While the dust settles on the excitement that Andy Reid has brought to the Kansas City Chiefs, the work will soon begin. That work will ultimately make it's way into figuring out what to do with the Chiefs impending free agents, most notably WR Dwayne Bowe and OT Branden Albert.
More: Complete coverage of Andy Reid's signing | Reid's first presser in KC
Andy Reid is an offensive guy and with what we heard from JasonB over at BleedingGreenNation last week it might give us a little insight into what Reid emphasizes from a personnel standpoint:
I would bet a lot of money on whichever guy Andy uses your No. 1 pick on to be an offensive tackle or a QB.
I don't see the point in spending the No. 1 overall pick on a LT when you've got a pretty good one in-house already. Branden Albert is a solid LT and as long as he checks out medically with his recent back issues, he should be a priority for Reid's new team.
The other big name free agent who will be discussed is wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. Bowe's importance to the team has been put under a microscope over the past season and with Jon Baldwin's lack of development this season, keeping Bowe is just as if not more important than keeping Albert.
Reid has a history of putting an emphasis on the wide receiver position in the past -- acquiring Terrell Owens to spending high draft picks on Jeremy Maclin, Freddie Mitchell, DeSean Jackson and Todd Pinkston. There's a concerted effort to have top-talent at that spot.
The West Coast offense that Reid will likely bring with him also values wide receivers and their ability to get yards after the catch. He likes speed and play-making and the Chiefs less-Bowe would have a serious talent shortage for this system as a whole. (Along with the most obvious position: QB)
A few other key free agents that Reid and company will have to look at are DL Glenn Dorsey, RB Peyton Hillis, P Dustin Colquitt, and DL Ropati Pitoitua. The future of the Chiefs defense -- which we don't know right now -- will help answer some of these questions. Read KaloPhoenix's post on the future of the Chiefs defense and the 3-4 vs. 4-3.