The Kansas City Chiefs would be wise to keep Jared Allen in their plans. The team is obviously in a rebuilding period, but the return they would get from the Vikings is not even close to fair value for the reigning sack leader of ’07. A first round pick in the middle of the round coupled with a second round choice either this year or next is not going to help your team enough to justify trading away one of the best defensive players in the league.
Chiefs GM Carl Peterson and Head Coach Herm Edwards have spoken openly about their desire to rebuild the offensive line. If they pulled the trigger on a deal with Minnesota, the chiefs could go with two offensive lineman in the first round. Jeff Otah has been projected in many mock drafts to fall to the Vikings at seventeen. That means Kansas City could have Ryan Clady, Jeff Otah - or by some miracle - Jake Long to protect project QB Brodie Croyle and whiney RB Larry Johnson.
The other option for Kansas City in this scenario would be to draft a defensive lineman with the 5th overall selection and try to land an offensive lineman with the 17th pick. I strongly believe this is the route the Chiefs would go if Allen is dealt to the Vikings. One of the three heralded defensive prospects could fall to Kansas City at the 5th spot, but that all depends on what Miami and Atlanta are planning to do. We all heard what rookie GM Jeff Ireland chimed off in a Dolphins press conference earlier this week. I think that was just a tactic to blow smoke up some peoples asses, but lets say it was a true “whoops” moment for argument sake.
Glenn Dorsey is now the en vogue pick by the Dolphins at the first spot. St. Louis would be hard pressed not to take Jake Long at two if Miami lets him slide which would leave Atlanta in a very sticky but good spot to be in. Matt Ryan is very overrated because he’s in the weakest QB pool I’ve seen in recent memory. Chris Long and Vernon Gholston are too good of prospects to pass in favor of Ryan just because he plays a skill position. But having said that, you cannot rely on Joey Harrington for another season so Matt Ryan would not fall past three leaving Oakland to choose from a wide array of options directly in front of the Chiefs. Darren McFadden, Chris Long, Vernon Gholston, and Sedrick Ellis are all viable choices for the Raiders who are in much need of help at all but the one spot they’re likely to choose... running back. McFadden is Al Davis’ style of player so there is almost no chance he’ll slide past four and that’s very fortunate for the Chiefs. Kansas City would then have to pick from Sedrick Ellis, Vernon Gholston and Chris Long to replace the already proven Jared Allen.
The only real reason a franchise would consider such a move is to try and save money. Allen’s new contract would be in the $72 million dollar range so a guaranteed rookie deal looks pale in comparison and you please the masses by drafting a big name rookie replacement. Two steps backward and only one step forward in the world of football, but as a PR move it would be a touchdown.
The Chiefs brass should reconsider any deal involving Allen or at least increase their asking price because it will hurt them in the long run. Herm Edwards is running on fumes in Kansas City as it is so it would do him no good to think long term.
MJohnson@thenflunderground.com