The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the greatest -- if not the greatest -- tight ends to ever lace them up. But at 36 years old, Travis Kelce's best days are behind him, and as such, Brett Veach and Andy Reid might stock that room full of reinforcements.
The Chiefs are extremely thin at the position. Noah Gray is coming off a disappointing season, and they don't have a single reliable option beyond him and Kelce. Because of that, it'll just take one injury to the future Hall of Fame TE to tank the Chiefs' threat at the position.
Considering that, Veach should dig deep into the free agent pool to address this issue. Fortunately, former Pittsburgh Steelers TE Jonnu Smith remains unsigned, and he'd be a perfect fit for this team.
Jonnu Smith is still a perfect free agent fit for Chiefs
Spotrac projects Smith's market value at $7.3 million per year. Then again, he's not coming off a strong season, and at this point in the offseason, the Chiefs could probably convince him to sign for less.
Still, Smith's disappointing numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. He had to share touches with Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth in the Steelers' tight-end-heavy rotation, so, considering that, 38 receptions for 222 yards and two touchdowns isn't half bad.
Smith looked like a star in the making early on in his career, but he couldn't keep that type of consistency going. But the Chiefs don't even need him to be a superstar or play a ton of snaps; they just need another big-bodied and reliable pass-catcher who can pick up yards after the catch and be a capable blocker in the run game and pass protection.
Barring a shocking turn of events, this will be Kelce's final season. Even if that's not the case, the Chiefs must prepare for the future and find someone who can carry his torch for the next decade-plus.
Of course, Smith won't be that guy, and he likely won't be next in line in the Chiefs' ongoing tradition of elite tight ends, but he can be a solid placeholder at a time of need and at a reasonable price. There's no downside to signing him.
The front office has seemed reluctant to face facts and acknowledge that Patrick Mahomes simply doesn't have enough help right now. They still have a chance to right their wrong, and adding another body to their underwhelming tight end room would be a strong step in that direction.
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