Twitter: Hitchens to KC Chiefs

[Proof]

They are not going to abandon "other needs".

Nor does it mean they'll automatically draft a LB in round 1 (or even round 2 for that matter).

Folks are making Hitchens out to be better than he actually was.

I like Hitchens and probably am one of the people who is making him out to be more than he is. But it's not losing HIM that's troubling, it's that we're already woefully thing at LB and our two top guys are old and injury prone, and still trying to recover from devastating injury. And even with him it was a unit of concern seeing how the team folds when Sean Lee is out. So yeah, whatever you think of Hitch, we were already behind the 8ball with him.

 

[mardwin]

Love Hitch but this is the type of player who has to be drafted and not overpaid for. Good player, not great.

He was more than good for this football team, you could say a "VERY" good player but not great.

 

[speedkilz88]

Someone needs to make a poll. Who is going to be the better LB from here on out? Hitch or Jaylon

 

[WLJG]

So what other LB talent is available in free agency? Talent equal to or better than Hitch? He might be a $9M player because he is at the top of LB talent available this season.

 

[kskboys]

Probably will end up a 6th

Yeah, Church didn't even bring a 3rd, and he played very well.

 

[Proof]

my question is how do u build a championship roster when your main avenue is to draft and develop players then when they get to their second contract you let most of them walk you don't do free agency or make trades so how do u build a team that can compete?

million dollar question. it would take a draft full of immediate contributors like zeke and zack martin to even have a chance this way. because guys like d law who give you inconsistent 3 years, and then break out in the contract year really hamstring you.

 

[AmishCowboy]

Derrick Johnson, come on down!

 

[Proof]

At the right price.

$9 million is far away from the right price.

Sometimes, they deserve credit for not making stupid moves.

yeah, i'm not lamenting them not paying him. i'm lamenting another team driving his price up. he's a guy i'd liked to have kept, but definitely not at a premium. oh well c'est la vie

 

[robbieruff]

With half the teams in the NFL having at least $30 million in cap space and with about $1 billion in total salary cap to spend league wide, this is now the market. I remember years ago when Ricky Henderson was made the highest paid player in baseball with a $3 million/year contract and everyone was going off about the insanity of the money being spent. A few years later, Henderson was threatening to hold out because he was underpaid. Now there's talk of fully guaranteed contracts going to the likes of Kirk Cousins. This is a brave new world, my friends...our comp expectations will likely need to be recalibrated.

 

[Roland]

Sign the guy they overpaid Hitchens to replace - Derrick Johnson. A guy who - even at age 35 - is still a better coverage linebacker than Hitchens. Johnson can fill the role until you draft the next fourth round linebacker like Hitchens was.

And we can thank the Chiefs for that next fourth round comp pick in the process.

Agreed, that's the kind of route I see this playing out. A veteran on a more sensible $ amount and the draft, maybe 3rd or one of our 4's. heck, it is likely we may draft two of them if we like what we see. Linebacker is a hard position to keep healthy and you need some quality depth here.

 

[Proof]

Well, we will be drafting another LB in higher rounds.

seems like LVE will be squarely in play. and i'm not sure how i feel about that.

 

[LittleD]

They can get LVE or Malik Jefferson at MLB moving back in the first and can use that pick on an OG

That's one idea but, the one I like is to move up from 19 to 9 or 11 and get the best MLB or LB in the draft. We will have to give up our 3rd but,
will get a definitive 1st round talent.

 

[Stash]

yeah, i'm not lamenting them not paying him. i'm lamenting another team driving his price up. he's a guy i'd liked to have kept, but definitely not at a premium. oh well c'est la vie

That's NFL free agency, and why they all want to make it to the market. There's always some team that's willing to pay crazy money for good, not great players.

 

[Proof]

What you all think about drafting Shaquiem Griffin in round 3? He's fast,a ball hawk..a good tackler..high football IQ...a winner on and off the field. I like him as a steal at that point. He,Evans and VANDER ESCH.

lol i really like the kid, his story and heart. i wouldn't mind him on this team at all, but ball hawk???? LMAOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[Stash]

Agreed, that's the kind of route I see this playing out. A veteran on a more sensible $ amount and the draft, maybe 3rd or one of our 4's. heck, it is likely we may draft two of them if we like what we see. Linebacker is a hard position to keep healthy and you need some quality depth here.

That's what I would do. Sign Johnson to hold the fort and draft several young guys in the middle rounds. In case anyone has forgotten, that's where Hitchens himself came from, the fourth round.

They have multiple later round picks to stock up for the future.

 

[Alexander]

Derrick Johnson, come on down!

That sounds like the Zach Thomas deal all over again. Maybe Keith Brookings if we get lucky.

 

[Proof]

Should net us a 2019 Third Round Pick. Good.

what is the formula/criteria for how they assign the pick value? seems like folks are always guessing. is there a defined metric?

 

[armadillooutlaw]

Someone needs to make a poll. Who is going to be the better LB from here on out? Hitch or Jaylon

If his body can handle 60 plays a game, I think Jaylon. By mid season he was starting to show more sideline to sideline ability.
He was electric in that awful Chargers game.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

They overpaid for him.

He’s not a 9MM a year LB.

On Hitchens specifically.....the good players sign early. The fact he agreed to a deal so quickly means he was in demand....and not...you know...a JAG....which @Risen Star maintained was the case up until and through this year.

As to this cost...you mean you have to overpay for talent in the opening weeks of Free Agency?

Yet everyone wants the Cowboys to be big spenders in the opening weeks of Free Agency?

That doesn't seem to make sense.

 

[QuincyCarterEra]

Yeah, Church didn't even bring a 3rd, and he played very well.

But his contract was $6.5 AAV, not $9 that Hitch got.

Leary was closer, and ended up a 4th.

A 6th won't happen, id put a lot of money on a 4th though.