NFL Pre-Combine Prospectus

I once again have too much time on my hands, and I was reading about the new NFL collective bargaining agreement and apparently the new CBA allows teams to roll unused salary cap space from 2011 forward into 2012  (Article 13, Section 6(b)(v) of the CBA, via SBNation).  That is why the Chiefs have potentially $63 million in cap space for 2012.  These are some of the potential free agents that look as though they would fill positions of need for KC and take up a portion of that cap space.  The Chiefs do not have to spend up to 90% of the cap until 2013, so they don't have to sign anyone.  I am also unclear as to whether a team is forced to prorate a players signing bonus over the entire length of a contract or can it be counted against the cap in a lump sum if the money is paid up-front.  Not being forced to prorate a signing bonus would have obvious advantages for a team like the Chiefs that has so much salary cap space.

Potential Free Agents that would fill needs for the Chiefs:

1. Sione Pouha DT
1b. Cory Redding DE
2. Marcedes Lewis TE 
2b. John Carlson TE
3. Terrell Thomas CB
4. Mike Tolbert RB
5. Carl Nicks OG/OT
6. Vernon Carey OT/OG
7. Ahmad Brooks LB
8. Mike Wallace WR
9. Anthony Collins OT
10. John Sullivan C
11. Samson Satele C
12. Adam Carriker DE
13. Brodrick Bunkley DT
14. Shaun Cody DT
15. Chris Gocong LB
16. Tom Zbikowski S
17. Dashon Goldson S


Draft Stuff

A few teams do not have 1st round draft picks in 2012, they are:

New Orleans Saints 

Cap Space:  $4.22 million
Team Needs: DE, LB, DT, OL
Free Agents:  Drew Brees, Marques Colston WR, Robert Meachem WR, Carl Nicks OG, Aubrayo Franklin DT, Shaun Rogers DT, Tracy Porter DB

Oakland Raiders 

Cap Space:  -$11 million
Team Nees: CB, OG, S
Free Agents:  Jason Cambell QB, Darryl Blackstock LB, Quentin Groves LB, Stanford Routt DB, Tyvon Branch DB, Samson Satele C, Khalif Barnes OT

Atlanta Falcons 

Cap Space:  $30.6 million
Team Needs: S, DL, OL, TE
Free Agents:  John Abraham DE, Curtis Lofon LB, Brent Grimes DB

2012 Draft Order; KC and Sea order will be determined by coin flip; Either team could draft 11th or 12th.

1. Indianapolis Colts 

Cap Space: $2.5 million
Team Needs: Warm bodies; QB, LB, DT, OL
Free Agents: Reggie Wayne WR, Pierre Carcon WR, Jacob Tamme TE, Robert Mathis DE, Ernie Sims LB

Draft:  Andrew Luck, QB Stanford:  This is the only sure thing on the board.  Luck will go #1 to the Colts unless Daniel Snyder gives the Colts a rediculous amount of draft picks or clones Brian Orakpo along with a rediculous number of draft picks.  My guess, because the new rules limiting rookie contracts, it will take Washington 3 1st round picks or 2 1st rounders and 2 2nd rounds to get their hands on Luck.  Cleveland also needs a QB, but Mike Holmgren will not be able to be as aggressive as the Redskins, who also have $50+ million in salary cap space to compensate for the loss of draft picks.

2. St. Louis Rams 

Cap Space:  $3.5 million
Team Needs: OL, WR, TE, DL, CB
Free Agents:  Cadillac Williams RB, Brandon Lloyd WR

Draft: Matt Kalil OT USC


3. Minnesota Vikings 

Cap Space:  $1.95 million
Team Needs: WR, CB, LB, OL
Free Agents:  Bernard Berrian WR, Visanthe Shiancoe TE, John Sullivan C, EJ Hendeson LB

Draft: Justin Blackmon WR OKST

4. Cleveland Browns 

Cap Space:  $8.9 million
Team Needs: QB, WR, TE, OL, LB
Free Agents: Peyton Hillis RB, Chris Gocong LB, D'Qwell Jackson LB

Draft: Robert Griffin III QB Baylor

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Cap Space:  $60.5 million
Team Needs: LB, CB, S, OL
Free Agents:  Earnest Graham RB, Geno Hayes LB

Draft: Morris Claiborne CB LSU

6. Washinton Redskins 

Cap Space:  $47.6 million
Team Needs:  QB, OT, WR, DL, S
Free Agents:  Fred Davis TE, Adam Carriker DL, Phillip Daniels DL, Kedric Golston DL, London Fletcher LB, LaRon Landry DB

Draft: Ryan Tannehill QB TA&M

7. Jacksonville Jaguars 

Cap Space:  $45 million
Team Needs:  WR, OL, TE, LB
Free Agents:  Mike Sims-Walker, Marcedes Lewis TE, Rashean Mathis DB

Draft: Michael Floyd WR Notre Dame

8. Carolina Panthers 

Cap Space:  -$9.5 million
Team Needs: DT, DE, LB, CB, OL
Free Agents:  Legedu Naanee WR, Jeremy Shockey TE

Draft: Quinton Coples DE UNC

9. Miami Dolphins 

Cap Space:  $9.05 million
Team Needs: QB, DL, LB, OL
Free Agents:  Chad Henne QB, Vernon Carey OL, Igor Olshansky DL, Phillip Merling DL, Channing Crowder LB

Draft: Melvin Ingram DE South Carolina

10. Buffalo Bills 

Cap Space:  $19.3 million
Team Needs:  DB, LB, OL, WR,
Free Agents:  Steve Johnson WR

Draft: Dre Kirkpatrick CB Alabama

11. Kansas City Chiefs 

Cap Space:  $62.9 million
Team Needs:  RT, CB, DL, RB
Free Agents: Kyle Orton QB, Le'Ron McClain FB, Dwayne Bowe WR, Barry Richardson, Wallace Gilberry DL, Kelly Gregg DT, Brandon Carr DB

Draft: Devon Still DT PSU

12. Seattle Seahawks 

Cap Space:  $21.3 million
Team Needs:  QB, OL, CB, RB
Free Agents:  Marshawn Lynch RB, John Carlson TE, David Hawthorne LB

Draft: Riley Reiff OT Iowa

13. Arizona Cardinals 

Cap Space:  $7 million
Team Needs: QB, OL, LB, DE
Free Agents:  Levi Brown OT, Deuce Lutui OG, Calais Campbell DL

Draft: Courtney Upshaw OLB Alabama

14. Dallas Cowboys 

Cap Space:  $17.1 million
Team Needs: Owner, CB, S, OL
Free Agents:  Laurent Robinson WR, Bradie James LB, Anthony Spencer LB

Draft: Janoris Jenkins CB North Alabama

15. Philadelphia Eagles 

Cap Space:  $11.01 million
Team Needs: LB, S, OL, DT
Free Agents:  Vince Young QB, DeSean Jackson WR

Draft: Luke Kuechly ILB Boston College

16. New York Jets 

Cap Space:  $8.39 million
Team Needs: RB, WR, DL, LB (pass rush)
Free Agents:  Plaxico Burress WR, Sione Pouha DT, Jim Leonhard DB

Draft: Trent Richarson RB Alabama

17. Cincinnati Bengals  (From Oakland)

Cap Space:  $60 million
Team Needs:
Free Agents:

Draft: David DeCastro OG Stanford

18. San Diego Chargers 

Cap Space:  $9.2 million
Team Needs: OL, DL, LB, CB
Free Agents:  Jacob Hester RB, Mike Tolbert RB, Vincent Jackson WR, Jared Gaither OT, Nick Hardwich C, Antonio Garay DT, Stephen Cooper LB

Draft: Michael Brockers DT LSU

19. Chicago Bears 

Cap Space:  $7.7 million
Team Needs: OL, OL, WR, TE, DL
Free Agents:  Matt Forte RB, Roy Williams WR, Amobi Okoye DT, Brandon Meriweather DB

Draft: Jonathan Martin OT Stanford
 
20. Tennessee Titans 

Cap Space:  $8.11 million
Team Needs: OL, WR, DL
Free Agents: Cortland Finnegan DB, Michael Griffin DB

Draft: Mike Adams OT Ohio St.

21. Cincinnati Bengals 

Cap Space:  $60 million
Team Needs: OG, C, CB, Healthy Keith Rivers
Free Agents:  Anthony Collins OT, Manny Lawson LB, Reggie Nelson DB, Mike Nugent K

Draft: Mark Barron S Alabama

22. Cleveland Browns (From Atlanta) 

Cap Space:  $8.9 million
Team Needs: Prev
Free Agents: Prev

Draft: Kendall Wright WR Baylor

23. Detroit Lions 

Cap Space:  $1.5 million
Team Needs:  CB, S, RB, OL (LB if Tulloch doesn't return)
Free Agents:  Jeff Backus OT, Tony Ugoh OT, Bobby Carpenter LB, Stephen Tulloch LB

Draft:  Lamar Miller RB Miami

24. Pittsburgh Steelers 

Cap Space:  -$11.7 million
Team Needs: OL, CB, NT
Free Agents:  Mike Wallace WR, Jerricho Cotchery WR, Max Starks OT, Aaron Smith DL, Chris Hoke DL

Draft: Trumaine Johnson CB Montana

25. Denver Broncos 

Cap Space:  $50.7 million
Team Needs: QB!, CB, DT, TE
Free Agents:  Daniel Graham TE, Brodrick Bunkley DT

Draft: Fletcher Cox DT Miss St.

26. Houston Texans 

Cap Space: $3.3 million
Team Needs: WR, DT (if Cody doesn't resign), Health
Free Agents:  Mario Williams DE, Shaun Cody DT

Draft: Alshon Jeffery WR South Carolina

27. New England Patriots (From Saints) 

Cap Space:  $20 million
Team Needs:
Free Agents:

Draft: Jerel Worthy DT Michigan State

28. Green Bay Packers 

Cap Space:  $5.48 million
Team Needs: CB, DE, RB, OL (Sherrod and Bulaga were drafted the last two years)
Free Agents:  Matt Flynn QB, Ryan Grant RB, Jermichael Finley TE

Draft: Coby Fleener TE Stanford

29. Baltimore Ravens 

Cap Space:  $6.2 million
Team Needs: TE, C, S, CB
Free Agents:  Ray Rice RB, Ben Grubbs OG, Cory Redding DL, Tom Zbikowski DB

Draft: Dwayne Allen TE Clemson

30. San Francisco 49ers 

Cap Space:  $39.3 million
Team Needs: WR, CB, RB, KR...
Free Agents:  Alex Smith QB, Ted Ginn Jr WR, Chilo Rachal OG, Ahmad Brooks LB, Carlos Roger DB, Dashon Golden DB

Draft: Brandon Thompson DT Clemson

31. New England Patriots 

Cap Space:  $20 million
Team Needs: DE, DT, CB, WR
Free Agents:  Wes Welker WR, Deion Branch WR, Andre Carter DE, Rob Ninkovich LB

Draft: Dontari Poe DT Memphis

32. New York Giants 

Cap Space:  -$7.3 million
Team Needs: TE, RB, OT, CB (depending on FA losses and cuts)
Free Agents:  Mario Manningham WR, Kareem McKenzie OT, Aaron Ross DB, Terrell Thomas DB

Draft: Cordy Glenn OG Georgia

Chiefs Targets in 2nd and 3rd Round:

Peter Konz C Wisconsin
Stephon Gilmore CB South Carolina
Jared Crick DE Nebraska
Kelechi Osemele OG Iowa St.
Orson Charles TE Georgia
Levy Adcock OT Oklahoma St.
David Wilson RB Virginia Tech
Dont'a Hightower ILB Alabama
Ladarius Green TE Louisiana-Lafayette
Josh Norman CB Coastal Carolina
Bobbie Massie OT Ole Miss
Bernard Pierce RB Temple
Chris Polk RB Washington

Late Round Targets; Rounds 4-7:

Dwight Jones WR UNC
Darius Fleming OLB ND
Jonas Gray RB ND
Davin Meggett RB Maryland
Bobby Massie OT Ole Miss
T.Y. Hilton WR Florida International
Brian Quick WR Appalachian State
Tyrone Crawford DE Boise St.
Mitchell Schwrtz OT Cal
Ryan Miller OG Colorado
Ryan Steed CB Furman
Bryce Brown RB Kansas St.
Amin Silatolu OG Midwestern State
Ronnie Hillman RB SDSU
Jeff Fuller WR TA&M
Russell Wilson QB Wisconsin