In Losing Charvarius Ward, the Chiefs Are Doubling Down on Their CB System
The Kansas City Chiefs had some marquee names hitting the free agent market this offseason, and one of them was cornerback Charvarius Ward. The 25-year-old is now a member of the San Francisco 49ers after signing a three-year contract. In passing on matching that $42 million investment in Ward, a pattern continues to take form.
The Chiefs don't spend premium assets on the cornerback position.
Jan 12, 2020; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward (35) is introduced before a AFC Divisional Round playoff football game against the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Dating back to 2018, when he had control over his first his first draft class as the Chiefs' general manager, Brett Veach has followed this line of thinking. His starters were Kendall Fuller, who was acquired as a throw-in with the Alex Smith trade, and Steven Nelson. The Chiefs re-signed neither player, allowing both to go elsewhere in free agency. The following year, Bashaud Breeland started while on a $2M contract and Ward (an undrafted free agent) was opposite him after being acquired for guard Parker Ehringer. Rashad Fenton, a rookie on the roster, was a sixth-round pick.
Breeland would go on to return to the Chiefs in 2020, albeit with a mere $2.3M price tag. L'Jarius Sneed and Thakarius "BoPete" Keyes were added to the team via the draft, and both were Day 3 picks. Deandre Baker, a former first-round pick, only joined once he was waived by the New York Giants. Through three years, Veach's trend was blatantly obvious.
Jan 3, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams (81) catches a pass against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Deandre Baker (30) during the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Not much changed this past season. The Chiefs' three best cornerbacks were Ward, Sneed and Fenton. Baker played sparingly, although he was just retained via his exclusive-rights free agency tender. Offseason trade acquisition Mike Hughes (now a free agent) saw fluctuating reps throughout the year, and the Chiefs' investment in him was minimal (a 2022 sixth-round pick). Once again, Kansas City opted against making a "splash" trade, signing or draft investment at the position. Heck, this writer even published an article about this very topic heading into last season. This is no longer a flash in the pan or a one-off. This is how the Chiefs operate.
With that said, if no major moves are made, the Chiefs are going to be in trouble in the secondary. Bringing in Justin Reid at safety is a start, Sneed is a quality player and Fenton has done nothing but produce at an adequate level when asked to. Should defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo opt to move Sneed to the boundary full-time, he'll need a slot corner to replace the Louisiana Tech product. Should Sneed remain in the slot, an outside cornerback should be at or near the top of the Chiefs' offseason wishlist. No matter how much they may want it to be, their work can't be done yet if they want a formidable and reliable group.
Sep 18, 2021; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators safety Kaiir Elam (5) against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
How they fill this void remains to be seen. The aforementioned late-round draft capital indicates that Veach using pick No. 30 on a cornerback is highly unlikely, but he's also only used one first-round pick as the Chiefs' general manager. 2018's was a part of the Patrick Mahomes trade, 2019's was traded for Frank Clark, 2020's was used on Clyde Edwards-Helaire and last year's opening-round selection went to Baltimore in exchange for left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. With a talented cornerback class at the top, perhaps this is the year for a corner. If not, the depth of the group could lead to another steal on the final day of the draft.
Free agency and trade are options, too. However, history suggests that whomever the Chiefs add to their defensive backfield — at least at the cornerback position — will be had for cheap. Whether it be actual money or picks thrown into a trade package, the Chiefs have made their bed one specific way for Veach's entire tenure with the team. Now, in perhaps the most challenging set of circumstances yet, they will have to sleep in it.
