The offseason thrills are coming: Buckle in Chiefs Kingdom!

The season we all imagined would go out with a bang ended with a whimper. However, it’s time to move on. Lets wash out the sour taste with some offseason hype!These recent days have been longer ones haven’t they? The sun doesn’t shine as bright. Gloomy weather has taken over our lives. The time for negativity is over though. There are good things to take from the game. Also, the offseason is almost here! The thrill of the draft and free agency are some of my favorites. I get to daydream about our big score pickups taking it to the house or crushing an opposing QB into the turf. Isn’t it great?Alright, I will step back into reality for just a bit. Let’s look at the good things to come from the playoff game, and how the weaknesses on display get patched up. The main focus for fixes will be found in the draft, but I will mix in a few free agents as well.

The positive takeaways

We will start on the defense. Did our defense play strong or what? We held the Steelers offense to zero touchdowns. Never once did they hit pay dirt. Yes they beat us on field goals (I threw up a little when that reality sank in), but we kept their big play men out of the game. Can we also mention Dee Ford? Seen as one of the weaker defenders on the Chiefs, understandably so, this man was the only one to get a sack for us.

Le’Veon Bell, for all his immense talent and almost 200 yards, never came close to scoring. The only time Antonio Brown made any real impact was on the time he was being covered by Justin Houston (What’s up with that?), and the garbage time catch where we stacked the end zone.

Despite a couple of head-scratchers, the defense played pretty well. Another positive we can take away is the resilience of the team overall. In the face of all the holdings never called. Despite getting pass interference all the time. It didn’t matter to the Chiefs that they were getting thrashed, they kept on fighting. I feel like they tried to give their best, but their best was not enough.

Sep 29, 2016; Lubbock, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Patrick Mahomes (5) drops back to pass against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first half at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

What to do with Alex Smith?

Perhaps the biggest question going into the offseason is what do we do about Alex Smith. Let’s not be hasty. Getting rid of him with nothing in place to fill the gap is just stupid. Don’t even try to tell me Foles can fill in. Nick Foles can play when your starter is hurt or resting. A handful of games at most is best for Foles.

There’s nobody on the roster now that can fill the gap. This makes it super critical to draft and develop a quarterback. We MUST draft a guy this year. We can take a year or two more of Smith to let our draft choice develop.

I would love to see Pat Mahomes of Texas Tech suit up in the red and gold. Mahomes has flashed the natural arm strength and ability to get on the move and extend plays when they fall apart. He shows the natural talents and the tangibles, those can be coached up. Given that he would have a year or two to sit behind Smith and learn the offense and the pro level game, this could turn into something good. We would have to hope Mahomes ends up being a late pick or trade up to grab him as there are plenty of other quarterback needy teams out there. Read his Walter Football page here.

A Tony Romo trade?

Here’s a non-draft possibility. Tony Romo. Hold on now, don’t click out just yet. Free agency, according to Spotrac, has nothing tempting at all coming up. A trade for Romo is not outside the realm of possibility. He could come relatively cheap too given his age and recent injuries. Would he be the best fit? He may be better than Smith in some areas, but he would be a two-season rental at most. A Romo trade would not do Kansas City any good.

Dec 25, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs players congratulate nose tackle Dontari Poe (92) after he threw a touchdown pass during the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 33-10. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Berry & Poe: Who goes, who stays?

This will, from my perspective, shake out to be the defining moment this offseason. Two fan favorites who are pretty big pieces of the defense are out of contract this offseason. Those being Dontari Poe, the fast as a linebacker nose tackle and Eric Berry, the rough and tumble, cancer and opposing receiver smashing safety. Both men would rightfully command large paydays from the Chiefs to stay. It would be impossible, barring a miracle, to re-sign both of them. I’ll explore two scenarios, one where we keep Berry, and one where we keep Poe.

Keeping Poe

Let’s start with keeping Poe. Eric Berry hits the market and the safety needy teams line up to acquire his services. A possible draft replacement would be Malik Hooker of Ohio State. The writers on his Walter Football page speak of him as the next Eric Berry. Should this prove to be true, Kansas City would need to bet the farm to grab a top-10 pick at the lowest to have a prayer of nabbing him.

The next best options would be Jamal Adams of LSU and Jabrill Peppers of Michigan. Perhaps even Justin Evans of Texas A&M. Read what Walter Football has to say here. All three of those men would be first round choices as well.

Dec 25, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs strong safety Eric Berry (29) after the game against the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 33-10. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Keeping Berry

Looking at this situation from what is there for drafting and free agency, this one will be tougher to work out. Walter Football has a couple intriguing nose tackle options coming up. Caleb Brantley from Florida. He comes in at 6-foot-2 and 314 pounds. The reports say he has a good mix of strength and speed. Brantley’s specialty seems to be pass rushing, as he’s able to shed blocks easily and close on the quarterback quickly.

If he does not get the sack himself, then he would force extra blockers and create more opportunities for sacks by his teammates. The second one is Jaleel Johnson of Iowa. Johnson has the same mix of speed and strength, plus he has even deflected a couple passes this last season.

Free agency from Spotrac has no one interesting or appealing coming up. Brantley would be a first round selection and Johnson is projected to be a second or third round player. The issues I see with these guys playing at NT is that they are better suited size wise for a traditional 3-4 defensive end instead of the NT which is usually quite a bit heavier.

The verdict?

From where things stand at this point in time, it would play out better for Kansas City to let Berry go. That pains me so much to realize. It probably would be cheaper to retain Poe plus, the potential draft replacements are very tempting. Spotrac free agency has nothing tempting for either safety spot so the draft would have to be our go-to for filling the void left by Berry.

The other issue with letting Berry go is we would lose the emotional heart and backbone of the defense. The man took the fight to cancer and won spectacularly. He came back with a fire that can never be put out. That fire is critical to the Chiefs’ defense. A real inspiration and leader would be lost if we let Berry walk. I, for one, do not want Berry to go. We can make the line without Poe work.

Who will replace DJ?

Good ole’ Derrick Johnson. He has been on the roster for so long, it will be hard to imagine life without hearing his name at some point every game. The harsh reality is though, DJ is old for a football player and he cannot DJ the middle of the field on his own anymore. How does one replace such a stalwart and dependable centerpiece?

Walter Football gives some nice looks at two draft prospects that will go anywhere from round 1 to 2. The first is Reuben Foster from, you guessed it, Alabama. Foster is quick in getting from sideline-to-sideline. He is a hard hitter too. His biggest flaw is his pass coverage skill. Pass coverage is something he could learn should he arrive in KC. Johnson can show him a few tricks.

The next guy is Zach Cunningham from Vanderbilt. Cunningham has shown the ability to move quick, shed blocks, and do well in pass coverage. Either of these men I would be very happy to have in Kansas City paired up with anyone we now have.

A brief heart to heart.

From one fan to another, the way the season ended hurt. It stung my red and gold pride. We can recover though. Pain is temporary. The offseason, a time to get excited, watch the team grow stronger, is nearly upon us. The Chiefs will be back on the field soon enough. These bad memories will fade as the roar of Arrowhead shakes our very cores. Our vigor will be renewed. The Kingdom will not stay down for long. Who’s with me?

What do you think Chiefs Kingdom? Who would you like to see take over at QB? What else needs fixing? Let me know! I want to hear from you! Find me on Twitter, comment here. Thanks for reading everyone! Stay loud, stay awesome, and Go Chiefs!