Chiefs' Offseason Priorities After Super Bowl 55 vs. Buccaneers

The Kansas City Chiefs can look to the strengths of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as areas to improve during the NFL offseason. 

Tampa Bay won Super Bowl LV through sturdy protection for Tom Brady, a deep wide receiver corps and a pass-rush that kept Patrick Mahomes out of a rhythm for 60 minutes. 

Kansas City has some questions to answer about its offensive line, and it needs to fill some depth behind Tyreek Hill at wide receiver and Frank Clark at defensive end. 

Andy Reid's side could address those issues by re-signing players, like Sammy Watkins, or by dipping into the free-agent market to get even better in its quest to qualify for three straight Super Bowls. 

The buildup of offensive line injuries caught up to the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, as Mahomes faced relentless pressure from Shaquil Barrett, Devin White and others. 

Kansas City needs to assess Eric Fisher's absence to see if he will miss time at the start of the 2021 season and if he will be back to his regular playing shape after suffering an Achilles injury. 

Guards Kelechi Osemele, Stefan Wisniewski and Mike Remmers are all scheduled to be free agents, so the Chiefs must decide if they want any of them back, of if they want to sign new players. 

Osemele was one of the injured linemen who missed out on the Super Bowl. Remmers and Wisniewski were part of the group that allowed Tampa Bay's front seven to run rampant in the pocket. 

If the Chiefs move on from those players, they should make offensive line their top focus in the offseason, despite having three wide receivers hit the open market. 

As long as they find the right players to shore up the protection for Mahomes, Kansas City should be in good shape, but it may take a major retooling to get there. 

Sammy Watkins, Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle are all scheduled to become free agents. 

That leaves Kansas City with four of its top seven wide receivers from the 2020 season under contract. 

Of course, having Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and Mecole Hardman return for another year is a good starting point, but it may take a retooling at wide receiver to fend off any challengers in the AFC. 

Watkins was a valuable possession receiver in the Chiefs' system, while Robinson and Pringle added more speed behind Hill and Hardman. 

The Super Bowl exposed the flaw that the Chiefs need another wideout to step up behind Hill if he gets shut down by opposing coverage. 

That could require an upgrade from any of the three soon-to-be free agents, especially with a bevy of wideouts expected to be on the market. 

Kansas City likely will not have the money to chase Allen Robinson or Kenny Golladay, but Marvin Jones Jr., T.Y. Hilton and Curtis Samuel are among the affordable players who could fill the No. 2 role behind Hill.

Just like wide receiver, the Chiefs may not be able to aim big at defensive end and land J.J. Watt, but they can find an upgrade to support Frank Clark on the edges. 

Clark and defensive tackle Chris Jones were the only Chiefs players to record more than six sacks throughout the regular season.

In the Super Bowl, Kansas City sacked Tom Brady on one occasion and earned two quarterback hits. Those low totals are not acceptable against any quarterback in the NFL. 

Kansas City could be in direct competition with the Buffalo Bills on the pass-rusher market since the AFC East champion needs to upgrade at that position as well.

Veterans Yannick Ngakoue, Jadeveon Clowney and Carl Lawson might be available at the right price, or Kansas City can attack the defensive side of the ball in the draft. 

In the last two years, the Chiefs added Juan Thornhill, Willie Gay and L'Jarius Sneed through the draft. If their scouting department finds more gems in this year's class, the Chiefs could save some money on the defensive interior and spend their free-agent money fixing the offensive line.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.