Laddie Morse
Being Brett Veach must not be easy. First, he’s faced with finding all the Chiefs guys who’s contracts have ended with the team and he’s responsible for bringing “some” of them back, the one’s that fit the team goals for 2023, and have been ear-marked for return by Reid and the coaches. I’m also sure that means… if he can get them for the right price.
Secondly, Veach has to determine which Free Agents who have never been with the Chiefs are ready to step in and help out right away. Which also means finding them at the right price.
That’s all apart of implementing Andy Reid’s, Matt Nagy’s and Steve Spagnuolo’s offseason plans. “The Plan” is not something we’re all privy too, but is revealed in slow motion, sometimes taking months to see and understand. Yes, like… Safety Justin Reid was signed on March 17th in 2022… and months later, DE Carlos Dunlap was signed on July 28th,2022, right after Training Camp had already started.
In the meantime, the rest of us standing on the outside are left wondering who will be the missing links the team is going to sign, to make up the team… and help make them great again… and winners of another Lombardi. A lot of emphasis has been placed upon who the Chiefs have signed already… but this piece will focus on who is missing… and who will be the possible options to fill the voids.
To learn about which missing links will be pursued, we may first need to look at who has already been signed… those players who have already represent the missing links found. The missing links once included:
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• a left tackle to replace Orlando Brown Jr., but now we have Jawaan Taylor.
• a defensive end to replace Frank Clark, but now we have Charles Omenihu.
• a Safety to replace Juan Thornhill, but now we have Mike Edwards.
• a Linebacker to improve coverages and blitzes, and now we have Drue Tranquill.
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Also, in February, K.C. resigned a bunch of their own players to reserve/futures contracts including:
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TEs Kendall Blanton and Matt Bushman, CB DiCaprio Bootle, G Mike Caliendo, LB Cole Christiansen, RBs Jerrion Ealy and La’Mical Perine, QB Chris Oladokun, WRs Cornell Powell and Ihmir Smith-Marsette, C Austin Reiter and DT Danny Shelton.
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At every turn, Veach appears to have upgraded the roster and made each position stronger. All except for the WR position. The question now is… who will the Chiefs sign as their #1 WR? That’s so that:
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1. The team won’t “look like” they have a need there, and
2. The need for a solid upgrade over JuJu will be fulfilled.
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Even if a player like Free Agent D.J. Chark (seen at left) is signed by Brett Veach prior to the draft, do the Chiefs need to select a new WR to build up that position? I’d say yes. The same is true of the CB position. However, with Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, L’Jarius Sneed, and Trent McDuffie, all playing together for another season, the CB room looks like it’s in excellent shape. Then again, Sneed will need to be paid a year from now so Veach needs to keep that in mind. In the case of the WR, if Mecole Hardman returns, do the Chiefs have the same absence of a #1 WR? I’d still say yes. So, a WR is needed most of all… even more than another Edge player (besides Charles Omenihu) and another OT (besides Jawaan Taylor).
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Another playmaker is also needed at RB, but RB’s are such a dime-a-dozen these days (even in the draft), that I’m sure Veach will be able to find one he likes easily –> . in Free Agency or later in the draft. With Ronald Jones (RoJo) going to the Cowboys just yesterday, selecting one later in this draft is a possibility. My hope is that Jerick McKinnon can be re-signed again to help out Isiah Pacheco, and that Clyde Edwards-Helaire will be allowed to walk. I just don’t see any upside to other NFL teams trading for him, so I see him walking (being released).
Wide Receiver Options
Many Chiefs fans are stuck debating who would be the best choice as the Chiefs next #1 WR… OBJ or D-HOP? While I think DeAndre Hopkins offers the better locker room member and an equal on the field to OBJ, neither of them are going to come cheap enough for the Chiefs to sign or trade for. I see DeAndre Hopkins as being the better locker room fit, but it doesn’t matter because I just don’t see Veach being able to satisfy either of their financial demands or needs.
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In an article written last week when Free Agency had already begun called: “NFL Free Agents 2023: Ranking the Top 10 Wide Receivers,” they offer this look at the WRs left, with these top four already signing deals with teams:
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1, 2, 3, and 4 on their list were: Jakobi Meyers (LVR), JuJu Smith Schuster (NEP), Allen Lazard (NYJ), and Darius Slayton (NYG).
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The remaining top 10 Free Agent WRs from the NFL’s, and Justin Leger’s, list includes (the following is a condensed list):
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“5. DJ Chark, age: 26 – 2022 stats (Lions): 30 catches, 502 yards, 3 TD
Injuries continued to plague Chark during his debut season in Detroit. When he was able to take the field, he showed flashes of the brilliance he showed in Jacksonville but wasn’t a consistent option for QB Jared Goff. Health is the No. 1 question mark with the LSU product.
6. Parris Campbell (signed with NYG).
7. Mecole Hardman, age: 25 – 2022 stats (Chiefs): 25 catches, 297 yards, 4 TD
Hardman dealt with injuries in 2022 that limited him to only eight games. He was durable in his previous three seasons with Kansas City, so whichever team ends up with him in 2023 will hope those ailments were simply a blip on the radar. He can be a game-changer when healthy given his speed.
8. Marvin Jones, age: 33 – 2022 stats (Jaguars): 46 catches, 529 yards, 3 TD
Jones’ days of flirting with 1,000 yards receiving probably are behind him, but the veteran wideout can still bring a boost to any offense at this stage of his rock-solid career.
9. Jarvis Landry, age: 30 – 2022 stats (Saints): 25 catches, 272 yards, 1 TD
There are legitimate injury concerns around Landry. He played in only nine games for New Orleans last season and missed some time with Cleveland the previous year. He can still put up solid numbers when healthy, so he’s a candidate for a bounce-back season if he can land in a better situation.
10. Noah Brown (signed with HOU).”
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DJ Chark is the only one left on this list who I would say has a chance to outplay JuJu Smith-Schuster. IOW, he’s the only one who could provide an upgrade to the position. This may be why the Chiefs are mentioned in rumors to have an interest in signing OBJ or trading for DeAndre Hopkins.
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Yes, Patrick Mahomes makes whoever he plays with a better player. However, losing Tyreek Hill and signing JuJu Smith-Schuster last offseason will be no comparison to losing JuJu Smith Schuster and then signing no one to replace him. Yes, the Chiefs drafted Skyy Moore with the 54th pick in last year’s draft, but he has yet to show us that he is deserving of becoming their #1 WR. As mentioned, even if Mecole Hardman returns, it appears K.C. needs a monster WR in the draft. That may be their only chance to obtain a missing link.
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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