Who should the Chiefs chase in free agency? Here are some names worth pondering
Buckle up and get ready for a wild free-agency ride with the Chiefs.
From the chatter around the NFL’s recent scouting combine, the Chiefs will be one of the more active teams this year, especially with new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in town. With that in mind, look for general manager Brett Veach to flex his roster-building muscle.
But they’ll have to clear some salary-cap space. The Chiefs rank toward the bottom of the league in cap room for the upcoming season, with OverTheCap.com projecting the club to have $10.1 million in space — 27th in the NFL. The most obvious way to create space is by cutting veteran outside linebacker Justin Houston.
Ideally, the Chiefs would trade the aging pass rusher. Assuming that doesn’t happen, they’ll still need to unload his contract. It carries a significant amount of dead money ($7.1 million), but it can also clear up $14 million in cap space. The Chiefs could also choose to cut cornerback Eric Murray and safety Daniel Sorensen to save $4 million more.
Both had OK seasons (Sorensen’s was shortened by a training camp injury), but the Chiefs could get an upgrade at those spots for less money through the draft or a free-agent signing. They could also cut or trade Reggie Ragland to free up more space because he doesn’t fit well into Spagnuolo’s 4-3 defense.
With those moves, the Chiefs could have about $28 million in cap space at their disposal. Here’s a look at some of the players they could spend that money on.
Safeties
This is the most obvious position in this discussion. The Chiefs need a safety, maybe even two. While most of the free-agent market is pretty weak, that’s not the case for this position group. The Chiefs will make safety a top — if not the top — priority in free agency. Here are some of the guys they’ll likely target first.
Landon Collins: There was chatter that the Chiefs tried to get a deal done with Landon Collins before the trade deadline during the season. That obviously didn’t happen. But could the two sides get something done this time around? Though his production has declined the last three years, going from five to two to no interceptions from 2016-18, the 25-year old would be an elite addition to the Chiefs’ secondary. Collins, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, would be a force as a run-stopping strong safety, allowing a healthy Eric Berry to drop back into coverage.
Earl Thomas: Like Collins, Thomas was rumored to be heading to the Chiefs during the season via trade. But that plan was thwarted when Thomas fractured his lower leg in late September. Now, Kansas City could add Thomas as a free agent. Before his injury, Thomas was a playmaker in Seattle, recording 22 tackles, three interceptions and five passes defended in four games. At 29, he’s not one of the youngest safeties on the market, but with six Pro Bowl selections, he is one of the most proven.
Linebackers
With Spagnuolo’s expected 4-3 scheme, the Chiefs have a little tinkering to do here. Ragland and Anthony Hitchens were the two inside linebackers last season and had varying degrees of success. While Hitchens should be able to transition to Mike/middle linebacker fairly seamlessly, Ragland may be an odd man out. He doesn’t have a natural spot in the scheme. Dorian O’Daniel should be able to slide into the Will spot pretty well as a coverage linebacker and a guy also responsible for stopping a weakside run. But what about the strong/outside ‘backer? That’s an area the Chiefs could fill in free agency.
Jamie Collins: In Spagnuolo’s new scheme, the Chiefs will need to fill the “Sam” role. Collins fits the bill pretty well, and he played for new defensive line coach Brendan Daly for two years when both were with the Patriots. After his stint in New England, Collins signed a four-year, $50 million deal with the Browns. But he was released by Cleveland earlier this week to save $9.25 million against the cap, putting him on the free-agent market. In his final season with the Browns, he had 104 tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. He’s a versatile linebacker, having shown an ability to blitz from the interior, and he can drop back into coverage.
Edge rushers
A lot of what the Chiefs need to do here in free agency depends on what they decide to do with Houston and Dee Ford. It’s obvious that they won’t both be on the roster in 2019, and it’s becoming more and more likely that neither is back. Houston will likely be the first to depart as the Chiefs clear cap space and make way for a major free-agent signing or two. The Chiefs didn’t get much interest in Houston at the NFL Combine, so they may end up having to cut the veteran. Ford will command more trade interest as an outside linebacker at the top of his game. If the Chiefs flip him for draft picks, maybe even just a second-round pick, that would create an even bigger need to sign an edge rusher in free agency. The unit has some depth, with Tanoh Kpassagnon and Breeland Speaks, two players who will benefit from the move to a 4-3, but it needs at least one heavyweight to really make an impact.
Trey Flowers: Because the Patriots declined to franchise-tag Flowers, the 25-year-old is set to be an unrestricted free agent. If he had been tagged, he would’ve been owed over $17 million in 2019. As the top available defensive end, Flowers will command a hefty figure, and the Chiefs could be priced out of a bidding war due to their lack of cap space. He had 7.5 sacks in 2018 en route to his second Super Bowl title with the Patriots. But if the Chiefs part ways with Houston and Ford, the club could easily justify spending the money to bring him in.
This story was originally published March 8, 2019 at 6:00 AM.