KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The weeks leading to the annual start of free agency is forever a filtering process, as news locally and throughout the league will be fast.
An example of this occurred Friday evening with tidbits appearing on the radar surrounding two current Chiefs and a former Seattle Seahawk.
Dec 8, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz (74) prepares to block against the Washington Redskins during the second quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Chiefs, Schwarz camp talking
The Chiefs met with guard Geoff Schwartz’s agent last week at the NFL Scouting Combine, Chiefs beat writer Terez Paylor of The Kansas City Star reports.
On the surface, that’s not the hard news since general manager John Dorsey told a small group of Chiefs media present at the Combine the team would continue discussions with all the unrestricted free agents’ representatives while in Indianapolis.
Indeed, the actual news surrounds Paylor’s report that Schwartz’s agent and the Chiefs don’t appear to be on the same page when it comes to salary.
Schwartz’s agent, Deryk Gilmore, told Paylor his client wants to be paid like a starter.
Schwartz, who turns 28 on July 11, signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs last offseason and appeared in all 16 regular season games with seven starts (six at right guard, one at left guard).
The sixth-year pro out of Oregon also started the Chiefs’ playoff game at right guard.
Schwartz proved invaluable after supplanting Jon Asamoah, also scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent, in the starting lineup during the second half of the regular season.
Of the Chiefs’ 11 scheduled unrestricted free agents, it’s reasonable to expect the Chiefs viewing Schwartz as important when considering three of the 11 comes from the offensive line (left tackle Branden Albert, Schwartz and Asomoah).
Houston extension looming?
Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston, a two-time Pro Bowler, enters the final year of his original four-year rookie contract.
Securing the 25-year-old linebacker for the long-term appears to be on the team’s mind, NFL reporter Jason LaCanfora of CBS Sports reports.
Amid all the contract extensions going on, don’t forget about Justin Houston. The Chiefs certainly haven’t. Talks got rolling at combine
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 1, 2014
Houston is a rising start as one of league’s top rushing linebackers. He comes off a season where he notched 11 sacks, his second straight season with double-digit sacks, and earned AFC Defensive Player of the Month in September.
Bryant hits the market
The Super Bowl champion Seahawks on Friday cut ties with two players, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun and NFL writer for the National Football Post reports.
Seahawks have released Sidney Rice and Red Bryant. Hearing Red Bryant will be of interest to the Kansas CIty Chiefs, per a source
— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) February 28, 2014
At initial glance, this didn’t appear as an attention grabber until reading the last part of Wilson’s tweet.
While the Chiefs have a need at wide receiver, Rice doesn’t fit given his durability issues.
Bryant on the other hand makes sense, as the Chiefs are set to lose defensive end Tyson Jackson to free agency barring a re-signing before March 11.
Originally drafted as a defensive tackle out of Texas A&M, Bryant eventually moved to defensive end in 2010 where he was part of Seattle’s defensive line rotation.
At 6-foot-4, 323 pounds, Bryant, who turns 30 on April 18, appeared in 64 games with 55 starts.
In six seasons with the Seahawks, the former Aggie totaled 121 tackles (78 solo), 3.5 sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown.
