Next Steps for KC Chiefs After First Wave of 2024 Free Agency
The NFL's free agency frenzy has started to die down over the last few days. Players are still available to sign, but the urgency is less pressing.
Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has shown that he wants a complete roster heading into the draft so he doesn't have to be forced into a selection. That means between now and the 2024 NFL Draft, Kansas City has moves to make to round out the team. As things currently stand, the Chiefs will need to free up cap space to add enough of those players.
The most obvious move is finding a resolution to the L'Jarius Sneed situation. Trading Sneed would free up around $20 million in cap space. However, since the craze of free agency has cooled, it's less likely that a trade will happen soon. It will likely occur closer to the draft if Sneed is eventually traded. An extension could free up anywhere from $8-12M, depending on the contract's structure. Other space-freeing moves could be restructuring Joe Thuney or Jawaan Taylor's contracts or possibly extending a higher cap hit player like Justin Reid.
Assuming the Chiefs find a way to make space, they should focus on positions such as defensive end, running back and offensive tackle. Felix Anudike-Uzomah played 20% of the defensive snaps in the regular season last year and is slated to be a starting defensive end right now. It'd be nice to have less pressure on him heading into his sophomore season by signing a veteran to split snaps with him. Mike Danna is still available on the market and should be the first call to fill this role. Other options include Rasheem Green or former Chief Emmanuel Ogbah. It'd be ideal for the Chiefs to add one of these players to help improve as Charles Omenihu works back from injury.
Moving to the offensive side of the ball, Isiah Pacheco is the only running back under contract who has recorded a carry for the Chiefs. Running back isn't a position where a team wants to rely on just one player. Ideally, teams like to have a tandem or committee in their backfield. An exciting name left on the market is J.K. Dobbins. He's dealt with injuries throughout his career, but the talent is immense. Bringing him in on a minimum deal as a backup for Pacheco would be a shrewd move. If Dobbins is too much of an injury concern, other players with prior success like Ezekiel Elliott, Damien Harris or Cam Akers could be brought in.
The Chiefs' offensive tackle situation is interesting. Taylor should be better in his second year in Kansas City without the mental toll of the penalties. It's really about the left tackle. Wanya Morris showed promise in his rookie season, but should he be locked into the starting spot? He probably shouldn't, so bringing in competition would be good. Mekhi Becton is the sexy name available because of his first-round pedigree. He's uber-talented, so taking a swing for competition makes sense. Donovan Smith is also still available and could be the team's plan.
Kansas City would be wise to free up cap space to fill the "holes" on the roster. Defensive end, running back and offensive tackle are just a few spots where they could use another player before the draft. That should be the focus between now and late April to avoid their plan possibly being tipped off come draft weekend.
