Kansas City Chiefs: 5 Remaining Free Agents That KC Should Target

John Elway just pulled off what may be his greatest football accomplishment yet. And that's saying a lot.

Elway, a two-time Super Bowl champion and Hall of Famer, managed to rid the Broncos of Tim Tebow without turning a legion of rabid Tebow fans against him and the franchise. He did it by signing former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning to a five-year, $96 million contract.     

Elway never embraced the idea of Tebow as Denver's long-term solution at quarterback, and it put Elway in a difficult spot. Fans had made Tebow's jersey the league's top seller, his unexpected success dominated the airwaves and broke a record on Twitter, and most importantly of all, the Broncos were winning.

There was no way Elway and the Broncos could walk away from Tebow now, not during the peak of Tebowmania. The Broncos knew if they were going to cut ties with the third-year quarterback, they would need a solid contingency plan.

By bringing in Manning, Elway not only found his best excuse for moving on from Tebow, he also greatly improved his team. Manning is a three-time MVP, a Super Bowl champion and he brings instant credibility to a Denver offense that ranked 31st in the NFL in passing yards. He is a significant upgrade for a team that won its division in 2011 and upset the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs.

While Elway's feelings about Tebow hasn't always matched the same level of emotional fervor as Broncos fans, not even Tebow's staunchest supporters can't be mad about his departure. Bittersweet maybe, but not angry.

Elway has 169 career wins in Denver, but this victory may be his finest.

G Geoff Schwartz

Left guard appears to be the last position that the Chiefs need to upgrade along their offensive line.

With young talent in all of the other four spots, it's time for KC to part ways with starting LG Ryan Lilja.

Free-agent guard Geoff Schwartz is a Scott Pioli-type player because he is a hard worker and is versatile enough to play either or guard or tackle.

He could also come in and immediately start at right guard for the Chiefs, and at 25 years old, he could man that position for a long time.

DT Shaun Rogers

For years, the Chiefs have needed a solid DT in the middle of their defensive line.

They have tried using a host of different players in that role, but many of them haven't worked out.

Former Brown Shaun Rogers is still available and is a tough, experienced NT that the Chiefs could use right now, even if it's just for a season or two. His familiarity with Romeo Crennel and his 6'4", 350-pound frame make him a good fit to play defensive tackle for Kansas City.

DT Antonio Garay

The second and final FA defensive tackle that I have on this list is former Charger Antonio Garay.

Garay is a very talented DT who could immediately be plugged in as a starter along the Chiefs' defensive line in 2012.

Last year, he tallied a career-high 57 tackles for San Diego in 13 starts, showing no signs of slowing down at age 32.

Since he is one of the best free agents that is still out there for the taking, the former Boston College star would be a great signing for this team, assuming that the Chiefs don't have to overpay a lot to land him.

ILB Jameel McClain

The Chiefs have been looking for a play-making inside linebacker opposite Derrick Johnson for quite some time  now. Incumbent starter Jovan Belcher could be that guy, but he hasn't exactly showed that yet.

Free agent ILB Jameel McClain is more talented than Belcher and is a very hard hitter at his position, which is something that KC desperately needs right now.

He has the potential to start on this team, and, at the very worst, he would be an excellent backup linebacker for KC's defense.

S Yeremiah Bell

One of the biggest weakness for the Chiefs last season was their lack of depth at the safety position.

When Pro Bowler Eric Berry was lost for the season in Week 1, KC had no one on the roster who could adequately fill in for the star safety.

Miami free agent Yeremiah Bell could be that guy this year, as he would provide a veteran presence to a very young group of Chiefs safeties.

Bell is one of the best FA safeties that is still available right now, and if Kansas City could get him to accept a backup role in their secondary for next season, he would be a definite upgrade at that spot for this team.