Four Wide Receivers for the KC Chiefs to Monitor in Free Agency
The Kansas City Chiefs will try to bolster their roster in the coming days when legal tampering begins on Monday, just two days ahead of the official free agency period on March 13. Many are focusing on what the Chiefs are going to do with some of their defensive pieces like Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed, but there is one position group that needs some work.
After the release of Marquez Valdes-Scantling and with underwhelming seasons from Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney, the Chiefs are going to need to make significant moves to upgrade the wideout room. Who are some receivers that make sense and will be available in free agency? Here are four names to keep an eye on.
Marquise “Hollywood” Brown
Many Chiefs fans were intrigued by Hollywood Brown coming out of college, but he wasn’t necessarily at the top of the draft needs list since Tyreek Hill was WR1 at the time. However, just before the 2019 draft, the hope around Chiefs Kingdom was that Brown could fall to them in the second round. Unfortunately, Brown went in the first round to the Baltimore Ravens. His time in Baltimore was cut short and he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals, where he spent his last couple of seasons.
Brown was fairly successful in Baltimore, averaging seven touchdowns per season and having 1,000 yards receiving in his final year as a Raven. His time in Arizona wasn’t quite as productive due to quarterback Kyler Murray’s injuries over the past two years. With that said, Brown would be an immediate deep threat for Patrick Mahomes. If the Chiefs want to pony up perhaps $16 million per year for him, that could be an option.
Calvin Ridley
Calvin Ridley is an intriguing player with seemingly the most talent of any receiver in this free agency class. Ridley’s career has been a roller coaster due to taking time off for personal reasons and then being suspended for a full season due to gambling. He is 29 years old, so he would be one of the older high-end options. At 6’1”, 190 pounds with plenty of speed in the tank, excellent ball tracking skills and route running that can fool some of the best cornerbacks in the league, Ridley would be a fantastic new option for Mahomes.
Ridley had 10 touchdowns along with 841 yards in his rookie season in Atlanta. His best season to date was in 2020, when he had 1,374 yards with nine touchdowns. During the 2023 campaign with the Jacksonville Jaguars — his first full season since 2020 — he had over 1,000 yards receiving and 8 touchdowns in a new offense. That is some major production that would look very nice alongside Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice. Ridley’s deal could be somewhere in the $18M-per-year range but could bump up a bit due to the increase in salary cap and the potential for a bidding war for his services.
Darnell Mooney
Darnell Mooney is not a guy who will break the bank, but he has a skill set similar to Brown's and could be a deep threat for Mahomes. Mooney’s best season in Chicago was his second in the league. He had 1,055 yards receiving and four touchdowns, both career highs. Mooney dealt with some injuries the past couple of seasons, but we’ve seen how Andy Reid uses guys like him. When healthy, he could be a nice addition. Four years at $10M per year could get a deal done with Mooney if Brown and Ridley are off the table.
Gabriel Davis
Chiefs fans have seen Gabriel Davis up close and personal many times since he joined the Buffalo Bills in 2020. He had the best game of his career in a playoff loss at Kansas City. Many people will remember that as the “13 seconds” game, but Davis absolutely torched the Chiefs' secondary to the tune of 201 yards and four touchdowns.
Davis can be very streaky, but his floor for a season is 550 yards and six touchdowns. He’s turning 25 years old next month, and a four-year deal worth around $15M per year would be reasonable.
These are just four potential free agent wide receivers for the Chiefs. There are others who could pop up on the radar in the next several days. There’s also the 2024 NFL Draft to consider. Many experts are speculating the Chiefs will take a receiver with the 32nd overall pick. The wideout room needs a bit of a makeover, and the changes should continue very soon.
