Should I Stay or Should I Go Now? Part 1

Free Agency.

I can't help but to think of the movie Jerry Maguire every time I hear those two words placed next to each other. And the scene from Jerry Maguire that really stands out to me is when Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is explaining to Maguire (Tom Cruise) what Kwan is. Tidwell describes it as "love, respect, community... and the dollars too. The package. The kwan."

Currently, we have 24 free agents (Mark Simoneau retired after injury earlier in the season so he does not count). Here's the full list.

Now, the 2011 draft and the current situation with the collective bargaining agreement aside, I am going to break down all the free agents by position and label which ones we should keep and the ones that we can afford to lose. These further labels will be "valuable" and "expendable."

In other words: who deserves to get the kwan.

Here's the breakdown:

Backs & Receivers

• Running back Jackie Battle: Battle was the third running back on the depth chart, behind Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles. He had 50 yards rushing this year, and only 118 on his career. He averaged 1.25 attempts per game. 
• EXPENDABLE
• Full back Tim Castille: Now, this comes down to who Kansas City wants to keep between Castille and Cox. Both shared time at full back this season, but only one is really necessary. Castille gives you a little more versatility at the full back spot; although only having 3 yards on 5 attempts, he had 10 catches for 43 yards. However, he's not as big as Cox and is one year older.
• EXPENDABLE
• Full back Mike Cox: A lot of fans like Mike Cox. Maybe it's because he always has that band-aid on his nose or how he hated having to share time at full back, wishing he could be out there every play. Cox outweighs Castille by 14 lbs and is 25 years old (as I said before, one year younger than Castille). Although he's not as versatile, he did have 4 receptions for 27 yards. I think the Chiefs, having the choice between Cox and Castille, will probably go with Cox.
• VALUABLE
• Quarterback Brodie Croyle: In the 18 games that Croyle has played in (10 starts), he has 1,669 yards with 8 touchdowns and nine interceptions; a career 67.8 qb rating. Once drafted to be the quarterback of the future, he is 0-10 in starts.
• EXPENDABLE
• Wide Receiver Terrance Copper: Copper was one of those receivers that Haley was giving playing time over Chris Chambers in order to motivate Chambers. I don't think it worked. Copper was decent all season, having 18 receptions for 157 yards and three starts. He was a big contributor on special teams, recording 15 tackles. Verran Tucker is a very similar player, however, and younger.
• EXPENDABLE
• Wide Receiver Kevin Curtis: Curtis was only with the Chiefs for less than a week before the offseason began. He's battled injuries most of his career, but has put up impressive numbers when he's healthy. Now, I don't think Haley and Pioli just planned on bringing in Curtis for one game; I believe that Curtis will probably replace Chambers next season. We don't have a lot of talent at the wide receiver position outside of Bowe, and I bet Curtis will come cheap.
• VALUABLE
• Tight End Brad Cottam: Cottam probably gets a bad rap because he was the tight end that had to follow Tony Gonzalez after he was traded. That said, Cottam was bad. In 2009, I remember Cottam dropping passes, not holding blocks, and me wishing he didn't play. Well, he was on injured reserve all this season so I guess my wish came true.
• EXPENDABLE
• Tight End Leonard Pope: I like Pope. I think he's a good blocker and can catch the ball decently well (not every time, but most of the time). He had 10 receptions for 76 yards and two touchdowns this season.
• VALUABLE

This was eight of the 24 free agents we have. I thought the post was getting a bit long considering the number I had left so I am going to cut it off here. I will talk about the other free agents in upcoming posts. We still have Offensive Line, Defensive Line & Linebackers, and Defensive Backs left to talk about.

And remember, these labels are for the present, before any free agent signings or drafting. These labels of 'valuable' and 'expendable' can, and most likely will change, before the offseason is over. For example: if we trade for Larry Fitzgerald or draft a wide receiver in the first round, Curtis will most likely switch from 'valuable' to 'expendable.'

If you have any comments on players or my evaluation of them, whether you agree or disagree, make sure to leave them in the comment box.