Kansas City Chiefs: 2018 free agency preview
By Ben Almquist
As the Kansas City Chiefs get ready to hit the offseason, there are some big holes to fill. The Chiefs will likely have to turn to free agency for that. Here are some players to keep an eye on.
The 2017 NFL season did a lot to show the strengths and weaknesses of the Kansas City Chiefs. This is a team that has a lot of the talent necessary to make a strong run in the postseason. However, there are some glaring holes on the roster that keep hampering those efforts. The 2018 offseason needs to be about addressing those holes.
This will be the first offseason for new general manager Brett Veach. After taking over late in the offseason for John Dorsey last year, Veach made a few moves that piqued the interest of Chiefs Kingdom. The most notable of those moves was trading for Reggie Ragland. That shows Veach intends to be aggressive in addressing issues.
That is a good sign for Kansas City coming into this offseason. The Chiefs certainly have a number of holes that need to be attacked aggressively. Brett Veach’s first opportunity to do that will be with free agency. So it’s time to break down just what kind of a market and situation he will have to deal with.
Some possible moves for the #Chiefs this offseason:
— Brandon Kiley (@BKSportsTalk) January 2, 2018
Alex Smith ($17M)
Derrick Johnson ($8M)
Tamba Hali ($8M)
Allen Bailey ($6M)
Darrelle Revis ($4.5M)
Demetrius Harris ($2M)
Those cuts give you $41M to work with next offseason. Plenty to make some legitimate impact signings.
Clearing Some Cap Space
The first priority for the Kansas City Chiefs will be creating some space on the salary cap. The Chiefs are currently projected to be almost $8 million over the cap in 2018. However, there are a lot of moves Kansas City can (and probably will) make to alleviate that burden.
Of course we all know about the Alex Smith situation. Kansas City is likely going to trade the veteran quarterback. That move should clear up $17 million in cap space, while also netting some decent draft picks in return. That alone will put the Chiefs in a much better position for free agency, so it should be a priority.
There are also a number of veteran contracts like Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson that could be eliminated. Utilizing the salary cap tool at OverTheCap.com, I’ve found a way to open up nearly $47 million in cap room without cutting anyone who isn’t absolutely vital to the success of the team. The Chiefs probably won’t go that far, but the options are out there.
So what can they do with all of that potential cap space?