Kansas City Chiefs: Five-step plan for 2019 offseason
By Kole Berrey
Step 2: Take Fliers on Veteran Free Agents
The Chiefs have already gotten this party started, as they have signed running back Carlos Hyde to a deal just shy of $3 million dollars. I personally love this move.
Hyde is going to be a great compliment to Damien Williams as a short yardage and goal line back, and he offers great insurance in case Williams has to miss time. The signings shouldn’t stop there, however. The Chiefs would be smart to keep trying to find bargain prices for savvy veterans.
There are a few intriguing free agents that the Chiefs could consider. Cameron Wake is 37 years old, but he just finished another solid season. He had six sacks in 14 games, and is currently looking for a new home.
If Houston does indeed leave Kansas City, Wake could fill his role as a compliment to Chris Jones, as well as offering veteran leadership to young players like Tanoh Kpassagnon and Breeland Speaks. Wake would also offer this at a fraction of the cost of Houston, and signing with KC would give Wake something he has never had a fighting chance at: a Super Bowl ring.
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Another intriguing idea for the Chiefs would be exploring the option of bringing in Ndamukong Suh. Suh just finished last season with 4.5 sacks, and 59 total tackles. Suh may not offer the pass rush that Houston does, but his presence in the run game would help the Chiefs tremendously.
Not only that, but both him and Cameron Wake will be a more natural fit in new Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s 4-3 scheme than Houston and Ford are. Houston and Ford are predominantly 3-4 outside linebackers, with Ford being especially a concern because of his small stature.
The Chiefs could ultimately find veteran leadership, production, and scheme fit while saving cap space. Of course, this all depends if these players want to come to KC, or if other teams blow them away with offers.
The Chiefs have other options though, with former Pro-Bowler Sheldon Richardson set to become a free agent. Richardson notably played college ball at Mizzou, so coming back to the Show-Me State could be of interest to him.
The last veteran the Chiefs should look at is on the offensive side of the ball, as wide receiver Danny Amendola was recently released by the Dolphins. Amendola would offer a sneaky good third receiver for the Chiefs.
He would primarily play in the slot, letting Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins gobble up snaps on the outside. It would be a headache for teams to have to worry about Hill, Watkins, Kelce AND Amendola. Amendola also brings championship experience, depth, and would be considerably cheaper than most other receiver options on the market.
If the Chiefs miss on key defensive free agent signings, a guy like Ammendola would be a good consolation prize.