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WHAT’S AN EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENT?
February 15th – 2:18 PM

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about five Chiefs players designated as exclusive rights free agents for 2010.

What does that mean?

In the cloud of an uncapped year, new rules transforming would-be unrestricted free agents into restricted free agents and an additional transition tag for club’s to implement, “exclusive rights free agents” just seems like another term to add to the confusion.

Good news! Understanding the status of an exclusive rights free agent is easy.

Essentially, these players have no leverage to negotiate. They are all players with between 0-2 years of NFL experience who are on expiring contracts. These players may only sign with their former team if the club decides to extend a minimum qualifying offer. Once an offer is extended, the only options are to re-sign with the Chiefs or to sit out the next full season.

So, in essence, there is nothing “free” when it comes to exclusive rights free agents.

The Chiefs restricted rights free agents for 2010 are as follows:

RB Jackie Battle
FB Mike Cox
CB/S Maurice Leggett
T Barry Richardson
LB Andy Studebaker

GUN’S GUYS?
February 15th – 10:45 AM

Every year around this time, football news becomes stretched. The headlines are dominated a few times a week with a “big name” player receiving his walking papers. Radio call-ins, sports newscasts and blogs all begin to speculate just where the newest free agent will call home. Your latest NFL example is four-time Pro Bowl LB Joey Porter’s release from Miami on Friday (or reported released, or flawed released, or whatever you want to call it).

Only so many hours can devoted to the topic of one player, leaving plenty of void to be filled for football fanatics to discuss over the three-week football-less period leading up the the NFL combine. Each and every year one extra football topic comes to light during this time: Tampering.

With the focus on who’s coming, staying and negotiating in the soon-to-be free agent market, “tampering” is a common term that gets thrown around. Essentially, the NFL prohibits a front office member or coach of a team from making public (or private) statements about their respective club’s intentions or interest in a player under contract with another team.

One of the first “tampering” news stories of 2010 circulated the football waves yesterday and today and it has a very real Chiefs feel. The story comes to us courtesy of our good friend Gunther Cunningham.

”[Kansas City] keeps wanting to dump their players,” Cunningham told the Detroit Free-Press.  “I would like to be there to catch a lot of them, because I know a couple of those guys.“

That’s it; verbatim.

Singling out Cunningham with tampering allegations seems pretty silly given what we know about our former head coach and defensive coordinator. When Gunther talks to the media, he is both honest and somewhat revealing. He likes to talk.

I’m sure there are players he’s keeping his eye on in Kansas City, but then again what former coach isn’t? I’m sure that Todd Haley is watching Arizona while Scott Pioli keeps tabs on New England and Romeo Crennel glimpses at the Cleveland transaction wire now and again. You can go right down the list with any franchise. Common sense alone tells coaches to do so.

Cunningham also didn’t name specific players, but as Pro Football Talk pointed out, just those two sentences alone could affect Chiefs negotiations with re-signing free agents. Of course, the Chiefs only have two unrestricted free agents on the defensive side of the football and neither one of them has ever played for Cunningham (LB Mike Vrabel and S Mike Brown).

Silly? Probably. The fear of Chiefs landing in Detroit also isn’t something that Chiefs fans should let weight over their heads. It’s happened before and it will happen again, but it’s a stretch to say that Cunningham has a say in forcing any hands.

Just for good measure, here are former Chiefs who have landed in Detroit after Cunningham left Kansas City in January of 2009.

K Billy Cundiff - Cundiff never kicked for the Chiefs, but was part of the club’s spring/summer kicking battle of 2008. The Lions signed Cundiff on August 27th and released him on September 6th.

WR Will Franklin - Originally a fourth-round pick of the Chiefs in 2008, Franklin didn’t make it through Todd Haley’s offseason program and was cut on April 13th. He found an immediate home in Detroit off waivers on the 14th, but was released by the Lions a month later on May 15th.

LB Curtis Gatewood - Remember Gatewood? No? Gatewood was plucked off the Redskins practice squad by Cunningham’s Chiefs defense in November of 2008. He was released by the Chiefs on April 22nd and claimed off waivers by Detroit April 23rd. He was eventually released by Detroit during the 2009 preseason.

DE Eric Hicks - Here is a blast from the past. Hicks hadn’t been associated in Kansas City since May of 2007 and didn’t see an NFL snap in all of 2008. Still, Cunningham took a flier on one of his most astute workers throughout his tenure in Kansas City. The Hicks experiment in the Motor City began on May 5th and ended on July 30th.

WR Taurus Johnson - There isn’t a connection between Cunningham and Johnson since T.J. was still in college when Cunningham was last in Kansas City. Still, Johnson was part of Detroit’s practice squad in 2009 (November 3rd - December 1st). He failed to make the Chiefs 2009 roster as a rookie free agent.

DE/LB Turk McBride - Originally a second-round pick in 2007 under the Cunningham-led Chiefs defense, McBride was asked to shift to a 3-4 outside rusher (similar to Tamba Hali) in 2009. McBrade was eventually released on September 15th and found himself a home in Detroit 24 hours later. He played in 11 games with the Lions (four starts) and totaled 23 tackles with 1.5 sacks.

WR Logan Payne - Payne’s story is reversed as he was in Detroit (practice squad October 7th-12th) prior to arriving on Kansas City’s practice squad December 23rd. Payne is currently a free agent. Really, he’s not worth noting on this list.

WR Bobby Sippio - The HBO Hard Knock’s all-star was signed by Detroit on August 7th and released on August 17th. He had been released by Kansas City prior to Todd Haley’s arrival.

Note: Former Chiefs WR Chris Hannon was released by Detroit in Cunningham’s first offseason, but was acquired by the Lions prior to Cunningham’s arrival.

So there you have it. The perceived Cunningham-Chiefs player tie is a bit lengthy, but doesn’t hold much at its core. Only one former Cunningham player (McBride) on the above list has actually appeared in a game for Detroit.

SHOW-ME STATE
February 15th – 7:07 AM

It’s time for Chiefs fans to see an immediate, impact player signed via unrestricted free agency. Over the past three seasons, and the 10 total wins that have come to KC over that time-frame, plenty has been missing. One of the more glaring absences is a UFA stud.

The Chiefs have attacked free agency in a number of different ways of, and by no means have the results been disheartening. Excellent role players have been acquired and the team has even gotten some steals, but the giant gap of a consistent big-play player has been widely apparent as well. The void of an immediate, opponent-fearing game-changer just hasn’t come to Kansas City via unrestricted free agency over the last handful of offseasons.

Chiefs fans always seem proud to recall the motto of the home state – “The Show Me State.” Missourians, and the rest of the fans that make up the Chiefs Kingdom, are ready to see just that; an unrestricted free agent who makes a major on-field splash wearing red and gold.

“Show Me” a player who is dangerous upon arrival.

“Show Me” a player who doesn’t have to be developed.

“Show Me” a player who is a threat to opponents’ game plans on each and every opponent snap, a player that is a ticking time bomb for a big, game-changing play. A player who also embraces the city, appreciates Arrowhead and can change the tide of a game at any given moment.

“Show Me” that “WOW.”

Easier said than done? Certainly. But also not impossible.

There is definitely risk and a double-edged sword involved when it comes to UFA’s; maybe more this offseason than ever before. “Big names” don’t always equal big production and the elite players are going to cost some serious coin for a team with a less than desirable record.

Yearly, some of the best UFA signings benefit solely from a change in scenery and aren’t necessarily household names before finding a new home. The hard part lies in finding those diamonds in the rough and shuffling through the perceived UFA start who don’t always pan out, but always carry a heavy billfold.

In 2010, one poor move in free agency has a very real chance to set a franchise back for a handful of years due to the uncertainty of the NFL’s economic future post-Collective Bargaining Agreement revision. Finding the right player at the right time is an incredibly challenging task, but no one ever said that running an NFL franchise, let alone a small-market NFL franchise, was easy.

As the old saying goes, if it were easy than anyone could do it.

The unrestricted free agent pool is thinner than ever this year and many of the high-priced players won’t carry the weight of their contracts. Still, there are impact players out there; players capable of hitting the ground running upon arrival with the Chiefs.

Over the past three seasons, the following unrestricted free agents have joined the Chiefs. Let’s take a look at the signings and each of the players’ immediate, first-year results.

Note: Players included are classified as only as unrestricted free agents and signed during the NFL free agency period prior to training camp.

2009

LB Monty Beisel (ARZ) – Released after playing in three games.

S Mike Brown (CHI) – Started all 16 games at safety, finishing third on the team in tackles (99), tied for second in INTs (three) and third in passes defensed (six).

WR Terrance Copper (BAL) – Settled in well to the role asked of him as a key member of the Chiefs special teams. Played sparingly on offense, finishing with just four catches for 68 yards.

TE Tony Curtis (DAL) – Released during training camp.

CB Travis Daniels (CLE) – Originally didn’t make the team following training camp. Eventually found himself back in Kansas City as a mid-season addition, seeing time at nickel and posting 16 tackles and two passes defensed.

WR Bobby Engram (SEA) – Released after playing in five games.

C Eric Ghiaciuc (CIN) – Didn’t make the Chiefs Opening Day roster.

G Mike Goff (SD) – Became immediate starter at right guard, but saw season come to an end after playing in eight games (seven starts). Previously, Goff had missed just three starts since 2000.

WR C.J. Jones (NE) – Released prior to training camp.

LB Corey Mays (CIN) – Hidden-gem of the class as the Chiefs got more than they bargained for with Mays. He started all 16 games and set career-highs in every statistical category. Mays finished second on the team in tackles (100), but totaled just three tackles behind the line of scrimmage and was shut out in sacks, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries and interceptions.

S Jon McGraw (KC) – Re-signed with Kansas City and posted career-highs in all defensive categories. Took over a starting role at free safety when Jarrad Page went down to injury as was selected as the club’s special teams captain. Finished ninth on the team in tackles (42).

TE Sean Ryan (SF) – Played in 10 games (eight starts) with 14 receptions for 135 yards and two TDs.

LB Zach Thomas (DAL) – Released prior to the start of the regular season.

2009 UFA with Biggest Immediate Statistical Impact – Corey Mays or Mike Brown

*Note: QB Matt Cassel and LB Mike Vrabel joined the Chiefs via trade, not unrestricted free agency. Cassel did, however, sign a new contract following the trade.

2008

WR Devard Darling (BAL) – Started nine games, registering 17 catches for 247 yards with one TD.

TE J.P. Foschi (OAK) – Released after seven games, recording no statistics.

DE Trevor Johnson (STL) – Released prior to the start of the regular season.

WR/KR B.J. Sams (BAL) – Released after playing in three games.

OL Wade Smith (MIA) – Played in 15 games, making seven starts.

LB Demorrio Williams (ATL) – Made 13 starts and finished seventh on the team in tackles (70). Also forced and recovered a fumble.

2008 UFA with Biggest Immediate Statistical Impact – Demorrio Williams

2007

DL Alfonso Boone (CHI) – Recorded 31 tackles and a sack in 15 starts.

LS J.P. Darche (SEA) – Snapped all 16 games.

LB Donnie Edwards (SD) – Finished second on the team with 108 tackles, notched 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an INT.

DT Ron Edwards (BUF) – Recorded 23 tackles and 3.0 sacks over 15 starts.

LB Napoeon Harris (MIN) – Led the team with 123 tackles over 16 starts. Also pitched in with four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and an INT.

QB Damon Huard (KC) – Re-signed with Chiefs and posted the finest season of his eight-year NFL career after Trent Green fell to injury in the season opener (206-of-332 passing for 2,257 yards, with 11 TDs and 13 INTs in 11 games).

S Jon McGraw (DET) – Played a reserve role on defense (two tackles) and captained the special teams.

T Damion McIntosh (MIA) – Started 15 games at left tackle.

DT James Reed (NYJ) – Tallied one tackle while playing in a reserve role.

DE Jimmy Wilkerson (KC) – Re-signed with the Chiefs to start two games and notch 11 tackles with half a sack.

S Chad Williams (SF) – Released prior to the start of the regular season.

S Jerome Woods (KC) – Signed to a one-day contract and then retired as a Kansas City Chief.

2007 UFA with Biggest Immediate Statistical Impact – Damon Huard or Napoleon Harris