In the first week of free agency the Kansas City Chiefs lost right guard Wade Smith to the Houston Texans. The Chiefs wanted to keep him but -- and this is just speculation here -- didn't want to pay him as much as the Texans did.
His final bill with the Texans?
Four years, $12 million.
Those numbers are why I was so surprised to see the Chiefs deal with Ryan Lilja.
Three years, $7.5 million. No word yet on how the guaranteed portions breakdown but it's still a significant amount less than what Smith fetched on the open market.
So what does that mean?
Are the Chiefs just shrewd negotiators? Did Lilja take a hometown discount? Is Lilja less of a player than Smith?
I'm not sure what the case is but I like it.