3 Best Remaining Free Agents the Chiefs Can Still Sign After the Draft
By Randy Gurzi
1. Justin Simmons, S
Ahead of the 2022 season, the Chiefs brought in former Houston Texans safety Justin Reid on a three-year deal worth $31.5 million. That led to Tyrann Mathieu leaving in free agency as they got younger in the secondary.
That same year, they drafted Bryan Cook from Cincinnati in the second round. Cook moved into a starting role in 2023 following the departure of Juan Thornhill (who signed with the Browns). The result has worked since they've won two titles in a row and the defense was strong last year. They finished fourth in passing yardage and touchdowns surrendered, although PFF was far from complementary on either safety.
Cook came in as the 57th safety and Reid was No. 79 — out of 95 graded safeties. These grades are subjective of course, but there's always room to get better.
If there was any one area where there would be a concern, it would have to be interceptions. Reid and Cook each had just one and the defense as a whole was 27th in the league with eight.
Perhaps they can address this by adding a former rival, Justin Simmons. An eight-year pro, Simmons is still on the market after recording 70 tackles and three interceptions for the Denver Broncos in 2023. For his career, he's been a ball hawk with 64 pass breakups and 30 picks.
This might not be a major need, but it's never a bad idea to add someone who can take the ball away.