Kansas City Chiefs: Bold predictions for the 2019 offseason
By Chris Clark
BYE BYE MITCH MORSE
In the 2015 offseason, the Chiefs let talented center Rodney Hudson walk in free agency. At the time, this was concerning not only because Kansas City was letting their starting center hit free agency, but also because he also signed with the division rival, Oakland Raiders. Since then, though, it really hasn’t been that concerning for Chiefs Kingdom with the Chiefs dominance over the Raiders.
That same year the Chiefs drafted Mitch Morse in the second round of the draft. Morse has been a starter since his rookie year and hasn’t given up a sack since that first season. To say he was a good replacement for Hudson would be an understatement.
The Chiefs could again choose the path of letting their starting center walk in free agency. There’s no question that other teams will pursue Morse if he does, in fact, become a free agent. He’s a valuable player, but how valuable is he to Kansas City?
During the 2018 season, Morse missed five regular season games due to a concussion. The previous year in 2017, he only played in seven games because of a foot injury. Morse has been solid when he has played, but that’s just it; when he has played.
When Morse was out this last season, Austin Reiter filled in at the center position and did a nice job. Most fans probably didn’t notice a difference in how the Chiefs offense performed, as it continued to play at a high level all season. During that stretch, the Chiefs must have appreciated Reiter’s services enough because they give him a new two-year contract last December.
That may be a sign that the writing is on the wall for Morse. Signing Reiter for a few more seasons allows the Chiefs to keep more cap space instead of re-signing Morse and also allows for the development of another center in the process. The third bold prediction here is that the Chiefs will simply let Mitch Morse become a free agent.