Three Cornerbacks the Chiefs Should Pursue in Free Agency

The Kansas City Chiefs are in the market to improve their secondary through the draft and free agency. Charvarius Ward, Chris Lammons, and Mike Hughes will hit the open market looking for contracts. The cornerback is the main focus in this article, and the Chiefs, under general manager Brett Veach do not spend big money on this position.

This is a very important position on the field and could make or break a defense. Each year the AFC West continues to improve, for example, Justin Herbert for the Los Angeles Chargers. Kansas City will continue seeing Buffalo’s Josh Allen, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow, and other rising quarterbacks. There have been mock drafts projecting Kansas City selecting a corner, and this draft has many talented corners. The free-agent market also has some eye-popping young corners looking for a new home.

According to pro-football-focus.com, the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense forced 15 interceptions, allowing 7.3 yards per pass attempt. The defense also allowed 251.4 yards per game, and the average quarterback rating was 92. I could write stats all day, and these stats had a wide range of where Kansas City should be ranked defensively. The main point is there is room for improvement within the secondary, specifically the cornerback position.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme revolves around applying pressure through different blitz packages. The corners are asked in this scheme to play coverage and zone but to also sack the quarterback. I decided to provide three cornerbacks the Kansas City Chiefs should look at in free agency, and I will provide a range of most expensive to the ideal fit.

Anthony Averett

The first cornerback is Anthony Averett. Averett was drafted out of Alabama by the Baltimore Ravens in 2018 with the No. 118 pick. He is standing at 5’11” and weighs 178 lbs. In four seasons with the Ravens, Averett played in 44 games and was a starter in 21. He posted three interceptions, 101 total tackles, and one TFL. In 2021 Averett was targeted by opposing quarterbacks 101 times, only allowing 56 completions for a 55.4% completion rate. He allowed three touchdowns, a QB rating of 77.5. He is compared statistically to James Bradberry, Trae Waynes, Willaim Jackson, and Bradley Roby.

In Week 2 of the NFL season, the Baltimore Ravens squared off against the Kansas City Chiefs. Averett logged some significant time playing in 100% of the snaps. He would also play special teams logging 12 plays. Averett recorded four solo tackles, one assist, and one pass deflection. The Ravens would win 36-35 and steal this game from the Chiefs on a late-game fumble from running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire. His best game of the season came against the Cleveland Browns. He would log 64 snaps playing in 98%, and he contributed five combined tackles, one interception, and two pass deflections.

According to spotrac.com, Averett’s market value is three years, $37,386,152 for an average salary of $12,462,051. This would rank him at 145 in the NFL and No. 14 overall in the cornerback position. The question is are the Chiefs willing to open their wallet and pay this type of money with so many needs. He would fit right into the young cornerback group currently on the Chief’s roster.

Stephon Gilmore

I would be ecstatic if the Kansas City Chiefs could work out a deal to bring in Stephon Gilmore. KC was rumored to be interested in Stephon Gilmore before he was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021-22. He will be turning 32 in the coming season, but there is still a lot of juice left in the tank. Gilmore is a former Defensive Player of the Year, and a two-time 1st Team All-Pro will be looking for a new home. He stands 6’1″ and weighs 202 lbs.

Gilmore is an elite cornerback and has played on some good football teams. He was drafted in the 1st round with the 10th overall pick out of South Carolina to the Buffalo Bills in 2012. After playing with the Bills, Gilmore would sign a five-year deal worth $65,000,000 in March 2017. While with the Patriots, Gilmore would win a Super Bowl ring, adding to his accolades.

In 2020 Gilmore was targeted 49 times, and of those, only 28 were completed (57.1%) for 326 yards. He added one interception and one touchdown while the opposing quarterbacks only had a rating of 75.7 against him. Gilmore had 37 combined tackles with only seven missed (15.9%). In 2021 he was out with an injury until he was traded to the Carolina Panthers. While with the Panthers, Gilmore played in eight games and was targeted 25 times, with 17 completed (68%) for 159 yards. The opposing quarterbacks had a 78.6 rating against him. A case can be made he was still recovering from his leg injury, and with another offseason, he would be back to 100% health.

According to spotrac.com, Gilmore’s market value is two years, $28,301,480, and would be an average salary of $14,150,740. This would rank him 95th overall in the NFL and 8th at the cornerback position. Gilmore is very capable of playing at an elite level, and his comparisons are to Darius Slay, Joe Haden, Kyle Fuller, and Logan Ryan. There are some factors I believe can work in favor of his decision. One, he would be coming to a football team that competes in the playoffs and has gone to four consecutive AFC title games. Secondly, he would be surrounded by other talented corners such as L’Jarius Sneed and Rashad Fenton. General manager Brett Veach likes former 1st round players, and if the money is right I think this is a good fit for Gilmore.

Charvarius Ward

Getting Charvarius Ward back on the Chiefs’ defense is not a bad thing. He understands the defensive scheme Steve Spagnulo runs and is familiar with the players, organization, and Kansas City. I have to emphasize Brett Veach has not spent a lot of money on this position, and Ward was an example of that when he arrived with the Chiefs via trade with the Dallas Cowboys. In 2018 the Chiefs sent offensive lineman Parker Ehinger, and in return, they got Charvarius Ward. In four years, Ward has played in 56 games for KC, starting 43 of them logging 2719 defensive snaps. He posted four interceptions, one sack, 222 combined tackles, three TFL, and three QB hits. Ward is only going to be 26 and plays like a bigger corner. He stands 6’1″ and weighs 195 lbs.

Ward did experience some injuries in the 2021 season but played in 13 games. He was targeted 76 times only allowing 39 completions (51.3%) for 511 yards. The opposing team scored four touchdowns on him and the opposing quarterbacks posted a 79.4 rating against him. Ward had 67 combined tackles, only missing three (4.3%), which is good for a cornerback. This is a position of need, and the Chiefs are familiar with Ward, so maybe a hometown discount could be in the works.

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According to spotrac.com, Charvarius Ward’s market value is four years, $39,612,857, for an average of $9,903,214 per year. This would rank him at No. 180 overall in the NFL and No. 17 at the cornerback position. Ward’s comparisons are Bradley Roby, Logan Ryan, Ronald Darby, and Kendall Fuller. All of those corners were the same age as Ward and signed similar deals to the market value. I believe he has earned his payday. The biggest question is will it come from the Chiefs.