-- Hey CP - Where exactly are you with regards to Justin Houston?

[O.city]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

There were games last year, like at Denver, that could have easily been losses if they had just kept running the ball. Ford is a liability in that sense.

It just seems like a terrible gamble for a team that has legit Super Bowl aspirations.

Sure, but that's every year. There will be games they coulda shoulda woulda lost.

They definitely need to be better vs the run, but i'm guessing they feel the defensive change will help that a lot.

In the end, they're gonna need to get after the opposing QB and Ford is good at that.

I agree with whoever said it here that I don't think they like him that much in that they don't seem to be talking about a long term deal. Tag and let him walk in a year would be my guess.

They also know more about his health than we do, in regards to his back. Maybe it's fixed? I'm skeptical but who knows.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by O.city

Sure, but that's every year. There will be games they coulda shoulda woulda lost.

They definitely need to be better vs the run, but i'm guessing they feel the defensive change will help that a lot.

In the end, they're gonna need to get after the opposing QB and Ford is good at that.

I agree with whoever said it here that I don't think they like him that much in that they don't seem to be talking about a long term deal. Tag and let him walk in a year would be my guess.

They also know more about his health than we do, in regards to his back. Maybe it's fixed? I'm skeptical but who knows.

Everybody thought it was fixed in 2011 and he's had 2 back injuries and an additional surgery since then.

Back injuries don't just go away.

I don't have a problem with them tagging him, I just hope they find a trade partner. If they really want him on the team that bad, just freaking sign him and help the cap out this year. Tying up that much cap on Ford, when this team has so many needs, is dumb.

[philfree]

This draft is full of defensive players so if we could tag and trade Ford for a 1st and trade Houston for a high pick we would have the draft capital to start a complete defensive rebuild. I like our players now but they've had several opportunities to get it done in the playoffs and they haven't so I'm okay with starting the rebuild of the D now.

[gonefishin53]

It's hard to keep Houston on a $22m cap hit when Vinny Curry and a draft pick could do the job at wide DE for a fraction of that. Speaks and Kpass can cover the 5tech DE. Tag and trade Ford for whatever draft capital you can get.

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by gonefishin53

It's hard to keep Houston on a $22m cap hit when Vinny Curry and a draft pick could do the job at wide DE for a fraction of that. Speaks and Kpass can cover the 5tech DE. Tag and trade Ford for whatever draft capital you can get.

This is better than Houston.

[Shoes]

My thoughts on Houston are simple- I like the player but hate his cap hit. I think he is solid against both the run and pass. He has a leadership role on this team and I think the room respects him. In a perfect world he remains a Chief but we lower his cap hit.

[wazu]

Let him go, franchise Ford.

[ChiefBlueCFC]

I'm all for keeping Houston on the team this year. I would do what I could to try and restructure his deal obviously to get that cap hit down. If he doesn't want to restructure then I am probably trying to trade him this offseason, but I'm only doing it for the right price.Houston is a leader on the field and in the locker room and I don't want to lose that presence. After this year however, it's probably time to say goodbye.

However, I understand why many would want to cut Houston.

[oldman]

Teams see how to beat us now and that's with the run game. Ask yourself this, who plays the run better? If the other QB is content with handing the ball off or throwing into the flat, Ford is a liability.

[saphojunkie]

A lot of limited thinking in this thread.

Things that aren't being considered:

1. You can't just say "replace Houston with a younger cheaper player who gives you close to the same production." WHO? Who the **** do you think this magical unicorn is? Do you really think there is a 4-3 rush DE who can set the edge, play the SAM, and rush the passer, who is an UFA and will cost less than the $14M cap savings you get by cutting Houston?

2. Extending Houston's deal can EASILY alleviate the cap burden, while assuring your best player on defense remains in a premier spot.

3. Between releasing Houston and letting Ford walk, I will take letting Ford walk. It: 1) saves more money. 2) has no dead cap hit. 3) will almost assuredly land at least a third round pick (either from tag and trade or from a comp pick).

What I would do with Houston is to work out an extension where his entire $21M salary in 2019 is fully guaranteed and converted to a signing bonus. Let's say he signed a three year extension, with a $24M signing bonus (converting his salary this year + $3M more). If it looked something like this:

2019: $3M salary, $6M salary cap prorated. (cap hit $9M, dead money $24M)
2020: $4M salary, $6M salary cap prorated (cap hit $10M, dead money dead money $18M)
2021: $7M salary, $6M salary cap prorated, $1M roster bonus (cap hit $14M, dead money $12)
2022: $9M salary, $6M salary cap prorated, $1M roster bonus (cap hit $16, dead money $6M)

That would be: an increase in money this year for him, lower the cap hit from $21M to $9M. It also virtually guarantees that he will be on the roster for two years, and then 2021 is your big decision year, where he is $14M to keep and $12M to cut. Basically, that would be his last year and you'd cut thim with a $6M dead cap penalty the next offseason, or Post-June 1, where it's $3M each season.

Getting Houston for an average of ~11 million a year is smart and makes sense for both sides. Unless Houston is like "**** you, cut me and I'll sign another HUGE deal." In that case, you have to try and trade him.

[Buckweath]

Dee Ford might be the most underrated player by this fanbase.

If not for his injuries concern, the guy showed he is a big time player last year.

He is a unanimous top 10 FA but going through this forum, you'd think he is a JAG.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Buckweath

Dee Ford might be the most underrated player by this fanbase.

If not for his injuries concern, the guy showed he is a big time player last year.

He is a unanimous top 10 FA but going through this forum, you'd think he is a JAG.

If not for his injuries concern...you dismiss it like it's nothing.

He's been in the league for 6 years and finally put it together last year. After being hurt dozens of times in the past 10 years.

I'm not underrating Ford. I'm also not DEPENDING on a guy, and paying him more than $15M BASE SALARY for 2019, when he's never shown he's dependable.

[TambaBerry]

Originally Posted by Buckweath

Dee Ford might be the most underrated player by this fanbase.

If not for his injuries concern, the guy showed he is a big time player last year.

He is a unanimous top 10 FA but going through this forum, you'd think he is a JAG.

If we didn't have Houston's and Berry's awful contracts on our salary cap I'd be all for keeping Ford no problem. Sometimes you have to move on though and I feel like under our circumstances this is the best option

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by TambaBerry

If we didn't have Houston's and Berry's awful contracts on our salary cap I'd be all for keeping Ford no problem. Sometimes you have to move on though and I feel like under our circumstances this is the best option

Yep. We're already straddled with bad contracts for guys that have had problems staying healthy. Adding a 3rd player to that mix is too much money and too much risk. They can't keep them all.

[Buckweath]

Originally Posted by TambaBerry

If we didn't have Houston's and Berry's awful contracts on our salary cap I'd be all for keeping Ford no problem. Sometimes you have to move on though and I feel like under our circumstances this is the best option

You know what's funny about those Houston and Berry contracts? I remember clearly this fanbase telling Dorsey to pay them when they were asking for the moon. And here we are now.