The Kansas City Chiefs are not the sort of team you'd typically expect to see making the first pick of the NFL draft. With six Pro Bowl players, a new starting quarterback and a new coaching staff, this is a team that appears to be aiming to win now instead of rebuilding.
They've probably been the most active team in the league up to this point of the off season. Re-signing Dwayne Bowe and franchising Brandon Albert were two big moves.What are the next steps in fixing the franchise?
1. Trade down from the #1 pick
Now that the Chiefs have locked up Dwayne Bowe and have left tackle Brandon Albert in the fold for at least another year, it doesn't make too much sense for the Chiefs to stay at the top of the draft unless they simply can't move down. Left tackle is no longer a pressing need, and the Chiefs have tried to force a 4-3 tackle into a 3-4 defense before with less than pleasing results. Bringing Alex Smith to Kansas City cost them at least this year's second round pick. Accumulating more picks would allow the Chiefs to address their remaining needs without breaking the bank.
If they're not able to move down, the Chiefs will have some extremely difficult choices to make. There could be as many as seven different options for Kansas City, but none of them are obvious first overall selections.
2. Free Up Cap Space
Acquiring a new starting quarterback and ensuring that two of their key contributors on offense wouldn't hit the free agency market were key moves, but they didn't come cheaply. The Chiefs now currently have a very limited amount of cap space to work with and there's still plenty of changes that need to be made to the roster.
Defensive end Tyson Jackson was going to have a $17 million + cap hit in 2013, but Kansas City has taken the first step towards fixing their cap situation by restructuring his contract. Among the next moves should be releasing Matt Cassel, who's nearly ten million dollar cap number is even higher than Smith's. It's going to be essential to find ways to free up cap space if Kansas City truly is interested in winning now.
3. Find a second weapon for the offense
Dwayne Bowe is a key to the Chiefs' offense, but they shouldn't get too comfortable on that side of the ball now that he's under contract. Bowe is a talented player, but he's not the sort of player that can single-handedly make a passing game work.
It's also fair to be concerned about Bowe's work ethic now that he's received his long awaited pay day. Overall it'd be foolish to leave Bowe as the only legitimate threat in the passing game, but that's how the roster stands right now. Kansas City isn't likely to invest any more money in free agency at the position, but it needs to be a priority in the draft.
4. Find a second starting corner
Aside from Brandon Flowers, play in the secondary was very poor in 2012 and without adding any new starters it'll be more of the same in 2013. Javier Arenas would probably be the second starter on the outside if the season were to start today, but he proved this past season that he's better suited playing on the inside.
Assuming that the Chiefs are able to free up a significant amount of room under the salary cap, the secondary may just be where the Chiefs should place their focus in free agency. There are several However, signing a corner prior to the draft could be a risky move, as drafting Dee Milliner would probably be the wisest move if they are unable to move down from the number one spot.
5. Don't lose sight of the future
It has to be exciting for Kansas City fans to see their team seemingly switch into “win now” mode after spending so much time at the bottom of the AFC West, but the Chiefs still need to approach this offseason with caution. Regardless of whatever moves they make, they were still the worst team in the league last season and it's going to take more than one season to fix that.
Awarding big contracts to players like Tamba Hali, Tyson Jackson, and Matt Cassel put this team in a terrible situation and it's a big reason why they're in the position they are now. The new staff in Kansas City has to be conscious of that, and while winning now is certainly a fine goal, they shouldn't try to do that at the cost of the team's long term hopes.
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