Why Insider Thinks Chiefs Deserve A Top Grade So Far in Offseason

The Kansas City Chiefs have received a strong grade not just for the moves they made during free agency but also the players they re-signed.

Jul 26, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) steps to the line as general manager Brett Veach watches in the background during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

National analysts have not been kind in their evaluations of the Chiefs’ offseason efforts. Not all of them, though.

Insider Frank Schwab said Thursday that Kansas City was never going to change water into wine, considering how the new salary-cap number drastically diluted the free-agent market before it even launched.

“When NFL teams got to free agency,” Schwab wrote Thursday, “they realized that an increase in the salary cap led to many of the top potential targets being retained by their old teams. The list of players who were available was underwhelming.

“Still, between a few big trades and a flurry of activity among the players who did reach free agency, there were opportunities for aggressive teams to improve.”

As aggressive as they could improve, the Chiefs earned an A-minus from Schwab, the best grade in the AFC West.

All Kansas City needed to green light its offseason plans was the NFL’s email confirming the cap would rest at $279.2 million per time. Since that memo, the Chiefs have welcomed back Travis Kelce, placed the franchise tag on Trey Smith, opted not to extend Isiah Pacheco, and traded their player-voted MVP, Joe Thuney, to the Bears.

On the eve of free agency, the Chiefs re-signed linebacker Nick Bolton and wide receiver Hollywood Brown, keeping their own players and contributing to that underwhelming market. In the next 48 hours, the team landed left tackle Jaylon Moore and cornerback Kristian Fulton as unrestricted free agents.

“Figuring out a way to bring back Trey Smith, Nick Bolton and Hollywood Brown was important,” Schwab said. “They also grabbed OT Jaylon Moore to fix a problem.”

That problem was left tackle, and no one argues with that point. The argument is whether Moore actually will fix the problem. While providing an important safety net for the 49ers as they were patient with his contract holdouts and injuries, Moore never ascended into a full-time starting role.

He started only 12 games over his first four NFL seasons, five as an injury replacement for Williams late last season until Moore himself landed on injured reserve with a quadriceps issue. Now, he’s penciled in as the individual charged with protecting the blindside of Patrick Mahomes. Time will tell whether what the Chiefs saw on film proved their instincts correct.

Keeping Smith and Bolton out of free agency was impressive, though. Some called Smith the top free agent in the NFL and most graded him as the most coveted offensive lineman. The Chiefs boldly placed the franchise tag on Smith to not only keep him in Kansas City this year, but also buy time to negotiate a long-term contract.

Smith and Bolton joined the Chiefs in the same draft class at an important pivot in their history, following their disappointing Super Bowl LV loss to Tampa Bay. In the four years since, the Chiefs have gone 63-18 (.778), including the postseason.

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