can do that anyways), but he is incredibly gifted and is a great receiver. He might resemble Dexter McCluster, but I think he possesses the bulk to stay at RB.

(6) 199th pick - NT Jerrell Powe is a great value here and fills one of our biggest needs. He won't be able to play all 3 downs, but I'd rather have a rotation at NT anyways.

(7) 223rd pick - Bannon is another one of those players who went relatively under the radar. Most analysts did not know who he was. I like the pick because he potentially fills two needs at FB/TE, but I would have liked S Eric Hagg more. We need someone to replace Jon McGraw.