Five 2024 Offensive Free Agents the Kansas City Chiefs Should Target
With the start of NFL free agency less than two weeks away, this will be the first of a two-part series talking through five out-of-house free agents the Kansas City Chiefs should target to improve their roster.
First up is the offensive side of the ball.
Running back Antonio Gibson
The Chiefs' backup running backs, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon, are slated to be free agents. Adding another experienced back to take the load off of Isiah Pacheco makes a ton of sense. Antonio Gibson is a seamless fit into the third-down back role. Every year of his NFL career, Gibson has caught over 35 passes and has become one of the best pass-blocking backs in the league. The value he could bring as a pass protector in Kansas City's offense would be immense, with McKinnon's future uncertain. Lastly, the Chiefs know about Gibson's possible fit as he played for Eric Bieniemy in Washington last season.
Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne
Adding a proven veteran wide receiver may be the top priority for the Chiefs this offseason. They still need to add young talent in the draft, but getting a stabilizer for the room is imperative. Kendrick Bourne would provide that for the Chiefs. He's been a reliable chain-mover for multiple years now. He would give them an intermediate threat who can separate against man coverage. Bourne was on a trajectory to have the best season of his career before tearing his ACL. That injury may affect his free agency, and Kansas City would have to feel comfortable with the medicals, but he would provide a dependable weapon for the Chiefs' offense.
Wide receiver Darnell Mooney
In 2021, Darnell Mooney had 1,000 receiving yards during his sophomore season in the NFL. However, he didn't have 1,000 yards combined in the two years since then. Coming to Kansas City would allow him to live up to the promise he showed during his second campaign. From Kansas City's perspective, Mooney would give them a deep threat to help stretch the field. They were sorely lacking speed on last year's roster. Adding the speed that Mooney has would allow the Chiefs to open up space on the field and hit more explosive plays downfield. Also, Matt Nagy was the head coach in Chicago when Mooney was drafted.
Offensive tackle Mekhi Becton
Brett Veach has built a track record of adding former first-round picks to Kansas City who might have struggles elsewhere. Mekhi Becton would fit that bill at the left tackle position. With Wanya Morris currently slated to be the starting left tackle, it would be wise for the Chiefs to bring in competition for him. Becton can be that competition, but he also has relatively unknown upside because of his injury history. He has two seasons playing one game or fewer but played in 16 games last season. Offensive line coach Andy Heck would undoubtedly love to mold a talent like Becton, but it'll depend on his price point and medicals if the Chiefs are interested.
Offensive lineman Josh Jones
One thing the Chiefs have shown to value in offensive linemen is the flexibility to play in different spots across the line. Josh Jones has over 250 snaps at left tackle, right guard and right tackle throughout his career. He also has 63 career snaps at left guard, meaning he can play pretty much anywhere. For his career, Jones has around a 6% pressure rate allowed. That's very serviceable, especially for a guy with his versatility. Jones could compete for the starting left tackle spot or be a good, experienced backup offensive lineman for Kansas City and provide insurance.
