Bucs Beat

Rick Stroud, Joe Smith and Greg Auman

Chiefs speak out on Jared Allen



Here's the latest, a statement from Chiefs president Carl Peterson that makes it clear this is a legit story:

"We will confirm that we have been in conversation with a few teams regarding the possibility of acquiring Jared Allen's contractual rights. Any potential agreement would be contingent on the Chiefs receiving appropriate compensation and Jared's representative reaching a contract agreement.

"Jared is not an exclusive franchise player. Therefore, based on the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, he has the right to visit and negotiate with other teams. However, for any trade to be completed, the Chiefs would need to reach an agreement on compensation. At this point, all of these discussions are preliminary."


Here's my take: It's unusual that a team would chime in on a fluid story like this unless there's a pretty good chance something is going to go down. No one wants to make a big deal about a story then have the potential trade blow up in the late stages. So, this is further evidence that a deal might be closer than we even know.

Whether any potential deal is struck with the Bucs, well, that's another matter. Avid readers of this site know the Bucs have just five draft picks, and the Chiefs are primarily seeking picks -- not players. Word is Kansas City prefers those picks be in the 2008 draft, too, rather than next year.

So, this is a tricky proposition for the Bucs if they're serious about this. I hedge because this is the same team that last year conducted a visit with Saints franchise player Charles Grant -- a visit that turned out to be little more than a get-together aimed at learning about the player in case he became a free agent this year. Grant eventually signed a long-term contract extension with New Orleans.


Join the discussion: Click to view comments, add yours