AP Interview: Andrew Brandt

In a continuing series of interviews, we recently asked the National Football Post's Andrew Brandt if he'd be willing to answer some questions for us. At the NFP, Brandt is the President of the organization and serves as their salary cap specialist - writing on all kinds of issues around the league from his expertise after a decade in the Packers front office. He's also currently a consultant for the Eagles.

With that said, Brandt agreed to answer some quick questions for us in regards to various issues on the Chiefs - from Matt Cassel's contract to Larry Johnson's as well.

AP: With Matt Cassel's less-than-stellar first half of the season and constant hits he's taking with the state of the Chiefs O-Line, do you think the Chiefs should have waited to make the Cassel investment?

Brandt: They had an opportunity to lock in a young quarterback with some proven success. Cassel had played with success for a full year. Aaron Rodgers was rewarded after seven games. Can't fault them for making a deal when they may have had to use the Franchise tag again next year on Cassel.

AP: The Chiefs retained so much extra cap room heading into the season and I'm wondering does that affect anything headed into next year? Or does that simply become lost space?

Brandt: The Chiefs left cap room on the table last year and will likely do so again this year. And yes, that space is lost. However, as they've remade their team in the past couple of years and shed a lot of high-priced veterans, they have ample cap room to play with. I am sure, however, the union would like them to spend that cap room on their players.

AP: Being Scott Pioli's first year in KC, can you give us your thoughts as you've observed him in NE in regards to his salary cap prowess?

Brandt: Scott does a fine job, as do many other executives around the league.

AP: You mentioned LJ's contract as an albatross. Is there one position more than others that seems to attract these kinds of bad deals? Is it usually RBs who end up getting big deals and then becoming dead weight for the team?

Brandt: Teams always have to be careful with running backs due to the prevalence of short careers. In Green Bay, I liked Ahman Green a lot but was clear with our senior management that it would not be wise to do a contract in the range of the top running backs when he came up as a free agent. There was too much risk as a running back approaches age 30. I know the stories about Emmitt Smith and a few others, but they are the exceptions rather than the rule. There's a graveyard full of running back deals that teams wish they had back - Eddie George, Corey Dillon, Jamal Anderson, Shawn Alexander and more.