Kansas City Chiefs: Defense needs a free agency splash

The Kansas City Chiefs have been pretty upfront about needing defensive changes. However, exactly where those changes will come is still unclear.

There could not have been a bolder statement made by the Kansas City Chiefs than to let Derrick Johnson leave this offseason. The Chiefs have been telling us all offseason that they would make some personnel changes, but this is a real move. Kansas City is serious about a defensive overhaul. Who is coming in remains a mystery though.

The Kansas City front office has already made one key move in acquiring Kendall Fuller as the main piece of trading Alex Smith this offseason. Of course, that move won’t be finalized until the start of the league year on March 14th. Meanwhile, the Chiefs have already released Darrelle Revis and declared they will do the same with Derrick Johnson.

The Chiefs definitely have some needs outstanding on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive tackle, inside linebacker, outside linebacker, and free safety are all areas that could be addressed. Cornerback is as well, though we can (tentatively) assume that Kendall Fuller is the answer to that issue.

So which spot will be the priority?

The Chiefs Need Reinforcements

If the Kansas City Chiefs are serious about a face lift for the defense, it has to start in free agency. The Chiefs need to show that they are willing to be aggressive in all phases of acquiring talent. There will be plenty of quality free agents out there that KC would be smart to pursue. By opening up the cap space to do it, they have no excuses not to.

Derrick Johnson told us that the Chiefs are looking to get younger and faster. That’s great to hear, but youth and speed costs money. Every team in the NFL is going to be looking for the same thing this offseason. So it’s not as though Kansas City is going to be able to just push the “X” button and get the guys they want.

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There needs to be a plan in place at Arrowhead. Kansas City general manager Brett Veach, and his staff, need to know how they want this to play out. That includes what resources they are willing to invest and where. Plus, there needs to be a backup plan, and a backup plan to that! Everything the Chiefs do needs to be meticulous.

Free Agency Is A Limited Resource

As much fun as it is to speculate that the Kansas City Chiefs could go out and sign all sorts of big name free agents, that just isn’t realistic. While the Chiefs will be opening up plenty of salary cap space to work with, that doesn’t mean they can just go on a spending spree. Brett Veach still has to be smart with that money.

More from Chiefs Free Agency

• The Kansas City Chiefs Address Defense with This Mock Draft
• Three Cornerbacks the Chiefs Should Pursue in Free Agency
• What Potential Free Agents Could Sign with the Kansas City Chiefs
• Kansas City Chiefs Should Look at These Free Agent Edge Rushers
• The Chiefs Begin the Offseason. What Can We Look Forward To?

Kansas City doesn’t want to get into a position where they will struggle to retain their own talent. We’ve seen that play out before, and it has caused a lot of problems for the Chiefs. In fact, it’s a major reason why the salary cap was in the situation it was at the start of this year. It seems unlikely they would make the same mistake again.

However, there will likely still be some kind of a free agency splash. The Chiefs have too many positions to upgrade to rely on cheap options and the draft. At some point they will have to be willing to spend big somewhere. Exactly where that is…well, it’s anyone’s guess. The Kansas City front office had better have a plan.

There is a big offseason ahead for the Kansas City Chiefs. What matters now is the execution of that offseason to make this team a real competitor moving forward. The Chiefs are clearing cap space to make moves. So they need to make sure that those moves are going to pay off in the long run.