The Chiefs sign Stanford Routt

The signing of Stanford Routt by the Chiefs most likely signals the end of one of the most the under-rated cornerback tandems in NFL history. The Brandons (Carr and Flowers) have been stalwarts on the Chiefs defense for the past four years. Other then four games, oddly enough, games that Brandon Flowers missed, the two have played in every game since the 2008 season. They have combined for 135 passes defended, 21 interceptions (three returned for touchdowns, all by Flowers) and 495 tackles in that four year span. 

Both have led a secondary that has grown as the years have gone by and the defense has grown around them. They only recently started getting the kind of credit they deserve and would’ve been part of one of the more formidable units in the NFL……had they stayed together. The simple fact was that Brandon Carr, who’s a free agent this year, wants a deal similar to the five-year 50 million dollar deal that Flowers got before the season. The Chiefs clearly decided that they weren’t going to be giving him that kind of money. They have stated that they’re still willing to re-sign him, but not to a big money contract. If he takes the hometown discount to stay, then Javier Arenas will likely be pushed further down the depth chart.

Ultimately, the Chiefs did do the best thing for their team. Routt is a solid number two corner and played a lot of the bump and run that the Chiefs like to do with the Raiders. He’s a little older, but he took a shorter less cap prohibitive contract than Carr would’ve taken. Also, the Chiefs have spent a lot of money on their younger players and this might’ve been a move to signal that they’re running out of space. Key defensive players like Eric Berry, Brandon Flowers, Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey, Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson all have big contracts. Dorsey and Jackson both can have their deals re-structured or could face outright release given their respective performances, but it still doesn’t leave a lot of room for a big contract for Carr. Committing to Routt for the short term, allows them time to try and find a replacement for Carr longer term. Should Carr take a less cap prohibitive contract, then Routt can slide inside and maybe become trade bait down the line. 

Additionally, with Routt in the fold, the Chiefs can put the franchise tag on Dwayne Bowe while they try and lock him up to a long term deal. Carr will likely leave in free agency because of his valuable skill set and wealth of experience. Look for him to be highly sought after. Routt was released from the Raiders last week to help clear cap space for a team that was significantly over the salary cap. Similar moves are expected in the coming weeks.