Grading Chiefs’ Moves Through First Full Week of Free Agency

As the month of March rolls on, so does 2023 NFL free agency. Ever since the legal tampering period launched on the 13th and the official signing window opened two days later, teams around the league have been extremely busy working to improve on the foundations they built during the 2022 campaign.

For the Kansas City Chiefs, the blueprint of a Super Bowl champion has already been set. With that in mind, general manager Brett Veach is tasked with finding ways to continue what appears to be a two-year retooling process that started when the team traded superstar wideout Tyreek Hill an offseason ago. Act I of that process was deemed a success, although Kansas City entered this offseason with a free agent class that brought into question whether the franchise can make another run in Act II.

That question ultimately won't be answered until deep into the 2023-24 season, but Veach and company made multiple decisions during the first week of free agency that will shape both the present and future of the Chiefs organization. Let's break down the five biggest ones thus far and give them a letter grade.

Jawaan Taylor signs a four-year, $80 million deal

The Chiefs made it pretty clear once they declined to franchise tag left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. that they probably wouldn't be retaining the four-time Pro Bowler. He's since signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, but Kansas City has also managed to replace him. Former Jacksonville Jaguars tackle Jawaan Taylor inked a lucrative four-year contract in free agency, and the team's plan appears to be for him to follow in Brown's footsteps by transitioning from right tackle to left tackle. The value of this deal will be reflected in how well — or poorly — Taylor handles the switch over to the left side of the offensive line.

On one hand, Taylor is a better athlete than Brown and showcased a ton of improvement in his final season with the Jaguars. He's an ascending player and if Brown was capable of pulling the switch off in Kansas City, Taylor stands a decent chance of doing so. On the other hand, Taylor has limited experience at left tackle and would average the highest average annual value of all right tackles in the league, per OverTheCap, if he's unable to stick on the left side. The Chiefs shelled out a hefty sum for Taylor's services, and they'd likely feel better about the move if it turns out to be a contract that locked down the left side of the line long-term rather than one that secured a good or even great right tackle.

Grade: B-

Charles Omenihu inks a two-year pact

Kansas City saved a large chunk of cap space by parting ways with recent franchise legend Frank Clark and likely replaced him with a superior player on the open market. Charles Omenihu's $16M pact maxes out at $20M with incentives and could turn out to be one of the better deals of free agency if things break right. Even if they don't, Omenihu still boasts an intriguing floor that makes him a decent rotational defensive lineman at the very worst.

Omenihu, who doesn't turn 26 until August, racked up 54 pressures this past season and emerged as one of the San Francisco 49ers' most productive per-snap pass rushers. He's a well-built defensive end who also boasts the ability to be kicked inside as needed. That versatility is music to Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's ears, and he'll likely find multiple different ways to put Omenihu in advantageous positions. Assuming health, a solid role will be there for Kansas City's newest pass-rush threat. There's a chance that a starting job could be in the cards at some point, too, which is just another reason why this is a nice pickup.

Grade: B

Nick Allegretti re-ups for 2023 season

Many (including this writer) thought that when Nick Allegretti hit the market this offseason, he'd possibly get paid to be a starter somewhere in 2023. That likelihood didn't parlay itself into reality, though, as the veteran is back in Kansas City as a depth piece for the upcoming campaign. While that may not be a perfect ending for Allegretti's free agency experience, it's a perfect move by the Chiefs.

On the fourth-year qualifying veteran salary benefit, Allegretti's 2023 cap hit comes in at just over $1.3M according to Spotrac. For a quality backup lineman capable of filling in at each of the three interior offensive line spots, that's extremely hard to beat. For someone who already has experience in the system and is guaranteed to be a quality fit in the locker room, that's even better. This re-signing made all the sense in the world for Kansas City, as a team can never have too many reliable linemen on either side of the ball. Allegretti running it back for the upcoming season is a slam dunk, even if he doesn't end up playing a single snap.

Grade: A

Drue Tranquill brought in to bolster linebacker position

The Chiefs have plenty of firsthand experience seeing how good of a player Drue Tranquill is, as the former Los Angeles Chargers standout has spent his entire playing career in the AFC West. One of the more notable linebackers on the market this offseason, he now joins the Chiefs on a one-year deal that is reportedly worth $3M with a maximum potential to reach $5M if he hits certain benchmarks.

Tranquill has the ability to be a proficient DIME linebacker for the Chiefs and is a very clear upgrade over Nick Bolton in coverage. He may even be an upgrade over Willie Gay Jr. as far as consistency is concerned, which is why this move raises some questions. Darius Harris, who took snaps from Gay at times this past season, was not tendered a qualifying contract this offseason as a restricted free agent. There wasn't a clear need to replace him with a starting-caliber player, though, as the door was presumably opened for Gay to blossom in year four. The addition of Tranquill seems to be more than just a part-time depth move so while the value is good, the intrigue might be worth following even more.

Grade: B-

Mike Edwards signed to compete in safety room

Kansas City lost Juan Thornhill, a 2019 NFL Draft selection, to free agency this offseason and decided to bring in another 2019 draft pick to compete at safety. Mike Edwards is a Super Bowl champion and a 26-year-old with some serious playmaking chops, and his contract structure is similar to that of Tranquill in terms of value. The veteran has some truly impressive ball skills and also offers a bit of alignment versatility, which is a quality fit with Bryan Cook and Justin Reid on the back end of Spagnuolo's secondary.

Edwards is coming off a year that saw him start a career-high number of games and post some nice volume stats, but it also may have been the worst season of his career. He's better suited to be a third safety in an ideal scenario, which very well could be the case if Cook locks up the second starting job alongside Reid this offseason. This is a respectable pickup by the Chiefs, and betting on Edwards to bounce back in a new role isn't too big of a risk to take.

Grade: B