2012 NFL Free Agency: Kansas City Chiefs Entertaining All the Right Prospects

A number of big names came off the market quickly in the first day of NFL free agency this year. Vincent Jackson, Carl Nicks, Cortland Finnegan and others quickly found themselves a new team and a new, lucrative contract.

In the first-day flurry of action, the Kansas City Chiefs did nothing but re-sign Amon Gordon and tender an offer to restricted free agent Jovan Belcher.

At least, that's how it appears on the free agency wire.

In truth, Kansas City's already reached out to a number of players who could make a serious impact in 2012. What's more, the Chiefs look determined to address the serious holes on the team now rather than wait to see how things transpire in the draft.

Depth at running back went from a strength to an exposed weakness quickly last season. Jamaal Charles' injury and Thomas Jones' decline in productivity forced Kansas City to rely on Jackie Battle and Dexter McCluster to pick up the slack. Both performed decently, but failed to truly replace either player's previous numbers.

To answer that shortcoming, the Chiefs scheduled Peyton Hillis and Mike Tolbert for visits. Both players are strong north-south runners capable of breaking tackles, bulldozing holes in a defense and working as a receiver out of the backfield. Hillis comes with more risk after missing a large portion of the 2011 season, but he floored Cleveland fans with over 1,600 total yards in 2010.

Tight end is another position group that faltered in 2011. As a rookie, Tony Moeaki quickly reminded Chiefs fans of another tight end named Tony with his 556-yard showing two years ago. Kansas City couldn't compensate when they lost Moeaki for the season. Not only could the rest of the tight end group replace his receiving production, but they became Kansas City's most penalized position.

To respond, the Chiefs made John Carlson a priority. The former Seahawk reportedly elected to sign with Minnesota instead, but his visit shows  that Kansas City is working hard to fix what is obviously a weak position. If their initial efforts are any indication, fans can expect the Chiefs to continue looking for upgrades at tight end.

Probably the area of greatest concern is offensive line, specifically right tackle. Barry Richardson regressed considerably in 2011, leaving his quarterbacks exposed to opponents' pass rush. The Chiefs regularly paired a tight end and receiver together to handle the secondary outside rusher rather than depend on Richardson to anchor the right side.

To that end, Eric Winston is scheduled to visit Kansas City. Faced with salary cap issues, the Texans released the accomplished right tackle, who could solve many of the Chiefs' concerns in pass protection and change Kansas City's priorities in the upcoming draft.

Much like last year when Pioli rebuilt the Chiefs' receiver corps, Kansas City's front office appears intent on turning some of their weaker areas into a strength for 2012. And with many of their other positions already solidified, the Chiefs could realistically enter the NFL draft without any glaring holes in their roster.

That would enable Kansas City to draft the best player available regardless of position, and that's the kind of flexibility and depth that brings home championships.