For now, NFL free agency is set to begin March 18. Who are the Chiefs’ free agents?
The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak has shaken America’s sports landscape, leading the NBA to suspend its season, MLB to delay opening day by two weeks and the NCAA to outright cancel the NCAA Tournament.
But barring a schedule change, the NFL’s new calendar year, which signals the start of free agency, begins Wednesday, March 18.
A two-day window of open negotiations — the so-called “legal tampering period” — is slated to start Monday at 11 a.m. Central Time. During this period, NFL teams are allowed to contact and negotiate with certified agents representing players who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents Wednesday.
Any agreed-upon contract can’t be executed until the league’s new year officially begins Wednesday at 3 p.m. Central.
A potential new collective-bargaining agreement, or CBA, between the owners and players’ union is currently set to be voted upon Saturday. Its ratification could affect spending, as the league is expecting salary caps rise to an estimated $200 million per team in 2020, according to NFL.com.
Those adjusted figures project that the Chiefs would have an estimated $19.2 million in available cap space, according to the website Spotrac. The Chiefs’ total will take an immediate hit, with the team expected to use its lone “franchise tag” designation to keep defensive tackle Chris Jones. The price for doing so: an estimated one-year salary of $16 million to $17 million.
Including Jones, the Chiefs count 21 players from their 2019 roster who are scheduled to hit the open market Wednesday. Four players will become exclusive-rights free agents — players with two or fewer seasons of service time and whose contracts have expired.
Below is an overview of what the Chiefs face ahead of free agency.
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
The NFL defines an unrestricted free agent (UFA) as a player with four or more accrued seasons who has an expired contract. Such player is free to sign with any team.
The following players will become UFAs Wednesday, barring a re-signing.
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks Matt Moore and Chad Henne: General manager Brett Veach said at the recent NFL Scouting Combine that he would like to re-sign Moore or Henne to remain Patrick Mahomes’ primary backup. Moore filled in admirably while Mahomes recovered from a dislocated knee last fall.
Henne spent a good portion of the 2019 season on injured reserve before returning late in the season. He finished third on the depth chart behind Mahomes and Moore.
Bringing back Moore makes the most sense, but a decision here will ultimately boil down to money.
Running back LeSean McCoy: The veteran rusher saw limited playing time down the stretch last season and turns 32 in July. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Chiefs move on from him.
Running back Spencer Ware: Ware joined the team late in the season to provide depth with Damien Williams and Darrel Williams sidelined by injuries. He finished the season on injured reserve. As with McCoy, the Chiefs are likely to move on.
Fullback Anthony Sherman: A proven veteran and core special teams contributor whom the Chiefs should want back.
Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson: The Chiefs’ top priorities should include figuring out a way to restructure Sammy Watkins’ contract, which will count $20 million or more against the cap. Watkins is the priority and Mecole Hardman should see a bigger role in 2020, signaling that Robinson might be free to sign elsewhere.
Tight end Blake Bell: Bell proved valuable in the Chiefs’ two-tight end packages and he won’t break the bank if the team wants him back. Still, the Chiefs could decide to let Deon Yelder and Nick Keizer battle it out to become Travis Kelce’s primary backup.
Tackle Cam Erving: The Chiefs are expected to decline their club option on Erving, a source previously told The Star.
Guard Stefen Wisniewski: The Chiefs’ running game took off late in the season, and the insertion of Wisniewski into the starting lineup contributed to the surge. Bringing back the veteran makes sense.
DEFENSE
Cornerback Bashaud Breeland: He turned a contract year into a solid season, producing 48 tackles, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and eight passes defensed on 927 defensive snaps — the fourth-most on the team. Breeland could command a lucrative contract on the open market and be priced out of the Chiefs’ range.
Cornerback Kendall Fuller: The versatile Fuller missed five games in 2019 but turned in a solid performance with 49 tackles and two passes defensed on 507 defensive snaps. Fuller, who produced the game-sealing interception in Super Bowl LIV, can play cornerback and safety. When it comes to the Chiefs’ cornerbacks set to hit free agency, bringing back Fuller makes sense.
Cornerback Morris Claiborne: The Chiefs didn’t have Claiborne active during their stretch run or postseason. He probably won’t be back.
Cornerback Keith Reaser: He landed on injured reserve during training camp and isn’t likely to command a high contract if the Chiefs want to give him another look.
Safety Jordan Lucas: Lucas contributed mostly on special teams, where the totaled 261 snaps compared to 41 defensive snaps. The Chiefs are set at their starting safety spots, with Tyrann Mathieu and Juan Thornhill, but need depth at the position.
Linebacker Reggie Ragland: There’s little doubt Ragland is highly valuable against the run. A decision about whether to bring him back depends on whether the Chiefs see a better option on their current roster, via free agency or in the draft.
Linebacker Darron Lee: His playing time diminished during the playoff run, a sign the Chiefs are comfortable moving on.
Defensive lineman Chris Jones: As noted above, the Chiefs are expected to utilize their franchise tag to keep this star tackle off the open market. Such a move would give them and Jones’ representative time to work out a long-term deal before the NFL’s mid-July deadline. If no deal is in place then, and provided Jones signs the tender, he would play the 2020 season under a one-year franchise tag.
Defensive lineman Xavier Williams: Williams, a native of Grandview, would provide depth on the interior defensive line. He also wouldn’t cost too much to keep if the Chiefs want him.
Defensive lineman Emmanuel Ogbah: He’s one of the more intriguing players on the Chiefs’ defense. Ogbah was enjoying a strong 2019 campaign with 5.5 sacks before suffering a season-ending pectoral injury after playing in 10 games.
Defensive lineman Michael Pennel: The Topeka native recently told The Star that he “definitely” wants to return to the Chiefs. Pennel joined the team in October and quickly became a key member of their interior defensive line rotation. The Chiefs figure to give serious consideration to bringing him back.
Defensive lineman Terrell Suggs: The veteran pass rusher joined the Chiefs in late December and contributed to their Super Bowl run. But at 37, will the future Hall of Famer continue his career or ride off into the sunset as a two-time Super Bowl champion?
RESTRICTED FREE AGENT (RFA)
The NFL defines a restricted free agent as a player with three accrued seasons of playing time. A team has the option of tendering a qualifying offer before the player’s contract expires at the start of the new calendar year.
The Chiefs have no RFAs in 2020.
EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENT (ERFA)
The NFL defines an exclusive rights free agent as a player with less than three accrued seasons. The player is exclusive to his original team and can’t enter negotiations with another club if there’s a qualifying tender on the table.
The Chiefs have four players scheduled to become ERFAs in 2020: WR Marcus Kemp, TE Deon Yelder, TE David Wells, OL Andrew Wylie.
This story was originally published March 14, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
