Laddie Morse
Many have been wondering if the Kansas City Chiefs can actually run it back a third time in a row, winning back-to-back-to-back Lombardi Trophy’s. To do that, they would have to win the offseason, as well as the regular season and so far… so good. Some will site the lack of a Wide Receiver signed in the Free Agency period, but that’s not necessarily a must do proposition.. by now. Especially after the first two days of Free Agency. Some will argue that we are on Day Five today, and including the Legal Tampering period which began on Monday of this week, that’s true. However, Brett Veach and crew do a lot of their best work at signing Free Agents in the later days of Free Agency.
From a piece written by Seth Keysor called: “If I Were Brett Veach” and this is Part Two (subscription required) in which he poses the idea that if he could act as the Chiefs General Manager he would take certain actions, and he says:
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“… I treat free agency as a “gap filler.” What I mean by that is I like for the draft to be the long-term building mechanism for the team, with free agency to be used at times to build but more often to shore up weak spots to prevent drafting for need. In other words, my aim in free agency is always intentional towards where I see gaps in the roster. So in the current case for the Chiefs, it’s WR, DL, and OT (arguably) where my attention primarily goes.”
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Last year, in 2023, all of the following players were signed by Brett Veach and crew five days after the official beginning of Free Agency on March 15th, between then and the start of the draft on April 27th:
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You’ll not only notice the 9 players signed by Veach in the interim period between Free Agency beginning, and the Draft, but the length of time between signings. Like, the time between when TE, Blake Bell came back to the Chiefs on March 24th and when DT Byron Cowart was signed six days later.
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That’s a long time and this year, it hasn’t even been six days yet since Free Agency and the Legal Tampering period began this past Monday. The point is, let’s be patient.
“Trust in Veach” is my motto.
The Chiefs movements so far this offseason include re-signing DT Chris Jones to a monster deal. That’s an amazing deal. From NFL.com:
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“Jones signed a five-year, $158.75 million
deal with $101 million in guarantees, edging
out Aaron Donald as the NFL’s highest-paid
defensive tackle.”
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The following is from NBC.com:
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Jones says, he’s “Chasing greatness.” I say, Chris Jones is as important to the Defense as Patrick Mahomes is to the Offense… and believe me, that’s saying a mouthful. Do I think CJ can one day be thought of as the best DT in the history of the game? Yes, and since that’s also what I think about Patrick Mahomes… you can see why I’s say it’s a mouthful.
Some fans are under the impression that CJ’s new contract will hogtie the organization in year to come. Craig Stout of KCSN begs to differ:
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Aside from the move to re-sign the best DT in the game today — Chris Jones — here are the other moves K.C. has made this offseason. From David Bell’s piece yesterday called: “League New Year: What Fortune Brings is a Question“:
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The remaining needs, as I see them. are as follows, but not necessarily in this order:
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These are listed in a certain order but the needs may change with the signing of Free Agents and prospects in the draft. Those Prospects are evaluated and priortized by Veach and his staff. IOW, the order of these needs is not necessarily in this order.
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With this afternoon signing yesterday, of DT Tershawn Wharton, aka Turk Wharton, the DT position is taken care of, especially now that Derrick Nnadi has been re-signed as well (see down below):
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Although the Chiefs are re-signing some of their previous players, one player who is getting away is, Jody Fortson:
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It’s not just Tershanw Wharton who is returning to the Chiefs roster at DT, Derrick Nnadi has also been re-signed:
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Here’s an update of the Chiefs won Free Agents, that they haven’t yet re-signed:
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Although I’m surprised K.C. choose to bring back DT Derrick Nnadi, the players I’m hoping the Chiefs will re-sign are:
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The reason Mike Danna isn’t on my list is that I believe he will be signed by another team and that K.C. won’t be able to afford him.
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K.C. has now brought back all their Defensive Interior Linemen. Let me know what you think? Also late last night…
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Hollywood Brown runs a 4.33 – 40 yard dash (maybe even faster, since that was his time recorded while he was at Canyon Community College). So he’s is likely the field stretcher the Chiefs have been searching for since Tyreek Hill took his talents to South Beach.
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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne
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