Kansas City Chiefs Free-Agency Tracker: Updated Signings, Rumors and Grades
The free-agency period begins later today, but there have already been non-official agreements with some teams and players. Kansas City Chiefs fans were ecstatic to learn their team was one of the few as ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported the Chiefs and former Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin have agreed to a deal, reuniting with Andy Reid.
Alongside Maclin's soon-to-be signing, plenty of other stories have taken place involving the Chiefs. With free agents of their own and current free agents, the Chiefs have been linked to several players.
In this slideshow, we re-visit the recent Chiefs free-agency rumors, give reactions and share expectations moving forward.
Justin Houston Still Unsigned
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The reports involving Justin Houston's contract situation have been nothing but bad news.
First, Houston received the non-exclusive franchise tag earlier this month from the Chiefs. Shortly after the tag was made public, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported Houston may consider waiting until Week 10 of the 2015 season to sign his tender. Florio went on to report Houston is upset with the Chiefs and hopes to attract offers from other teams.
Details about this story have been very vague as we are unsure about how negotiations have gone. Are the Chiefs offering a large sum and Houston is demanding more, or are the Chiefs not giving Houston enough? We don't know.
What we do know is Houston is a huge part of Kansas City's 20 wins since Reid became the new head coach.
While having one of the most dominant teams, leading the league in sacks and takeaways at one point, Houston had a big hand in the team's defense in 2013 prior to Houston's midseason injury. In 2014, the Chiefs did not allow a team to score more than 29 points in a game this season, being the only team to do so. Again, Houston did have a big hand in helping the Chiefs achieve that task.
Elite players don't come cheap, but in order for the Chiefs to have another strong and sound defense, Houston must be part of the team in 2015 and beyond.
Tamba Hali and Mike DeVito Take Pay Cuts to Stay in Kansas City
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The Chiefs managed to create cap space while also keeping two important pieces for their defense.
The Chiefs reached an agreement to restructure Tamba Hali's contract as he is willing to take a $3 million pay cut to stay in Kansas City, per Terez Paylor of The Kansas City Star. Mike DeVito, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1 against the Titans, also agreed to take a pay cut, also reported by Paylor.
Since 2010, Hali has evolved into one of the better pass-rushers in the NFL. Although he is 31, he is still one of the more productive pass-rushers in the NFL today.
As for DeVito, he played a big hand in Kansas City's defense against the pass and stopping the run in 2013. The Chiefs certainly missed him, along with Derrick Johnson, after finishing 28th in rush defense.
If Houston returns and if the team can have similar luck when it comes to limiting injuries, like it did in 2013, then the Chiefs will have a stout defense once again.
Chiefs to Sign Jeremy Maclin
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As mentioned in the first slide, the Chiefs will sign Maclin, which helps Kansas City's offense immensely after the team failed to complete a touchdown pass to a receiver. Now, they have a player who is an end-zone threat after Maclin finished with 10 touchdown grabs and 1,318 receiving yards.
Adding Maclin helps the Chiefs in multiple ways, as Alex Smith will have a better target at wide receiver who also has familiarity with Reid's offense and expectations.
The Chiefs would be wise to add one more veteran receiver while also searching for one early in the draft.
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Chiefs to Lose Rodney Hudson to the Raiders
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ESPN reported former Chiefs center Rodney Hudson has signed a five-year deal with the Oakland Raiders, earning $44.5 million. With Hudson being the only viable pass-blocker in 2014 for Kansas City, the team is now left with no reliable pass protectors.
As for potential offensive linemen to Kansas City, the Chiefs have not been linked to any players. But general manager John Dorsey might be able to come away with a couple of veterans.
Bryan Bulaga managed to bounce back and help the Packers in 2014 after suffering a torn ACL. He was not retained by the Packers and is free to sign with any team. Joseph Barksdale is not the greatest pass blocker, but he is a reliable guy in the running game and would be an upgrade at right tackle for the Chiefs.
As for interior guards, Mike Iupati of the 49ers would be a huge pickup as was a dominant blocker in passing and rushing plays. Though the Chiefs lost Hudson, it means the Raiders decided not to bring back Stefen Wisniewski, a center who is 26, like Hudson, and is a very similar player overall. Keep in mind, the Chiefs also get Jeff Allen back and hope he can do well at one of the two guard spots.
Chiefs Interested in Multiple Defensive Backs
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The Kansas City Chiefs are after a pair of defensive backs to help improve the secondary.
Pro Football Talk is reporting the Chiefs are set to meet with Raiders safety Tyvon Branch, who has been with the Raiders since 2008. In addition, Jason La Canfora tweeted that despite having a cap bind, the Chiefs are going after Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis.
If Dorsey manages to keep Houston and sign either Branch or Revis, or both, Kansas City will have a solid group of defensive backs to join cornerback Sean Smith and safety Eric Berry, if he is cleared to play.
Great pass-rushers help create ill-advised passes, and if Kansas City has a strong secondary, the Chiefs could overtake the Seahawks as the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL, finishing just behind them.
Grading John Dorsey
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We will know more later, but if we had to give Dorsey a grade right now, he certainly deserves a good one. He was highly criticized for the contract he gave to Dwayne Bowe, signing him to a five-year deal worth $56 million during the 2013 offseason.
Now, Dorsey has made up for it as he is expected to officially sign Maclin. In addition, Dorsey found a way to create cap space and keep a couple of key defensive players that are important for the team's success.
While many were uncertain if the Chiefs would be make a splash in free agency, Dorsey appears to have been actively and aggressively looking to bring in some key free agents.
The downfall, he was unable to keep a good center in Hudson and currently has negotiating conflict with Houston and his agent, Joel Segal.
Overall, Dorsey deserves a solid B. For now, he got himself a key wide receiver, which the offense desperately needed. Until more moves are made and if he locks up Houston to a long-term deal, his grade will only go up. From that point, it is up to Reid and the team to make noise on the gridiron in 2015.
Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.com.
Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com.
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