Feb. 11, 2000 SportsLine wire reports

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs have re-signed free safety

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Jerome Woods and designated offensive lineman Will Shields as their franchise player, making it less likely that they would lose him to another team as a free agent.

Woods, the team's No. 1 draft pick in 1996, signed a five-year deal. Terms were not disclosed, but he was known to have been seeking $3.5 million a year.

Shields' agent, Joe Linta, expressed optimism last week about a new contract for his client, a five-time Pro Bowl choice. But the Chiefs were able to reach a deal with Woods instead, a move that allowed them to protect Shields from the open market.

Any NFL team can still negotiate with and sign Shields, but they would have to compensate the Chiefs with two first-round draft choices.

The Chiefs are obligated to offer him a one-year contract worth about $4.1 million, the average of the top five salaries at his position last season.

The Chiefs have eight other unrestricted free agents.

They would like to retain strong safety Reggie Tongue and wide receiver Joe Horn, but both have been told the team didn't have the salary cap room to sign them immediately.

The Chiefs asked to be given the chance to match any free agent offers Tongue and Horn might receive.

Tongue said he would give the Chiefs a shot at retaining him.

"I'll come back to them with an offer, if I get one," he said. "But they're in a situation where if someone offered me a huge contract, I'd talk to the Chiefs, but I doubt they would be able to sign me. I can only give them so much time. I have to look at things realistically."