Thearon W. Henderson - Getty Images
The Oakland Raiders kicked off free agency a little early by releasing CB Stanford Routt and to this point the cornerback has visited a number of teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs. Because Routt plays cornerback, and the Chiefs have CB Brandon Carr scheduled to hit free agency, this is an important story in KC.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports Routt is expected to make his decision "soon".
What does "soon" mean? A day? Week? Month?
Any of the above. If Routt had a great offer, he probably would've taken it already.
It's probably in his best interest to sign soon, like before March 13 when free agency hits. Right now, he's the best cornerback available, which means he has some leverage. When free agency starts, he'll become the fourth or fifth best cornerback available. Thus, he should probably sign soon to secure the best possible deal.
Besides the Chiefs, Routt has reportedly visited the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. There were a number of other teams connected to him as well.
0 recs | 58 comments
The Logic
We sign Routt, which allows us to protect ourselves from having a hole to fill. We franchise tag Bowe and the try to sign Carr long-term. GO CHIEFS!!!
ChiefsatWar - February 20, 2012 via mobile
Think it goes the other way
Routt signs which threatens Bowe with the tag. Bowe signs a long term deal to avoid the tag. Chiefs can then tag and trade Carr. If it works, it will really build my faith in the Chiefs front office.
TheValleybetterthanPAC12 - February 20, 2012
At least the signing gives flexibilty for both scenarios
Tell Carr on and Bowe the other scare them they both sign long term and do have to use the tag.
km230015 - February 20, 2012
*do Not have to use
km230015 - February 20, 2012
Thanks Routt
for being a yardstick in our negotiations w/ Carr. Good luck w/ the Bills
ExRoyalsFan - February 20, 2012
What I want to know is
Why does this site, and Adam Schefter say that we have 62 million in cap space, but the Kansas City Star says we only have 37 million? That’s a big difference.
Chiefs1 - February 20, 2012 via mobile
37mil is what we are under for the current year
but due to us being allowed to carry the leftover from last year we will be approx. 62mil under.
RamX21 - February 20, 2012
Thanks
Chiefs1 - February 20, 2012 via mobile
I don't think that is correct...
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/18/3437558/chiefs-have-37-million-of-salary.html
I think people came up with the 62 mil using our cap from last year. I don’t they accounted for players who cap number increased this year.
groundedchevy - February 20, 2012
Found this too...
http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/18/3437420/chiefs-2012-salary-cap-breakdown.html
groundedchevy - February 20, 2012
Do you know
Is last year’s carry over used first or is this year’s space used first? For instance: Chiefs their 53 man roster and use up 40 million of cap space is that 25 of last year’s space and 3 of this year’s which could be rolled over again. Or, 37 of this year’s and 3 of last year’s with a zero balance at the end of the year. Where are the league accountants who hang out on AP?
TheValleybetterthanPAC12 - February 20, 2012
Good Question
hopefully it is just one bucket called cap
Steve_Chiefs - February 20, 2012
to my understanding it's just last year's carried over to this year
upamtn - February 20, 2012
I don't think this answers your question, but it is something else I wondered about the minimum spend:
link
Brsrkr - February 20, 2012
I know this isn't right
The KC Star number included the carry-over. However, it is far below any estimate I’ve seen or heard from anyone else. I’m curious about the rather substantial difference myself.
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7570116/nfl-plenty-cap-room-improve
joplin chiefs fan - February 20, 2012
Why would anyone sign Routt now if the market is going to be set in a few weeks. His value will probably go down. He should be the market setting. Carr or Finegan will set the market.
kc571 - February 20, 2012
Routt
I know this wont be a popular opinion, but if we could get Routt for a decent price then I say we sign him. He is a good corner, and i really think that we need an insurance policy because i think Carr is going to where he gets paid the most. Dont get me wrong, Carr is much better than routt, and i really would like to have Carr bac
fleetmarine - February 20, 2012 via mobile
Routt is better than no Carr
especially if Routt can be had at significantly less money than Carr.
cheapham - February 20, 2012
fleet, why bother with Routt? he's not as good as Carr so why bother? why waste the money?
getting an average or below average player “at a bargain price” isn’t much of a bargain when he takes the place of another player who is MUCH better (Carr)
upamtn - February 20, 2012
wouldn
fleetmarine - February 20, 2012 via mobile
fail
Would you not consider routt better than arenas? I would. Also he would be great at being able to defend the big atheletic TE like Gates. Ideally you keep carr, but if he leaves, then its great to have a very good back up. Think of brandon merriwether last year. We all said we would pass on him, but when berry went down, we were screwed with sabby. Also, i think that we would be able to trade routt if we didnt need him when carr signed. Its a win win to sign this guy.
fleetmarine - February 20, 2012 via mobile
Maybe you should go read about how bad Routt is in the slot
He is an outside corner ONLY
He is a man corner ONLY
BAMFSpecialOps - February 20, 2012
didnt know that
But it still doesnt change the fact that he would be a good depth person. I really am worried that we wont keep carr
fleetmarine - February 20, 2012 via mobile
Depth.. yes at the right price
Daniels has not played bad when he came in for an injured Flowers, playing outside.
BAMFSpecialOps - February 20, 2012
and if we sign Routt I'd be even MORE concerned that we don't keep Carr
and we DO need to keep Carr!
upamtn - February 20, 2012
Because if Carr leaves we aren't going to be able to replace him with Darrelle Revis, okay?
Somebody is going to have to start across from Flowers if a team offers Carr 100 bajillion dollars per year and, if you don’t want that somebody to be Jalil Brown, you’re going to have to make your peace with that.
And Carr is not an “average to below average” player. He isn’t as good as Carr, but he is an above average cornerback.
MtHammer - February 20, 2012
Not that I'm saying I want Carr to leave
Carr was Jalil Brown once. Only difference is Carr came from a small school where he played good and proved Carl and Herm picking him was a smart choice and Brown played in the pass happy Big 12 where he held his own but he just hasn’t gotten his chance yet.
KingChief - February 20, 2012
I'd argue Carr showed more as a rookie than Brown did when he was on the field.
But that’s not even really the point. Starting a pair of rookie corners was fine 4 years ago when the team was just starting to rebuild and we knew we weren’t going to the playoffs. But this year the Chiefs are in a position to really make some noise.
If this team sucked I’d be inclined to give Brown the job and let him sink or swim. But this year that decision could cost us. We need an at least somewhat proven guy across the field from Flowers.
MtHammer - February 20, 2012
yo Hammer ... did you REALLY just say what I thought you must said? ;-)
upamtn - February 20, 2012
I absolutely did.
You have to understand that Routt was as good in 2010 as he was bad in 2011. And the reason he was bad in 2011 was the Raiders left him alone in single man coverage with no safety help on the opposing team’s #1 receiver at all times. He’s not Nnamdi Asomugha good, so that worked out very poorly.
But I’m not sure Carr would have been shutting down guys under those circumstances, either. Routt has shown what he can do as a #2 corner with a true #1 across from him and he proved to be very good at it.
Think about how many corners there are in the NFL. Do you really feel that roughly half of them, not just the starters, but the backups and the rookies and the practice squad guys, would be better across from Flowers than Routt? Because that’s what you said. I can’t possibly think it could be what you actually believe, but it is what you said.
But even if you meant average to below average starter, I’d be inclined to disagree. I’d say Routt is an average to below average top corner, but you can’t name 16 #2s that would be better.
Flowers and Carr would arguably be the top corner pairing in the NFL. Flowers and Routt wouldn’t be as good, but it would still be one of the league’s best.
MtHammer - February 20, 2012
oh, see I thought you said that Carr is not as good as Carr ...
upamtn - February 20, 2012
Ah, now I see my typo.
Yes, Routt is not an “average to below average” player. Carr isn’t either, but he’s also at least as good as Carr ;)
MtHammer - February 20, 2012
Overpaying players is no recipe for success no matter how much money you have
Do we really want to be sitting here in three years saying, “Damn, we could afford to keep Justin Houston (just using an example), if only we weren’t playing overpaying the piss out of Carr”?
joplin chiefs fan - February 20, 2012
You mean Pioli should look beyond 2012?
What a concept!
Tarkus - February 20, 2012
Why should he?
World ends in Dec anyways..
BAMFSpecialOps - February 20, 2012
Good point.
Tarkus - February 20, 2012
what time?
upamtn - February 20, 2012
Trust me, you'll know when it's starting.
MtHammer - February 20, 2012
Hugh Jackson is the secondary coach for Cincinnati now, right?
I’ve got to think that makes them the favorites.
MtHammer - February 20, 2012
Hue is a coach with the Bengals now ... some capacity like that, yup
and the Bengals are more than welcome to Routt … I think they SHOULD sign Routt, help make sure we get Carr back here where he belongs
upamtn - February 20, 2012
Whether we get Routt or not, Pioli isn't going to break the bank for a #2 CB.
And he shouldn’t.
Brsrkr - February 20, 2012
that piggy bank needs to be broken open, my friend
upamtn - February 20, 2012
You can never glue it back together again.
You want us to be like the Raiders, and actually CUT Carr two or three years from now?
Brsrkr - February 20, 2012
keep him, pay him ... come on, man ... he's good as gold for us right now
I don’t want to see the Chiefs turn into the Royals … draft and develop some great talent and then allow those guys to walk off to “the highest bidder” … keep our homegrown talent and win, that’s how it’s done
upamtn - February 20, 2012
He's not THE secondary coach.
He’s there to help out with special teams and the secondary, whatever that means. He really doesn’t have a well-defined job.
Tarkus - February 20, 2012
I thought he's an offensive coach? (or was before now?)
kabrink - February 20, 2012
Yeah, it's a big lol.
Brsrkr - February 20, 2012
And Daboll was a defensive coach at one time.
Guys do move around from time to time, and it’s not like he’s being given a lot of authority. They might be keeping him around as OC insurance, and are kind of making up responsibilities for him on the fly.
Tarkus - February 20, 2012
Yeah, but Daboll switched very early in his career.
Jackson
iswas a pretty highly respected veteran offensive guy.Brsrkr - February 20, 2012
This is probably a ploy by his agent.
Why would he sign before free agency opens? Sounds like a ploy to generate interest in his player.
GenericBrand - February 20, 2012
Because he's the prettiest girl at the dance right now.
But he’ll get a lot uglier once the free agency period starts.
Tarkus - February 20, 2012
Yup
BAMFSpecialOps - February 20, 2012
At the same time, teams will be willing to pay more later once the FA pool dwindles a little.
Brsrkr - February 20, 2012
Not necessarily.
Not if the major players are already out of the market.
Tarkus - February 20, 2012
"major players" meaning top paying teams.
Tarkus - February 20, 2012
Yeah, it's a balance.
Sign too soon, teams won’t overpay for you because they have options. Wait too long, and teams won’t overpay because they know you need a job. I hate to admit it, but sometimes agent do earn their money.
Brsrkr - February 20, 2012
Yep.
A balancing act for teams like the Chiefs too. I think if both sides like the deal, they have to go for it, and not get greedy thinking about what might happen in the future. I think that’s what it comes down to.
Tarkus - February 20, 2012
Good foresight.
Brsrkr - February 20, 2012
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