(610 Sports) – With the NFL free-agency negotiating window set to open on Monday, March 14th, the Kansas City Chiefs are expected to be in the market for players at multiple positions.
Most notably, the Chiefs would like to get better at rushing the passer, add a reliable third receiving option and shore up the team's secondary, whether that means resigning their own would-be free agents or players on the open market.
First and foremost, the Chiefs need to get better at pressuring the quarterback and that means upgrading at defensive end.
The midseason addition of Melvin Ingram helped spark a defensive turnaround in 2021, but Ingram's impact was felt in his ability to make big plays at the right time, rather than him getting to the quarterback, highlighted by just one sack in 9 games with the team. Ingram is 33 years old and set to become an unrestricted free agent, himself.
The Chiefs would be smart to pursue other options on the market like Randy Gregory. Gregory is just 29 and had six sacks in 12 games last season in Dallas. He will likely be a popular target in free agency, as he's one of the better pass rushers that will be available.
The wide receiver free agent class is deep but Kansas City can't afford to break the bank on a receiver who will most likely get the third-most targets on the team, behind Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill. Expect the Chiefs to target a big receiver who can win jump balls in the end zone consistently, something the current options on their roster has had a hard time doing.
A few of the names being floated as options for the Chiefs are D.J. Chark, JuJU Smith-Schuster, and Allen Robinson. All three are capable and have produced 1,000 yard receiving seasons in the past but they are also coming off of down years where they missed some games, so they most likely won't be signing huge long-term contracts, which would be ideal for Kansas City.
The Chiefs secondary situation is the most intriguing, as they option of trying re-sign unrestricted free-agent corners Charvarius Ward and Mike Hughes, as well as safety Tyrann Mathieu.
It's probably a safe bet to say Mike Hughes will play for another team next year and isn't a Chiefs priority. Tyrann Mathieu and Charvarius Ward on the other hand, were big parts of the Chiefs defense and Mathieu, at least, has expressed his desire to stay in Kansas City. The issue with both players, however, is money.
Ward is just 25 and has spent his entire 4-year career with the Chiefs after being signed as an undrafted free agent. Cornerback is a premium position and good CBs get paid handsomely on the open market, Ward will have plenty of suitors willing to pay him.
Tyrann Mathieu has been the vocal leader of the Chiefs defense since coming to the Chiefs in 2019 and still has plenty of gas left in the tank at 29 years old. While there is interest from both sides in keeping the ball-hawking safety in Kansas City, this may be Mathieu's last big contract and the Chiefs have a number of players whose contracts are coming up, so there's a decision to be made if Mathieu fits within what the team is looking to do.
The top corners available are JC Jackson and Stephen Gilmore and both are expected to sign multi-year deals worth $14-$18 million per, likely putting them out of Kansas City's range. Other good options are out there for less and the Chiefs could look to bring in a proven commodity like Casey Hayward Jr., who is still playing at a high-level at 32 years old and would take up half the cap amount of Jackson or Gilmore.
I'd expect the Chiefs to talk with several FA defensive backs, D.J. Reed Jr. of Seattle would make a lot of sense as an outside corner or a reunion with Steven Nelson could also be in the cards.
If the team parts ways with Tyrann Mathieu, they would be wise to look at Jayron Kearse who played on a one-year veteran minimum deal last season with the Cowboys and excelled, earning a PFF grade of 75.9 (14th of 94). Quandre Diggs is another name to keep an eye on, a true ball-hawking cover safety who has intercepted 21.6% of passes thrown at him in coverage since 2019.