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Mock (11/2)
Assumptions:
1. Chiefs finish 12-4, winning a first round bye. Unfortunately, the Steelers come to town and upset them. They have the 27th pick in the draft. Alex Smith, Andy Reid, and John Dorsey are all retained.
2. OLB Tamba Hali retires.
3. RB Jamaal Charles renegotiates a contract down to 3 years, $12m.
4. S Eric Berry is re-signed for 4 years, $44m.
5. The following players are brought back on minimum deals: S Daniel Sorensen, LS James Winchester
6. The following players walk in free agency: QB Nick Foles, RB Bishop Sankey, NT Dontari Poe, DE Kendall Reyes
7. The following players are cut: WR De'Anthony Thomas
8. The Chiefs bring in 4 compensatory picks and 1 conditional pick.
On with the show:
1st. NT Lowell Lotulelei, Utah
We've had four years of John Dorsey drafts, so we know what he's going to do. He's going to bring in a player that can ostensibly replace a critical player that will depart after 2017. The Chiefs don't have any obvious candidates for that, however.
The likeliest places to go, if we hew to that philosophy, is Jaye Howard, Derrick Johnson (who is under contract until 2018), or Alex Smith (ditto).
With the departure of Dontari Poe, the Chiefs risk being extremely thin at DL. Lotulelei is related to Star, and like Star, is a stout force at the point of attack and can ostensibly start if Jaye Howard prices himself out of our range in 2017.
2nd. QB Chad Kelley, Ole Miss
Chiefs look to groom a QBotF.
3rd. DE Jake Replogle, Purdue
Now that Chris Jones is starting, we need more depth at DE.
4th. OLB Bryan Cox, Florida
Houston/Ford should be an excellent combo, and I still have high hopes for Dadi Nicholas. That said, the Chiefs are going to want to sell out at passrusher this draft after the departure of Tamba Hali.
4th (compensatory for Sean Smith). CB Ed Paris, LSU
A long corner. The Chiefs should be happy with Peters/Gaines/Nelson with White in the wings. Paris adds more talent to that corps.
5th. WR Zay Jones, East Carolina
Chiefs like zippy receivers that can get in and out of breaks in a hurry. Jones is a fun prospect to watch.
5th (conditional for Marcus Cooper). NT Vincent Taylor, Oklahoma State
More investments at the DL.
5th (compensatory for Chase Daniel). RB Marlon Mack, South Florida
I anticipate we'll be watching Jamaal Charles in a Chiefs uniform in 2017; he's just too well liked in the locker room and he is an extremely fundamentally sound runner. That said, the Chiefs will want to make another investment at RB. They've always liked home run hitters. Mack has some of that ability.
6th (compensatory for Tyvon Branch). DE Ralph Green III, Indiana
More investments for a depleted DL.
7th. OLB Derek Rivers, Youngstown State
Physically gifted? No idea how to play football? Welcome to the Andy Reid football camp. Enjoy your unjustifiably huge paychecks.
7th (compensatory for Donald Stephenson). OLB Ken Ekanem, Virginia Tech
Chiefs really like the passrushing program out of Virginia Tech. Ekanem's teammate was Dadi Nicholas, who thrived in the preseason and may have a significant role rushing the passer going forward.
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