NFL free agency is set to begin, and there’s already been some movement as teams release players no longer in their plans. The Chiefs have many needs, but don’t expect them to fill many of them in free agency. It’s not the Chiefs fault. There just isn’t much out there, and 31 other teams who will be going after this same small group of unrestricted free agents. So who should the Chiefs pursue? Here are a few suggestions:

Safety Antrel Rolle: Released by the Arizona Cardinals in a financial move, Rolle would appear to be a good fit for the Chiefs. He would be an upgrade over Mike Brown. He’s played both corner and safety. And he’s only 27. He would be my number one target. I can’t imagine he’ll last long in free agency. There are a couple other free agent safeties who might be worth looking at including Ryan Clark from the Steelers and Dawan Landry from the Ravens.

Nose Tackle Jamal Williams: At 33 it’s hard to know how much Williams has left in the tank, but he’s a true nose tackle with tons of experience in the 3-4. Last year the Chiefs had Ron Edwards and not much else. Williams would provide depth, and might even push for a starting spot.

Wide Receiver: Fill in the blank here. The Chiefs are attempting to resign Chris Chambers, which I think would be an excellent move. But the Chiefs will need to consider yet another receiver. I’ve always like Laveranues Coles, and he was recently released by Cincinnati. Though at 32 his best seasons are well behind him. And I really like Antonio Bryant. He’s a playmaker, and only 28 years old. Plus there still might be an opportunity to trade for Anquan Boldin.

Running Back: The Chiefs will need to find a complementary back for Jamaal Charles. Preferably somebody with some size for short yardage situations. Chester Taylor from the Vikings is probably the biggest name out there, but he’s not necessarily the best fit for the Chiefs. Not sure where the Chiefs go here, but you’d think they’d bring in somebody to provide competition. Or they might just wait till the draft.

Offensive Line: I would expect the Chiefs to sign a couple of guys to create some competition, but there’s not much out there. Chad Clifton, the offensive tackle from the Packers, is probably the biggest name available, but he’s certainly not an elite tackle. I’d rather see the Chiefs draft an offensive tackle than sign Clifton.

The two biggest names on the market are linebacker Karlos Dansby and defensive end Julius Peppers. I don’t anticipate the Chiefs making a push for either of them. Dansby would certainly be an upgrade for the Chiefs at inside linebacker, but the Chiefs have such bigger needs elsewhere that it’s hard to see them going after Dansby. And Peppers would have to convert to an outside linebacker in the 3-4. He’s capable of making that transition, but with the Chiefs resigning Mike Vrabel this week it’s hard to see them making a play for Peppers.

Is that an oxymoron? A Royal Mistake?

Spring training has begun and I’m looking for reasons to be optimistic about the boys in blue. And it’s tough. Not to beat on a dead horse, but the Royals appear to jump from plan to plan every off-season. What was their plan last year? Improve their offense. Didn’t work so well. So what’s their plan this year? Improve their defense.

Which then leaves me baffled as to why Mark Teahen is now with the Chicago White Sox and Jose Guillen is still a Royal.

Jose Guillen is scheduled to make $12 million this year. He’s a liability as an outfielder and has now been relegated to DH. So you’d expect that he must be putting up some strong offensive numbers. Not so. Over the last two years he’s hitting .257 with 29 HRs. His SLG and OPS have been on a steady decline these last three years. (View Guillen’s stats here.)

Mark Teahen is scheduled to make about $3.5 million this year. While struggling at times in the outfield, Teahen showed his fine glove last year while getting extended playing time at third base as the replacement for the injured Alex Gordon. And compare his offensive numbers to Guillen over the last two years — Teahen hit .262 with 27 HRs (though he did have more at bats than Guillen). And his OBP, SLG and OPS are all similar to Guillen over the last three years. (View Teahen’s stats here.)

So let’s see, Teahen’s offensive numbers are very similar to Guillen, he’s significantly better defensively, has about one-fourth the salary, and is a positive presence in the locker room.

Can somebody explain this to me? Is it really a wonder that the Royals continue to struggle? The Royals can either have Jose Guillen on their team, or Mark Teahen and another $8.5 million to improve the club elsewhere.

The mistake with Mark Teahen was made a couple years ago when the Royals moved him to the outfield. Teahen is a good athlete, and the general thought was that he’d convert well to the outfield, while Alex Gordon was projected to be the future at third base. However, Teahen never quite conquered the outfield defensively (partly because the team kept moving him around) which caused him to struggle at the plate. And Gordon has been nothing more than a mediocre third baseman, both offensively and defensively. Gordon still has the potential to be better, but right now it’s still just potential.

I said it at the time — I would have preferred that they left Teahen at third, and put Gordon at first, where he could potentially be a gold glove first baseman. So today you’d be looking at the Royals with a better third basemen (Teahen over Gordon), much improved play at first base (Gordon over Butler), and a better bat at DH (Butler over Guillen). Improves the team significantly defensively without hurting the offense.

There’s also a trickle down effect with this lineup. Alberto Callaspo, one of our only offensive threats, appears to be getting squeezed out of playing time because Chris Getz is a better fielding second baseman than Callaspo. Remember the new plan is to improve the defense. But part of the reason that Callaspo’s defense is a concern is because of Butler’s limited range at first. With Gordon at first, you increase your range from first significantly, and can probably survive with Callaspo at second base. This team needs offense, and last year Callaspo was a doubles machine.

And you’d still have another $8.5 million to improve the club elsewhere.

NFL free agency begins soon, and the draft is only a couple months away. A difficult time of year for us NFL junkies with little news to read.

Free Agency
With the expiration of the NFL’s labor agreement, free agency takes an interesting turn. Unless a deal is reached soon, which is not anticipated, this year will be an uncapped year. So you might expect a lot of money to get thrown around to free agents. But because of the expiration of the agreement, many players who would have become unrestricted free agents are now restricted free agents. So pickings will be slim. Add to that the uncertainty of the 2011 season and it’s likely now that many teams will refrain from spending much this off-season. There are a few marquee names out there who will sign quickly. But after that expect little action on the free agent market.

I found an interesting website this week: NFL Labor News. Lots of information focused on, well, NFL labor news. And if you’re looking for a site to track available free agents, try KFFL’s Free Agent Tracker.

Chiefs First Round Draft Pick
Improving the Chiefs’ offensive line remains a priority this off-season. And I still think it’s likely that the Chiefs will take an offensive tackle with their first pick in the draft. Russell Okung from Oklahoma State has consistently been high on most draft boards, but appears to be slipping a bit as other players move up. One name to watch is Anthony Davis, an offensive tackle from Rutgers. Here’s how he’s described by ESPN’s Mel Kiper, who predicts that the Chiefs will pick him in the draft: “Davis has the physical talent to be a Pro Bowl player early in his career, but he’s still developing. Still, given a choice, the Chiefs can’t pass on his upside, which is as high as any player’s in the draft. A potential Walter Jones-like presence, if his development continues. The Chiefs also could move Branden Albert to the right side.”

I’ve been watching KU basketball since 1986. I’ve watched a lot of great basketball, and a lot of great players come through Lawrence. The thought crossed my mind this weekend: Is Sherron Collins the best point guard to ever play at Kansas? Collins has everything you’d want in a point guard. He can shoot. He can drive. He can handle the ball. He can dish out assists. He can defend. And he’s clearly the Jayhawk’s leader on and off the court.

Going back to ‘86, KU has had some fine point guards. But none were as complete a player as Collins. Aaron Miles, Russell Robinson and Jacque Vaughn had great assist numbers, but weren’t much of a threat to score. Adonis Jordan was a nice all around player, but I don’t remember him as the type of player who could create his own shot like Collins. We’ve had some point guards like Kevin Pritchard, Kirk Hinrich and Mario Chalmers who probably were more typical shooting guards but played the point at Kansas.

If there’s a valid critique in Collins’ game, it’s that he sometimes tries to do too much. He’s often had to put the team on his back and carry them to a victory. And since he’s asked more than most point guards to create his own shots, his turnover to assist ratio is probably not as good as you’d like it to be from your point guard.

So Sherron passes the first hurdle for me. He’s the best point guard to have played for the Jayhawks since 1986. But KU has a long tradition of basketball. So I started poking around through the history of Kansas hoops, and there are two names that rise to the top for point guards: Jo Jo White and Darnell Valentine.

Jo Jo White played for Kansas from 1965-69. He averaged 15.3 points per game, and made 42% of his shots. White was a two-time All-American and a three-time All-Big Eight member. He also was named KU’s MVP for three straight seasons, and led KU in scoring in 1968.

Valentine played for Kansas from 1978-81. He averaged 15.4 points per game, and made 47.6% of his shots. Valentine left KU as the school’s leader in career steals and free throws. He was the first player to be named a four-time all-Big Eight selection, and also was a member of the 1980 Olympic team.

When I asked around from people who have followed the Hawks longer than myself, the general consensus was that Jo Jo White was the best, but that Sherron is  pushing for that top spot. Another national championship for Collins likely elevates him as the best point guard to ever play at Kansas.

Chiefs’ Waters Wins Award
Congratulations to Brian Waters, winner of this year’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award. Waters is a leader on and off the field. A very good player, and by all accounts, and even better person. Waters is the fifth Chief to win the award following linebacker Willie Lanier (1972), quarterback Len Dawson (1973), linebacker Derrick Thomas (1993) and guard Will Shields (2003). That’s more than any other team in the league. Here’s the story in the Star.

Super Bowl
I’m looking forward to today’s game more than any other in recent years. We’ll be watching Peyton Manning quarterback in his second Super Bowl. A win today and Manning enters the discussion as possibly the best quarterback to ever play the game. I’d already put him in the top five. But another win or two in a Super Bowl and he probably jumps to number one in my book.

And then there’s the Saints. What a great feelgood story. New Orleans suffered through so many years of really bad teams. I’m happy for the city. Drew Brees is the second best quarterback in the league right now behind Manning. And probably my favorite player who’s not a Chief. The Saints run an offense where they share the ball and make plays all over the field. New Orleans were number one in the league in total offense with more than 400 yards per game. And the Saints had seven players with at least 35 receptions.

You would expect a shootout between these two teams, but I really expect both defenses to make enough plays to keep this interesting. The offenses will keep this game entertaining. I’ve been on the Colts / Saints bandwagon for weeks. Nice to see that I can finally get one right.

Prediction: Colts 31, Saints 28

Collective Bargaining Agreement
The amount of posturing going on right now between the league and the player’s association is amazing. While this is a storyline that should interest all football fans, it’s really too early to take anything they say to heart. People are already predicting a lockout in 2011. That’s NEXT year! Deals never get done till the last minute. Don’t take anything you hear too seriously.

The owners have been unhappy with the last couple of extensions to the existing agreement, and appear ready to take a harder stance. The economics of the game need to be changed for the league to continue to thrive. Believe it or not, many teams are struggling financially under the current system, and need the players to take a smaller piece of the pie. Right now the players make approximately 60% of the revenues.

From a fan’s point of view, I’d really like to see the NFL implement a system like the NBA where the salaries of draft picks are automatically slotted. There’s no reason a player should ever holdout for more money. Or a team should balk at paying a rookie they drafted. Holdouts hurt the player AND the team.

In negotiations, if you want something, you typically have to give something up. And I’d be fine with teams giving up the franchise tag. Players hate it. Good teams should be able to get their players resigned without the threat of the franchise tag. And players hate it. Or possibly the NFL could look into some type of guaranteed contracts for players chosen in the first few rounds.

The Kansas City Chiefs announced yesterday the hiring of three more assistant coaches: Bernie Parmalee (tight ends), Otis Smith (defensive quality control) and Emmitt Thomas (defensive backs).

First Charlie Weis. Then Romeo Crennel. And now the Chiefs add Emmitt Thomas to their coaching staff. Quite an off-season for the Chiefs. Todd Haley has assembled a very impressive and accomplished group of assistant coaches.

As a Chiefs fan, I have long admired Emmitt Thomas — both as a player and as a coach. Here’s what the Chiefs had to say about Thomas:

Emmitt Thomas (Defensive Backs): A veteran of 42 NFL seasons as a player and a coach, Thomas joins the Chiefs coaching staff after an eight-year coaching stint with Atlanta (2002-09), where he most recently served as assistant head coach/secondary. He also served as the Falcons interim head coach for the final three games of the 2007 season. Thomas served as an NFL defensive coordinator for seven seasons, working in that role for Minnesota (2000-01), Green Bay (’99) and Philadelphia (’95-98). He also served as an NFL assistant with Washington (’86-94) and St. Louis (’81-85), earning a pair of Super Bowl rings with the Redskins. He began his coaching career at Central Missouri State (’79-80).

Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Chiefs Hall of Fame in ‘86, Thomas played cornerback for 13 seasons with Kansas City (’66-78). He is the Chiefs all-time leader with 58 interceptions and 938 INT return yards. In 181 regular season games, he also accumulated five INT return TDs and seven fumble recoveries. He was named to the Pro Bowl or the AFL All-Star Game on five occasions and was a first-team All-Pro selection in ‘74 when he led the NFL with 12 INTs. He won two AFL titles with the Chiefs and was a member of the club’s Super Bowl I squad, as well as the club’s ‘69 team that claimed a victory in Super Bowl IV. The Angleton, Texas native joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent from Bishop College.

Here’s a complete list of the Chiefs coaching staff.

As a teenager in the ’80s I was a huge Eddie Money fan. He sang the national anthem at the KU-MU game last night and I missed it. Got a kick out of this story from the Journal-World:

National recording artist Eddie Money sang the national anthem.

Money, who lives in southern California, had the time of his life attending his first KU basketball game.

“I’m in Allen Fieldhouse. This is where Wilt Chamberlain played. I just saw Danny Manning. I had a chance to meet Gale Sayers. I’m in heaven,” exclaimed Money, whose hits include “Take Me Home Tonight,” “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Shakin’” and “Baby Hold On.”

Money, 60, said in a pregame interview with the Journal-World that he was nervous about singing the anthem.

“I played with the (Rolling) Stones, and I wasn’t nervous like I am now,” he said. “The only song I get nervous about singing is the Star-Spangled Banner. I sang it at a Chiefs game a couple years ago when they played the Raiders. This is the highlight of my life.

“My son goes to junior college. I wish he was here today to see how beautiful the girls are who go to school in the Midwest. I’ve been to UCLA, all over the place. The prettiest girls in the country are right here.”

Money, by the way, performed the national anthem at the Liberty Bowl, which is when he “ran into some friends who are from KU.” They had his agent contact KU about singing the anthem at a game.

I’m glad that Joe Posnanski is still contributing to the Star. He remains one of my favorite sports writers. This last week the Royals signed outfielder Rick Ankiel. The signing makes little sense to me. And it appears, has JoPo just as confused.

Here’s just a snippet of Joe’s article:

It is troubling that Dayton Moore’s entirely sensible plan for success — find young players, develop them, bring them to the big leagues — seems to be spinning in the mud. If you are going to be that kind of organization, you actually have to be that kind of organization. I don’t know if Jason Kendall, Scott Podsednik, José Guillen, Rick Ankiel, Yuniesky Betancourt, Kyle Farnsworth, Juan Cruz and so on are blocking any promising younger players from the big leagues.

But I guess that’s the point: If they are blocking younger talents, then the Royals are doing a lousy job of developing players.

And if they are not blocking younger talents, then the Royals are doing a lousy job of developing players.

It’s a good thing I’m not a gambling man. Last weekend my teams went 2-2. But I went against my gut picking teams coached by Norv Turner and Wade Phillips. I won’t do that again.

Jets at Colts: The Jets showed some real grit against the Chargers. Great defense and a great running attack. Brian Schottenheimer has really developed into a fine offensive coordinator. But the Jets probably don’t beat the Chargers if kicker Nate Kaeding doesn’t puke all over the field and miss three field goals. The Colts on the other hand bottled up the Ravens running attack and controlled their game from start to finish. Look for another Colts win, and another trip for Peyton Manning to the Super Bowl. Prediction: Colts 24, Jets 13

Vikings at Saints: A much tougher game to pick as both teams played very well last weekend. The Vikings defensive front four manhandled the Cowboys, and Brett Favre continues to make plays in the passing game. Yet the Saints have looked like the team of destiny most of the year. They put 45 points in the Cardinals, while holding Arizona to only 14 points. It appears that the Saints defense is getting healthy at the right time. And Drew Brees is maybe the best quarterback in the NFL not named Peyton Manning. Brees is uncanny in his accuracy. And he’s certainly the heart and soul of the Saints. I’m not jumping ship now. Prediction: Saints 27, Vikings 24

Dallas Cowboys: I thought it was interesting that the pre-game story on the Cowboys was all about how Dallas had gotten rid of all of the problems in the locker room, and that they were now a “team”. Yet immediately following the game wide receiver Roy Williams was pissed off because of how few passes have gone his way this season. Sounds like team first to me.

Pro Bowl: As a kid I looked forward to watching the Pro Bowl every year. It was a blast to see all the great players on the field at the same time. Only a couple of games were televised every week, and there was little opportunity to see many of the players throughout the season. But the Pro Bowl has lost its luster over the years. And I think primarily because now you get to see NFL coverage of every game in such great detail. This year the NFL is playing the Pro Bowl the week before the Super Bowl, which means the players who have been nominated to the Pro Bowl but our bound for the Super Bowl won’t be playing. The Vikings have nine players slotted to play in the Pro Bowl, which means if they make the Super Bowl, that’s a lot of star power missing from the Pro Bowl. I’m not sure this is a very good idea. We’ll see what it does for the ratings.

Bills Hire Chan Gailey: Where did this come from? I like Chan Gailey as a coordinator, but he’s had little success as a head coach. I don’t see the Bills getting better any time soon.

Broncos Part Ways with Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan: I don’t understand this move at all. Denver’s defense has been bad for years. Mike Nolan converted the defense to a 3-4 and really made them competitive this year. And after one year, Nolan’s gone. Can only assume that Noland and head coach Josh McDaniels didn’t get along.

Chargers and LaDanian Tomlinson: I’ve enjoyed watching LT run the ball for years. He’s a class act on and off the field. But he’s no longer an every down back. And as explosive as Darren Sproles can be, he can’t carry the load either. Tomlinson has likely played his last game for San Diego. Look for the Chargers to draft a running back early this year.

Raiders: What’s up in Oakland? Are they firing head coach Tom Cable or not? Lots of rumors that Al Davis is testing the waters and talking to some potential coaches. But word has it that Al Davis wants a coach who will commit to working with quarterback JaMarcus Russell. And any coach willing to make that commitment won’t have a chance. Russell appears to be a complete bust.

Chiefs: And just because I love my Chiefs, I have to say one more time how excited I am about our new coordinators, Weis and Crennel.

I know, I know. I’m a day late with my predictions. My son’s Pinewood Derby Race has taken up a chunk of my time the last few days. His car, Cheesey Fish, went 2-2 and didn’t make the finals. But the crowd chanted “CHEESE FISH CHEESE FISH” every time he raced. It was a good day at the races.

Now on with the predictions.

I’m predicting that the Colts and Saints will win yesterday’s games. Now before you roll your eyes, I’ve been predicting for weeks that the Colts and Saints were my picks for the Super Bowl. They’ve been the best two teams in the league all year despite a few meaningless losses late in the season. They’re both loaded on offense with playmakers all over the field. Manning and Brees right now are the two best quarterbacks in the league. And they have opportunistic defenses. I’m still on the bandwagon. Or bandwagons.

Today’s games are more interesting match-ups to discuss anyway.

Jets at Chargers: The Jets are good where it matters most. In the trenches. Their offensive and defensive lines play very well, and will create problems for the Chargers. For the Jets to have a chance to win, and they do, they must shut down the Chargers running game, and come up with a couple of key interceptions. I’m not sure that LT and Sproles will have much success against the Jets defense. But the bottom line is that the Chargers are just too good at putting points on the board, and the Jets won’t be able to keep up. Prediction: Chargers 28, Jets 17

Cowboys at Vikings: Should be a great game. Brett Favre and Jared Allen are two of my favorite players. But the Cowboys seem to have found their mojo. They’ve exercised a few demons with their win last week against the Eagles. But they’ll find a stiffer challenge today when they travel to Minnesota. The Vikings have struggled a bit with deciding what they want to be on offense, and it could cost them today. Prediction: Cowboys 24, Vikings 21

What’s interesting for me with these two picks is that I’ve said for years now that Norv Turner and Wade Phillips were the wrong choices to leat these organizations. But now I’ve got both of them advancing to their respective championship games. I’m not ready to admit I was wrong. They’ll have to win a Super Bowl first.

Next weekend I’ll be picking the Colts and Saints no matter who wins today. And as of right now I’m on the Colts to win it all. But I reserve the right to change my mind on this one before the big game.

I love the NFL.