Kansas City Chiefs: Possible free agent additions before 2019 NFL Draft
By Chris Clark
A.J. Derby
Just this last week, the Chiefs signed journeyman and veteran tight end, Blake Bell. After letting Demetrius Harris walk in free agency, it was obvious that a signing like Bell’s would need to happen at the position. While they are different players, Bell should be an upgrade over Harris simply because he’s a more reliable pass catcher.
Signing Bell was a solid move, but Kansas City shouldn’t stop there. It can be somewhat easy to overlook the tight end position since the Chiefs have the best tight end in the league in Travis Kelce. Even with Kelce, the position as a whole could use a little competition.
Much like Bell seeing time with some different teams, tight end A.J. Derby has a similar career. While Derby isn’t a premier player at the position, he has flashed some moments here and there to merit at least a look. The New England Patriots saw enough of him in 2015 to use a sixth-round draft pick on him and the Denver Broncos saw enough to then trade a fifth-round pick for him in 2016.
Could the Chiefs see something as well? As creative as Andy Reid is on offense and with Kelce stealing so much of the defensive attention, Derby could be in a position to make an impact. Also, adding another veteran presence at the position could help in aiding a rookie tight end, if the Chiefs do elect to draft one.
Similar to Boston, signing Derby might be best on a one-year deal. Going through camp and the season with the Chiefs may give them enough time to see if he’s worth a roster spot. It appears that this draft class is rich with tight end talent, so having Derby’s talent in the number three or number four spot on the depth chart could be a really good thing.