By Acquiring a Top CB, the Chiefs Would Be Going Against Their Own Ways
Merely a few weeks ago, I wrote about how the Kansas City Chiefs are doubling down on their cornerback philosophy. Charvarius Ward had just departed and signed elsewhere via free agency, and that was even before Mike Hughes did the same. At the time, the position's prospects looked bleak and the team had made minimal investments to replace its lost production in the defensive backfield.
That remains the case now, but the Chiefs are being linked to a few players that would stray pretty drastically from what the franchise has done under general manager Brett Veach.
Feb 25, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach speaks to the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
In recent weeks, Kansas City has been in active communication with All-Pro free agent Stephon Gilmore's camp. The team has also engaged in at least exploratory talks with the New York Giants regarding Pro Bowl cornerback James Bradberry. The Bradberry market reportedly remains wide open, and Gilmore is still an option for the Chiefs. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN appeared on the company's program, SportsCenter, on Sunday and had the following to say about Gilmore's situation:
Kansas City Chiefs has done their homework on him; there's interest there. The Philadelphia Eagles need a starting corner; there's belief to be interest on him around the league with the Eagles. There's some other wild-card teams. The Buffalo Bills, they've been looking at some starting cornerback help. He played there as a rookie; maybe there's a reunion in the works potentially. But nothing really cooking right now. He's also like [Tyrann Mathieu]—willing to take his time if he has to.
Veteran players admittedly do have much more time to make decisions, especially if they're among the best available players at their positions. Gilmore fits that description and with the 2022 NFL Draft not taking place until the end of April, he has a few more weeks to make a decision before rookies eliminate some team needs. Even after that, the vaunted "second wave" of signings can see some proven players through to their new destinations. Simply put: Gilmore has time.
With that time, however, comes the very real fact that eventually, a team will have to shell out a decent amount of money for Gilmore's services. Despite not being the elite player he once was in his prime, the 31-year-old can still get it done at a high level. Projections on his next contract vary, but Over The Cap values him at $13 million APY and Spotrac values him at $14.1M. For reference, Bashaud Breeland's two one-year contracts in Kansas City were worth a combined maximum of $5M. Dumping a significant amount of money into an aging free agent cornerback isn't a typical Chiefs move.
Bradberry, on the other hand, isn't in complete control over his situation. The Giants have backed themselves into a corner cap-wise, as their salary situation is in a bad place. They've restructured his current deal multiple times within a seven-month span, contributing to the "kicking the tin can down the road" theory of poorly-designed deals. (Side note: Patrick Mahomes's contract is not one of those.) New York needs flexibility badly, and shipping their star cornerback can give them that. It takes two to tango, though.
Are the Chiefs that other team? Perhaps, but even sending a seventh-round pick to the Giants would still require Veach to absorb a 2022 cap hit that exceeds $13M. That number can be lowered with an extension, but then bigger numbers will come into play down the road. It isn't like Veach to spend big money in the short-term on a cornerback, and it surely isn't like him to trade for a player who will turn 29 years old in August, just to extend him for multiple seasons thereafter. This isn't to say that acquiring Bradberry would be a bad move, but it's uncharacteristic of the Chiefs.
Oct 24, 2021; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants cornerback James Bradberry (24) reacts after an interception against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Thus far, this offseason has been one of patience and maturation for Veach and the Chiefs. Instead of going on a free agent spending spree, the team has been calculated in its moves and has even made a major trade that will save money but ultimately shape the future of the franchise. Over the past few weeks, Veach has shown before everyone's very eyes that he's open to breaking his tendencies. It isn't impossible.
In other areas, still, Veach is the same executive. Amidst a ton of moving parts and changes over the years, the Chiefs have stuck to their guns in regards to the cornerback position. Minimal financial and draft investments have managed to somehow churn out plenty of productive players. Going all-in on a top-flight option at this point would undoubtedly help the team but, again, it isn't characteristic of Veach. Maybe he'll change his ways in his fifth season on the job. At the very least, it would make for an interesting detour on the Chiefs' road to retooling on the fly.
