Categories: Kansas City ChiefsPaul Pulley

Chiefs: An Inexpensive Free Agent Depth Linebacker

Chiefs: An Inexpensive Free Agent Depth Linebacker – the Kansas City Chiefs are going to need some depth at a few positions headed into the 2020 season. For the defense, linebacker and cornerback depth will be lacking at the beginning of the 2020 league year, which begins March 18th at 3:00 CDT, next week.

Unless a new CBA is ratified and there is a decently large boost to the salary cap, the Chiefs are currently restricted in their ability to go free agent shopping. With the Chris Jones — will he/won’t he — situation having a stranglehold on the salary cap, what… where… and for whom… the Chiefs can look for help in the free agent market, is up in the air.

With only three cornerbacks currently on the roster for 2020: Charvarius Ward, Rashad Fenton and Alex Brown, if Chiefs general manager Brett Veach is going to make a single splash in free agency, it almost has to be for a corner. Chris Harris Jr. has been mentioned quite a bit and personally, I’m hopeful that Veach will be able to bring back Kendall Fuller. Fuller played well toward the end of the season, once his thumb fully healed, and he showed great versatility in defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s secondary.

Looking at the 2020 linebacking corp, we still have starters Anthony Hitchens and Damien Wilson on the roster, as well as reserves Ben Niemann and Dorian O’Daniel. Two other LB’s I believe are on the roster for 2020 are Darius Harris, who finished 2019 on the reserve/NFI list and Emmanuel Smith, a practice squad player.

The bloated contract that Brett Veach gave to Anthony Hitchens two years ago, prevents the Chiefs from looking to make a second big time LB addition, therefore inexpensive depth needs to be found in the free agent market, with the hopes of drafting a quality starting linebacker.

Presenting: Free Agent LB, Neville Hewitt

Neville Hewitt was born April 6, 1993 to a teenage mother. I haven’t found a reference to having a father figure, or even much of a male role model, in his youth. Shortly after turning 14 years old, Hewitt’s mother was arrested for cocaine trafficking and subsequently sentenced to 25 years in prison. She has since been deported to her native home, Jamaica. After high school, Hewitt went the junior college route, attending Georgia Military College for two years. After being in a structured environment and with hard work, Hewitt made the Dean’s List at Georgia Military College and qualified for a step up and chose to attend Marshall University.

Hewitt had to redshirt one season after he transferred to Marshall, but played very well in his final two college seasons. As a senior in 2014, Hewitt was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, Hewitt was not invited to the NFL combine, and he ran a 4.65 40 at his pro day. He had a 37” vertical and a 119” broad jump, but his three-cone and short shuttle were reported to be average at best.

Going undrafted, Hewitt signed as a UDFA with the Miami Dolphins in 2015. In four of his five NFL seasons, he has played quite a lot on defense and has been a special teams stalwart.

- In 2015, Hewitt played about 30% of Miami’s defensive snaps and 63% on special teams.
- In 2016, he played about the same 30% on defense and over 76% special teams snaps.
- In 2017, Hewitt was released, then re-signed to the Dolphins practice squad and eventually brought back to the 53 man roster in late November.
- The last two seasons, Hewitt has played on consecutive one-year contracts for the New York Jets.
- In 2018, Hewitt played 24% of defensive snaps and 57% on special teams.
- In 2019, Hewitt had a more prominent role, playing over 69% of the Jets snaps on defense, the most of any linebacker for the Jets, and still played 26% of special teams snaps.
- Also in 2019, Hewitt had 75 tackles, 3 sacks, 5 passes defensed and 2 interceptions in 12 games. Not overly impressive numbers, but he was playing for the Jets.

Neville Hewitt has been described as relentless in pursuit, a productive tackler and has shown good coverage skills. He is known to be a willing and hard worker and a good locker room presence.

To be honest, the locker rooms of neither the Jets nor the Dolphins, have even a lingering odor of a successful franchise but, I believe that under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and linebacker coach Matt House, Hewitt could be put to good use as a linebacker, providing quality snaps in a reserve role and improving the coverage ability of our linebackers.

As a bonus, I have no doubt special teams coordinator Dave Toub will find plenty of ways to use Hewitt.

The most important aspect, other teams won’t be fighting for his services and I think the Chiefs could sign him to a very reasonable contract, even if it’s just a 1-year prove it deal and he will add quality depth to a position group that needs it.

Paul Pulley — ArrowheadOne

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