Kansas City Chiefs perfect landing spot for Taco Charlton

By Chris Clark | May 5, 2020

ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 16: Taco Charlton #97 of the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on September 16, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

The Kansas City Chiefs made an intriguing mover, signing 2017 first-round draft pick Taco Charlton. This signing holds the potential to have great results for both the team and Charlton.

Discarded and passed over, the Kansas City Chiefs provide the best setting for Taco Charlton to turn his young career around.

The Dallas Cowboys made an interesting pick in the 2017 NFL draft. They drafted Michigan’s Taco Charlton with the 28th overall selection in what seemed like a bit of a head-scratching decision. Three seasons and two teams later, those who considered it a bad pick were certainly justified in their thinking. Is there still a chance that that narrative could be turned on its head?

There is a chance, and that narrative could change in Kansas City. This move, like other Brett Veach moves, is intriguing because it is a low-risk, high-reward scenario.

The formula is simple – sign a player with the potential of an early-round pick to a low-cost, one-year deal and just see what the results are. Veach has pursued similar scenarios with players like Reggie Ragland, Cam Erving, and Darron Lee. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s at least worth a try.

This time, it’s a big 6’6″, 270-pound player that clearly fits the mold of a prototypical Steve Spagnuolo defensive end. Charlton lands in a spot that is set up to receive him and the Chiefs reap the benefits if all goes well.

If it doesn’t go well, both team and player are only on a one-year test drive, so there are no major strings attached. And honestly, if it doesn’t end up working out in Kansas City, it really could mean that Charlton wasn’t meant to have a stellar career.

The great thing about coming to Kansas City is that Charlton lands with a very solid and successful organization where players have all the means necessary to succeed. While Dallas can be a place for players to strive, it’s also wrought with big personalities, which can be detrimental to both a player’s potential and team chemistry.

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After spending two seasons in Dallas, Charlton was released and then claimed off waivers by Miami in 2019. Needless to say, Miami is a team under constant construction and is not the best place for a young player looking to find solid footing.

In signing with the Chiefs, Charlton joins a defense whose coordinator rounded the unit into great form in only one year, a defensive line coach in Brendan Daly who the Chiefs are very fortunate to have, and a group of players who are fiercely competitive and yet one-minded in their pursuit of winning.

It’s also a team that returns an incredible group of players on both sides of the ball who have a legitimate shot to repeat as Super Bowl champions. What’s not to like about the opportunity for both the player and the team here?

A great comparison might be to look at what happened with the Chiefs and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah last season. Ogbah was a second-round pick of the Browns in 2016.

Ogbah hadn’t done much with the Browns in three seasons and was traded to the Chiefs in exchange for safety Eric Murray. Ogbah appeared to be a great trade, tallying 5.5 sacks in 10 games before unfortunately going down to injury later in the season. Fortunately for him, though, his performance earned him a two-year, $15 million contract with Miami.

Given the opportunity, Charlton could very well do the same as Ogbah. He could perform well enough to earn a bigger contract and fortunately for the Chiefs, they could get first dibs on having him around for longer.

The Chiefs currently have some pretty good talent and depth at defensive end with guys like Frank Clark, Alex Okafor, Tanoh Kpassagnon, and the potential of what Breeland Speaks could still bring. Also, Charlton and Clark played together a Michigan, which could provide the chemistry and bond that could help Charlton’s career to really be jump-started.

At only 25 years old, there’s still time for him to get his young career headed in the right direction, but it really needs to happen now. At a minimum, the Chiefs likely just signed a decent backup or rotational player.

Thankfully, Charlton finds himself on a depth chart with enough talent to alleviate the “draft bust” pressure to refocus, learn, and succeed. Here’s to hoping Kansas City really is the perfect landing spot for Charlton to right the ship and make the most of his career.

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