KC Chiefs: Cordarelle Patterson would add versatility on offense

The KC Chiefs are always looking to add weapons and Cordarrelle Patterson would be yet another one they could have in their arsenal. 

For Kansas City Chiefs fans, it’s been an odd start to free agency.

Some bigger-name free agents have turned down the chance to play in Kansas City and some of Kansas City’s own free agents have garnered little interest from around the league. It’s hard to know the exact reasons for these trends, but a bit of an unstable offseason is likely the cause. Hopefully, the second wave of free agency will bring the Chiefs a little more stability prior to the draft.

There’s hardly a position on the Chiefs’ roster that could use some attention outside of the quarterback position. While Kansas City has boasted one of the better receiving corps in the league in recent years, even that position group could use a little more competition.

Although Sammy Watkins is officially visiting other teams, Kansas City has mostly kept their receiver group intact. While the re-signing of Demarcus Robinson to a one-year deal brought back a familiar face, it may show that the team is lacking options at the position.

One reason that teams like to bolster various positions on their roster in free agency is to help make their draft selections a little more unpredictable for other teams. This is why the Chiefs will hopefully add some talent at wide receiver prior to the end of April.

One player that could help bring in some talent would be Cordarrelle Patterson. Even though he’s been a journeyman for most of his career, he still has the ability to add a unique dimension to whatever team he’s playing for.

Patterson was a first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2013. At 6’2″ and roughly 230 pounds with 4.42 40-yard speed, he quickly earned the nickname “Flash”. While mostly playing the wide receiver position, he’s been no stranger to taking handoffs out of the backfield either. And that might just be the reason that he’s an ideal fit in an Andy Reid offense.

Adding Cordarrelle Patterson to an already versatile offense and special teams would make the KC Chiefs just that much better.

While Patterson’s career numbers don’t jump off the page, he hasn’t really been considered a draft bust either. There’s no question that his contributions to the New England Patriots in 2018 helped them to win the Super Bowl that season. Could he help Kansas City in the same way in 2021? It’s not hard to imagine what Andy Reid could dial up with Patterson’s abilities.

Patterson’s size and speed make him dangerous down the sidelines or taking an end-around out of the backfield. This unique capability just gives Reid another weapon in his bag of tricks. There likely aren’t too many cornerbacks who would like to meet a player with that kind of size and speed when they find a seam coming up the field. Thankfully, he’s also more than just a simple gadget player as well.

What gives Patterson even more of an upside is his ability to return kicks, which would also add to what special teams coach Dave Toub could do as well. Even at nearly 30 years old in 2020, he still tallied over 1,000 yards on kick returns.

For his special teams ability alone he might be worth a one-year contract, just to see what he could bring to the table. Thankfully, he’d be a dual benefit to the roster between the offense and special teams.

Being no stranger to shorter stints with any one team, it likely wouldn’t be out of the question for Patterson to sign a one-year deal and for possibly cheaper. If the Chiefs could really utilize his talents well, they’d have the first shot to potentially keep him around for longer if they so choose.

In adding him before the draft, it gives the Chiefs a little more flexibility for at least this year’s draft. Signing Patterson now checks a lot of boxes, which may be the biggest key to utilizing his versatility.