That’s what Spags loves so much about him.

Yeah he’s gonna want at least $14-15 million APY. The problem for him is that he’s never been a pro bowler or all pro so his argument isn’t exactly strong.

I think you stick to a hard line of $14-15 million APY with a backloaded structured contract that allows you to make the cap hits lower the first 2-3 years then have a way out when he gets expensive.

I've been noticing a lot lately that we are one of the only defenses who can consistently audible to an offense's audible. We go check for check at the LOS a ton and that's gotta be a Bolton thing on some level.

That makes him worth more than just the $9-10M you'd probably pay him as a player. They gotta find the line somewhere, it isn't $20M. But he's worth more than $10M.

4/$60 million just seems like an easy sweet spot. You guarantee $40 million of that over the first 3 years, final year base of $20 million is unguaranteed.

But the reason I get a little wary here is that if it's THAT easy...why hasn't it gotten done? Bolton wants to stay here, Spags obviously wants to keep him. If it's as easy as I think it should be - why hasn't it gotten done by now?

He's more valuable to this team than he is any other team in football, IMO. It would be a disservice to both player AND team for him to leave because someone is offering him $17 million/season.

Which makes me wonder if he doesn't think someone may be willing to offer him $20 million. Or maybe if we have only offered him $12 million. Something has to be creating the disconnect. It can't be as easy as I think it is.

Best instincts I have ever seen from a Chiefs defender.

Yup. Spags has said many times that Nick is the single smartest player that he's ever coached. He's been a huge part of why the defense has made such great adjustments in games.

So I think for that alone he needs to come back, and again, someone told me as long as Spags is here that there will be a big push to keep Nick.

I know you can replace him with a guy that is a better athlete but man, the dude literally makes in game adjustments and it's why the defense gets better every quarter.

I told y'all.

He's the reason Spags can run his defense the way he wants to. Do you really want to give that up?

Mentioned this before but I went to the first Texans game and every snap Nick was talking to the defense relaying information. He wa basically tipping guys on what play was coming and which way it was coming.

I imagine Spagnuolo feels he's the best extension of his own brain on the field since at least Antonio Pierce.

No, he isn't going to wanna let that go.

Wasn't it the Super Bowl last year when Spags credited Nick for wanting to run the McDuffie pressure on 3rd-and-4 that effectively got us the stop we needed to give the ball back to Mahomes?

that's why I think it would be such a bummer for him to leave.

Spags doesn't just benefit from Bolton, Bolton benefits from being in such perfect harmony with his DC.

They just work REALLY well together.

He asked Bolton on the field about the corner blitz and looked directly at him waiting for the response. Bolton immediately felt good about the call and wanted to run it. Spags heavily based that decision on how Bolton felt about it, he had that much confidence in Bolton's opinion.

If I recall, we didnt think we could keep Gay but then were shocked at what he signed for. Like way less than we thought he would get.

Maybe Bolton saw that too? I am all for paying the man for what he has accomplished and will continue to but like someone else said, he is far more valuable here than he would be to another team.

There is value in that, Bolton is smart enough to know that.

Fingers crossed.

Unless Spags gets a job as a head coach and comes after Bolton.

There's a MIC'd up, I can't remember which one, and Spas is actually asking Bolton what it is he thinks on the next play call. And Nick tells him, and then he calls it perfect.

It's almost like we have two Spags with Bolton. If he had the athletic ability of a Fred Warner he'd literally be the next Ray Lewis.