Chiefs: Free Agent Cornerbacks

Chiefs: Free Agent Cornerbacks – in my last article I mentioned that if Chiefs general manager Brett Veach was going to make an off season splash, it needs to be at the cornerback position. I would like to see the Chiefs bring back Kendall Fuller if at all possible, but there could be the real possibility that another team will outbid the Chiefs for his services.

[Note: Fuller signed with Washington- see below].

Being a successful NFL organization, coming off a Super Bowl victory, can be both advantageous and a disadvantage. A disadvantage in that other teams will be willing to pay a premium in order to sign your players that are hitting the market. An advantage in that our team will be the first choice destination for many of the other teams free agents. 

So, I’m going to look at two different players in this article, both free agents from other teams. One would be a high/higher dollar player, albeit a starter and the other one a depth player and special teamer.

CB James Bradberry

The first is my splash player, James Bradberry. Bradberry, born August 4th, 1993, was a 4 year starter at Samford University. Bradberry attended the 2016 NFL combine, standing 6’ 1” and weighed 211 pounds, he ran a 4.50 40 yard dash. Other measurables include very respectable times of a 4.21 short shuttle and 6.91 in the 3 cone drill. He had 36” vertical and 124” broad jumps.

Drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the 2016 draft (round 2, pick 62 overall), Bradberry was named a starter as a rookie. Being drafted by the Panthers, with Ron Rivera as the head coach and Sean McDermott as his defensive coordinator, Bradberry landed on an excellent team to begin his professional career as a defensive player.

Following his rookie year, PFF named Bradberry the top graded rookie cornerback for the 2016 season. He posted a higher PFF grade than the likes of Jalen Ramsey, Vernon Hargreaves, Artie Burns and Xavien Howard.

A 4-year starter for Carolina, Bradberry has amassed 279 tackles, 47 pass deflections, 8 interceptions and 3 sacks, starting 60 of the 64 regular season games while playing out his rookie contract. Bradberry may not ever be considered a “lockdown” corner (personally, I don’t think there is such a thing anymore), he is a very good corner and is exceptional against go routes.

James Bradberry would be an immediate starter for the Chiefs, but in order to acquire his services, he could end up costing in the $12M to $14M per year range.

Too Little Too Late

So, just as I’m finishing this article, I read that not only has James Bradberry agreed to sign with the New York Giants, he signed a deal for 3 years for $45M, or $15M/year.

CB Antonio Hamilton

Antonio Hamilton, who just turned 27 years old, attended South Carolina State University, which is only about 70 miles from his home town of Johnston.

While at the university, Hamilton’s statistics are sparse, recording 73 tackles, 9 passes defensed, 4 interceptions and 1 sack in three seasons. As a special teamer, Hamilton returned 33 kickoffs for 818 yards (a 24.8 yard average) and 23 punts for 498 yards (a 21.7 yard average), scoring a total of 4 touchdowns. As a Junior, Hamilton was named All Conference as a Return Specialist.

At the South Carolina State pro day, Hamilton, at 6’ 0” and 192 pounds, ran a 4.38— 40. He had a 4.27 second short shuttle and a 6.97 second 3 cone. He showed some explosiveness with a 39.5” vertical and an eleven foot broad jump.

Going undrafted in the 2016 draft, Hamilton signed with the Oakland Raider as an UDFA. After spending 2 seasons in Oakland, playing mostly special teams and placed on IR for part of 2017, the Raiders released Hamilton on cut down day of 2018. 

The very next day, Hamilton was claimed off waivers by the New York Giants, where he has played the past two seasons. Hamilton played over 50% of the Giants special teams snaps in 2018 and 2019, while playing only about 130 snaps on defense, Hamilton played over 80% of the special teams snaps for the season.

While Antonio Hamilton may never be a starter on the defense, he will still make a quality reserve, and can be a huge benefit to Dave Toub’s special teams units, and do so without breaking the bank. If the Chiefs move on from Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman will be taking on a much larger role as a receiver and finding a “return specialist” to replace Hardman might be a priority.

Too Little Too Late

The news keeps getting worse, Kendall Fuller has agreed to go back to the Washington Redskins, signing a 4 year, $40 million deal.

Byron Jones, Bradley Roby, Josh Norman and A. J. Bouye have also agreed to new contracts, taking free agent corners off the market rather quickly, showing this to be a coveted position.

A Corner in the Draft

It’s looking more and more that CB help may need to come on draft day. Assuming Chris Jones can and will be traded, this could make one of the best corners in this draft class an option in late April. Otherwise, Veach may have to wait for the price to come down on one of the following DBs.

I know a lot of NFL Free Agents have signed contracts with teams, but there are still plenty of DBs left for Veach to choose from:

List of Available/Signed Defensive Backs

As of 3-17-2020: 11:59 PM

Paul Pulley — ArrowheadOne

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