The NFL lockout is expected to end sometime within the next few days and at some point shortly after that we're also expecting a period in which teams can re-sign their own free agents. Reports have suggested this would be something like an "exclusive three-day window" to re-sign their own guys.
Some NFL folks may laugh at the "exclusive" part because there is zero doubt that it won't really be exclusive. For example, when Kansas City Chiefs GM Scott Pioli offers a player a two-year, $2 million deal, the agent for that player very well could quietly call around the league to determine whether he can get more elsewhere -- even though it's supposed to be an "exclusive" signing period.
That would be tampering and it happens all the time.
That said, we're thinking the Chiefs will have an opportunity to sign some of their own guys.
A couple weeks ago we went through the scenarios with all the Chiefs free agents and what they should do so I figured with the lockout (hopefully) ending in a few days, it would be a good time to review the Chiefs free agency situation.
Here's a list of the Chiefs expected unrestricted free agents: NT Ron Edwards, DE Shaun Smith, WR Terrance Copper, C Casey Wiegmann, S Jon McGraw, LB Charlie Anderson, WR Kevin Curtis, CB Travis Daniels, LB Mike Vrabel, FB Tim Castille, OT Ryan O'Callaghan, LB Corey Mays, TE Leonard Pope, C Rudy Niswanger and QB Brodie Croyle.
And I broke those guys into a few categories:
- These guys need to stay: Edwards, Smith, Copper and Wiegmann.
- Should keep if the price is right: McGraw, Daniels, O'Callaghan, Niswanger, Vrabel, and Pope.
- Not in a rush to keep these guys: Anderson, Curtis, Castille, Mays and Croyle.
The only change here is that Vrabel is now retired so he obviously won't be back in KC, and Wiegmann has announced he would like to return.
After that? I'd keep the list the same but the Chiefs will need to get the roster to 90 players for training camp if the leaks on the new CBA rules are to be believed. That could result in a few of those "Not in a rush to keep these guys" returning in 2011.