Chiefs want to sign Barber

[ArcticWildMan]

KFFL (http://nfl.kffl.com/news/hotwire/) 9:05 PT: Updating previous reports, the Kansas City Star reports the Kansas City Chiefs would like to sign free agent LB Shawn Barber (Eagles) before he leaves town. "We might try (to sign Barber today) but I don't know if we're going to get anything done," coach Dick Vermeil said. "I'm not optimistic. The kid has other visits scheduled." Weeks ago they made Barber one of their primary targets in free agency and are unlikely to give up without making a competitive contract offer. Barber has subsequent visits planned for St. Louis, Cleveland and Cincinnati.

[TypicalBill]

i was hoping we'd sign him. Lets hope he doesn't sign with'em :pray:

[WG]

We don't need him. We already dropped too much on Posey. Q is will he start? Assuming that we sign a Peterson or some better OLB, we won't need or be able to sign Barber now.

Barber is only a pass defending LB, he's not a good rush D LB. Posey's that too. We need a solid signing for an OLB that can do both. We don't need Fletcher surrounded by two OLBs who can't help out against the run.

Barber would have been good w/o the Posey signing. Posey fills one starting OLB role, hopefully at an average contract of $1.6M, 4-years and $6.4M overall, and a $1.75M signing bonus. I hope we didn't spend that kind of cash on a backup this early on in the process w/ so many uncertainties about the starting positions.

Given that Posey starts, it'd be good to get Thornton at DT, Peterson or one of the other lesser profile top LBs, and a budget Johnstone or Scioli at DE.

[Tatonka]

i like your plan wys

[Romes]

For whatever its worth GW said that Posey's strengths are rushing the passer and stopping the run. He weakness is coverage.

[WG]

From what I've read, his strength is rushing the passer since he had what, 8 sacks?

Perhaps we're reading in different places. But one thing that I do see is that he's on nobody's list for top LBs available and he's played 6 seasons for 4 different teams with never more than 9 starts in a season w/ 8 sacks last year, only 3 his prior 5 seasons, 47 solo tackles last year, 49 his prior 5 seasons, and that was all in a 3-4 on a team that couldn't keep their O on the field.

So I'm not particularly impressed. Robinson was "supposed to do all that" too.

If Posey were a good rush defense LB, then he'd have more tackles.

[WG]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?statsId=4534

[justasportsfan]

I'm thinking depth. Thats all!


"The Bills' top two scouts, Tom Donahoe and Tom Modrak, have a good track record of identifying standout pass-rushing linebackers. They did it repeatedly in Pittsburgh"

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20030302/1041617.asp

[WG]

Not for that kind of cash and all the needs we have. If that was a depth signing then TD's an idiot.

You just can't fill every position w/ a $4/5M guy. You have to start some vet min and ~$1.5M players these days.

Either way, we have $8M or so currently available and Posey's signing just consumed over $1M of that. With tremendous needs still at DT, DE, and another OLB spot, $7M isn't going to go very far, especially if we keep signing other depth that we need for Posey money.

Depth we need:

Another OL-man. We currently only have Conaty, Price w/ any experience. Hollenbeck, Houghton, and Pucillo are our next depth guys. All 1/2 year guys. Anyone wanna enter the season that way? Not me!

We need a S if at all possible.

We need some depth at WR too. If Johnson stays, we have 3 experienced WRs. Anyone wanna have Johnson be our #3? Again, not me!

Those last three guys would cost upwards of $3M for guys who can play those roles. Maybe more.

Something's got to give somewhere. I'm hoping it's Price and soon.

[ArcticWildMan]

:shakeno: He wasn't signed for depth.

[Schobel94]

No, he's our new starting SSLB, I am optomistic about him, with some other new guys and and a real impact LB, the defense should be superb.

[WG]

He'll be fine as long as we don't have 3 other "Posey-type" signings at DE, DT, and the WSLB spots.

Posey's a risk, clearly. So we need some non-risk players too!

[The_Philster]

Posey doesn't look to be much of an upgrade over Newman, if at all. Hopefully, he'll be utilized better than Newman was.