Chiefs Free Agents: Ranking Re-Sign Priorities for Kansas City
The Kansas City Chiefs have 20 players whose contracts are up, according to Spotrac, and will become available in free agency in March if they are not re-signed.
From league leaders to partial contributors, the Chiefs have some players who are definitely worth bringing back to help the team in 2015 and beyond. General manager John Dorsey must work on freeing up cap space, but once he does, he must then find a way to bring back some of his key free agents.
Here are the five Chiefs (plus one wild card) that the franchise should re-sign. Do you agree or disagree with any of these options? Was a player left out who is worth re-signing? Let me know in the comments below.
1. OLB Justin Houston
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Outside linebacker Justin Houston is the obvious No. 1 on this list. He led the league in sacks with 22 and has been a huge part of Kansas City's defensive front seven since his rookie year in 2011.
But since Houston recorded his 22-sack season, he will come at an extremely high price. While he will be expensive, he has proved that he is indeed worth the money.
Houston and the defense put Kansas City in position to win each week, never allowing a team to score more than 29 points in a game while pressuring opposing quarterbacks throughout the season.
Even if they don't agree to a new deal, the Chiefs can always slap Houston with the franchise tag and negotiate throughout the rest of the offseason and during the 2015 season.
2. C Rodney Hudson
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"Atrocious" is an understatement to define Kansas City's offensive line. But Rodney Hudson does not fall into that category, as he was the only reliable pass-blocker for the Chiefs this past season. In fact, Hudson is one of the most underrated linemen and one of the top centers in the league.
The Chiefs must make Hudson a priority to re-sign, so they can focus on bringing in other offensive linemen to play beside him and help improve the offense up front.
If the Chiefs lose Hudson, they could go into 2015 with no reliable linemen, which would be bad news for Alex Smith and Jamaal Charles in the backfield.
3. LS Thomas Gafford
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After going undrafted in 2005 and signing with teams only to be with them for OTAs and training camp, Thomas Gafford found a home in Kansas City since 2008 and has been a viable long snapper on special teams.
According to Spotrac, Gafford's salary was below the league average, and he will likely demand a contract guaranteeing him at least $1 million per year.
In the end, the Chiefs will probably bring him back. They have rarely had any issues with Gafford's snaps on special teams, which makes it easy for the team to want to re-sign him.
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4. WR Jason Avant
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Though he is listed fourth, Jason Avant is another player whom the Chiefs should work hard to bring back. With the team lacking production at wide receiver, Kansas City brought in Avant during the second half of the season. He provided a couple of flashes but did not make a big difference offensively.
Avant had just 13 catches for 152 yards. His longest catch went for 41 yards, which made him the first Chiefs player this year to catch a pass longer than 40 yards, despite playing just five games in Kansas City.
If given an entire offseason to work with the offense, Avant could prove to be a valuable asset to the Chiefs. With his familiarity of Andy Reid's offense when he played for Reid, fans will like what they see from Avant.
Alongside potential additions, Kansas City's receiving corps would improve if Avant re-signs.
5. ILB Josh Mauga
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You have to give Josh Mauga a lot of credit for filling in when both starting inside linebackers, Derrick Johnson and Joe Mays, missed a total of 23 games combined. Mauga played with no skilled veteran beside him, yet he came through for the defense.
Mauga started off hot when he came up with plenty of run stops through the middle and quickly closed in on ball-carriers with his speed. He led the team in tackles with 103.
With Johnson returning from injury, Mays looking to be healthier and the possibility of bringing in a new inside linebacker, Mauga's future with the Chiefs becomes interesting. If re-signed, what would his role become?
If he does get the chance to play beside Johnson, the two have a chance at making the defense's front seven even better.
Wild Card: CB/S Ron Parker
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Chiefs fans were discouraged from what they saw in Ron Parker when he played cornerback. When he filled in for Eric Berry at safety, fans were a little more pleased with how he did.
Parker is a wild card when it comes to re-signing priorities. His inconsistency is an issue, and the Chiefs want to make sure they get the same player week in and week out.
He went on to finish second on the team in tackles with 94, just nine tackles behind Josh Mauga. Parker also had one forced fumble, one interception and one sack.
Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com.
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