When Brett Veach met with local media after the Chiefs' AFC Championship loss, the message was pretty clear: Kansas City's focus for the upcoming offseason was going to be on defense. “Knowing that we have a good offensive line in place, defensive line probably makes the most sense, and through the defensive backfield and what have you,” he said. “I think the defensive side is one that we’ll probably focus on right off the bat.”
The Chiefs currently have 10 players on defense who are set to become unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins on March 16h. A few of those -- like Tyrann Mathieu, Charvarius Ward, and Jarran Reed -- were starters and major contributors on a unit that made impressive mid-season strides. Knowing that they all won't be back next year, here are a few free agent options that Veach and company may look at instead.
Jadeveon Clowney
The Chiefs' pass rushing issues were well documented this season, and Frank Clark's job security doesn't feel as strong as it used to. Chris Jones being able to hold down the middle as well as he does opens up plenty of intriguing options on the EDGE market, where Clowney is among a handful of talented free agent options. His sack numbers always give people pause, but the underlying rush numbers and his run defense (KC ended 20th in run defense DVOA) make up for quite a bit of that. If the Chiefs and Clowney -- who's 29 -- can come to an agreement on shorter contract terms, he'd be an interesting addition.
Bryce Callahan
If the Chiefs wanted to keep up the dice-rolling on short-term contracts, they could do a lot worse than Callahan. KC figures to be active in the secondary market over the next few months, with Mathieu, Ward, Mike Hughes, Daniel Sorenson, and Armani Watts all unrestricted free agents. Every time Callahan has been on the field, he's played well. Granted, staying on the field has been his issue: throughout his six-year career in Chicago and Denver, he's only played in more than 10 games three times. He's coming off arguably his worst season to-date, which could be an advantage for the Chiefs considering how top-heavy the cornerback free agent class is this year.
Emmanuel Ogbah
Could a return happen? Ogbah is the type of high-floor player that the Chiefs' pass rush could desperately use. He put together one of the best seasons of his career for the Dolphins in 2021, finishing as Pro Football Focus' 20th-best edge rusher -- the highest he's ever placed. He also provides some versatility: he played 68 snaps as a defensive tackle last season, and that was on the low end of what he's typically done in other years. Ogbah's ceiling isn't probably as high as some of the other EDGE free agent options, but there's something to be said for dependable production.
