In a somewhat shocking turn of events, the New Orleans Saints will allow franchise legend Cameron Jordan to leave in free agency. As such, the franchise's all-time leader in sacks should be a hot commodity on the open market.
The Kansas City Chiefs could certainly use some help in the pass-rushing department. Chris Jones wasn't as efficient last season and is no longer in his prime. Pairing him with a fellow elite headhunter could be an intriguing proposition for GM Brett Veach.
The Chiefs Should Make a Run at Cameron Jordan
At 36 years old, the Saints didn't want to put too much on Jordan's plate in what was always going to be a transition year. As such, he was only out there for 589 snaps (54 percent), the second-fewest rate of his career after playing 48 percent of the snaps two years ago.
That said, he didn't miss a beat when he was on the field. The 15-year veteran finished the season with 10.5 sacks, 32 total tackles (16th among edge rushers), 15 QB hits, 15 tackles for loss, two passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Per Pro Football Focus, he also had 33 run stops, the ninth-most in his position, to earn a run defense grade of 82.1, the fourth-highest among 115 eligible players.
Needless to say, Jordan is not going to be a long-term solution for Steve Spagnuolo's defense. That said, he can absolutely help the push for another Super Bowl run in Kansas City over the next couple of years, as he would have led the Chiefs in sacks last season.
Steve Spagnuolo's defense posted a 70.3 pass rush grade last season, according to PFF. While not necessarily bad, it ranked 18th in the league. If you're serious about winning a championship, the defense needs to be better than average when it comes to rushing the passer. The Chiefs can clearly use another headhunter, especially given George Karlaftis' failure to live up to his big-money contract.
As things stand now, the Chiefs have $24.8 million in available cap space, according to Over The Cap. That should give them more than enough wiggle room to accommodate Jordan on their books, as he will most likely choose to take a team-friendly deal to have the chance at chasing a Super Bowl run.
Having Jordan by his side should open things up for Jones, as well. Jones dealt with double teams on 58.90 percent of the snaps this past season. Even if his prime years are far behind him, he's still clearly a productive player who can bring plenty of experience and his savvy counters and powerful rushes to Kansas City.