KC Chiefs: Five affordable free agents who could help in 2020

AFFORDABLE FREE AGENTS KC CHIEFS SHOULD SIGN

If it wasn’t for such an odd offseason, a 30-year-old former first-round draft and All-Pro player likely wouldn’t still be on the open market this far along. Marcell Dareus is that aforementioned player that finds himself without a team nearly three months into free agency.

With teams delayed in scheduling visits, it’s likely that his core muscle surgery in 2019 could be keeping some teams at bay. With Kansas City having a solid group at defensive tackle, bringing in Dareus could be a low-risk, high reward scenario.

The Chiefs’ interior defensive line is held down by guys like Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, Mike Pennel, and Khalen Saunders. That’s a formidable group of defensive tackles, especially being led by a very talented Chris Jones.

Adding Dareus to the mix could help improve the Chiefs’ defense even more in 2020. It’s no secret that his trade to the Jaguars from the Bills in 2017 helped get Jacksonville to the AFC Championship that year.

Unfortunately, Jacksonville is a poorly ran team and couldn’t keep that incredible 2017 defense intact for more than a year or two. Many of those talented players have found new homes and now Dareus is looking for one himself.

Landing in Kansas City could be beneficial to both the team and the player. Dareus gets a shot with a solid organization and the Chiefs get reinforcements for a year or two, potentially.

With his career earnings at roughly $85M, Dareus could forego a big contract in the hopes that he could get a Super Bowl ring. With the core muscle surgery, a one-year deal would be reasonable but if his medical checks out, a two-year deal wouldn’t be out of the question.

With Mike Pennel re-signing on only a one-year deal, giving Dareus a two-year deal could span that gap as players like Nnadi and Saunders become more established. Who knows, Dareus may not even be on Kansas City’s radar, but it’d be fun to see him wearing red and gold in 2020.