KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Monday may have been the first day of the negotiating window for pending NFL free agents, but with the number of deals reached and money committed it’s clear the floodgates of free agency have officially opened.
The Chiefs, however, were mostly quiet on the first day of the negotiating window in which teams can negotiate with agents of prospective free agents. Teams cannot officially sign contracts with players until 3 p.m. central time Wednesday but that didn’t stop the money from flowing.
Kansas City’s only activity on day one was focused on keeping its own players in the fold. The club agreed to a one-year deal with long-snapper James Winchester and also announced tender offer deals with five exclusive rights free agents: cornerback Nazeeh Johnson and linebacker Jack Cochrane and Cole Christiansen, defensive end Malik Herring and offensive lineman Mike Caliendo
The club also saw the departure of two free agents with offensive lineman Nick Allegretti agreeing to a three-year, $16 million deal with Washington and punter Tommy Townsend connecting with Houston on a two-year, $6 million contract.
The Chiefs didn’t expect to be particularly active in the first wave of free agency, especially after locking up defensive tackle Chris Jones over the weekend. Activity around the league, however, may have set up the Chiefs to make some moves in the days ahead.
No Movement on L’Jarius Sneed
Perhaps the most intriguing development of the day for the Chiefs on Monday was the lack of buzz surrounding cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Several teams reportedly interested in Sneed, including Tennessee, Arizona and Jacksonville, agreed to deals with other corners on Monday. Detroit, believed among the most ardent suitors for Sneed, acquired Carlton Davis from Tampa Bay along with two sixth-round choices in exchange for a third-round pick.
Could this signal a shift in the market for Sneed? Cincinnati’s Chidobe Awuzie, ranked by both Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Network among the top three free-agent cornerbacks on the market, agreed to a three-year, $36 million deal with Tennessee averaging just $12 million per season. Sneed was believed to be seeking a deal closer to the four-year, $76 million signed last week by Chicago’s Jaylon Johnson.
But while Johnson is just 24 years old (he turns 25 next month), Sneed is 27. Awuzie is 28 and turns 29 in May. If Sneed isn’t able to land a contract closer to the $19 million annual average value Johnson earned, he could end up closer to the Chiefs’ offering price. It’s worth monitoring the buzz around Sneed in the next few days to see if the trade market for him develops more strongly.
Wide Receiver Market Slow
While there was plenty of money flying around on Monday, very little found its way to wide receivers. The Jacksonville Jaguars were the sole team to dip into the free-agent receiver market, committing an eye-opening $39 million over three years to former Buffalo receiver Gabriel Davis and agreeing to a two-year, $8.5 million deal with Devin Duvernay, formerly with the Baltimore Ravens.
That leaves most of the top free agents still on the market, including a couple of potential targets for Chiefs general manager Brett Veach. Chicago’s Darnell Mooney and Washington’s Curtis Samuel remain available, and both are believed to be on Kansas City’s shortlist. Other big names also remain available including Arizona’s Marquise Brown, Jacksonville’s Calvin Ridley, Baltimore’s Odell Beckham Jr. and Cincinnati’s Tyler Boyd. Another Bengals receiver, Tee Higgins, has been franchised tagged and reportedly is seeking a trade but it’s hard to see the Chiefs fitting Higgins into their financial plans.
If the free agent market remains depressed, the Chiefs may jump into the action sooner than later in nabbing one of their top targets.
More Running Backs Available
Monday proved a good day for free-agent running backs, albeit a bad day for running backs who lost their jobs. Nine running backs changed places in a game of musical chairs but the losers were two running backs who were released after their teams found their replacements.
Green Bay parted ways with Aaron Jones after snatching Josh Jacobs from Las Vegas while Cincinnati released Joe Mixon after agreeing to a deal with Zack Moss. The Chiefs are believed to be interested in a veteran running back to pair with Isiah Pacheco, and Jones and Mixon should shoot to the top of the list along with Baltimore’s JK Dobbins.
The prices for running backs on day one were probably higher than the Chiefs were willing to pay but with nearly a third of the league landing a new starting running back Monday, supply and demand may favor Kansas City in the second and third waves of free agency.
Tackle Market Grows with David Bakhtiari
Veach said during the NFL Combine he was interested in adding competition at the left tackle position, so maybe David Bakhtiari is outside his budget. The 32-year-old All-Pro was released by Green Bay Monday, and he joins a group of free agents that also includes Tyron Smith of Dallas and Trent Brown of New England. All three would be legitimate candidates for the Chiefs at the right price.
If the Chiefs remain budget-conscious at tackle and simply wish to add competition for Wanya Morris on the left side, the club may look no further than Charlie Heck. Heck spent the past four seasons with the Houston Texans and is the son of Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck.
Kansas City’s Free Agents
While Allegretti and Townsend found new clubs on Monday, the bulk of Kansas City’s unrestricted free agents remain on the market. A total of 16 Chiefs remain available.
While Veach will likely wait and see how the market develops for some older veterans, there are several names worth watching to see if they return to Kansas City. The players to watch are defensive end Mike Danna, safety Mike Edwards, linebacker Willie Gay and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi and Tershawn Wharton. Each of these players is expected to field offers from other clubs, but if the market does not develop for them, Kansas City would certainly be interested in entertaining their return.
The Chiefs have declined to make a tender to restricted free agent tight end Jody Fortson, a source told Chiefs Digest. The Chiefs would have had to make Fortson a one-year tender worth $2.985 million to retain his rights. Declining to make the offer means Fortson will become an unrestricted free agent at the beginning of the new league year on Wednesday. The club hopes to re-sign Fortson for a lesser amount.
Best of the Rest
Pro Football Focus (top 10): DE Danielle Hunter, LT Tyron Smith, CB Kendall Fuller, DE Leonard Williams, WR Marquise Brown, DT DJ Reader, LB Patrick Queen, SS Kamren Curl, LT Trent Brown and WR Calvin Ridley
Pro Football Network (top at each position): QB Joe Flacco, RB Derrick Henry, WR Calvin Ridley, TE Mike Gesicki, OT Jonah Williams, G Connor Williams, DL Arik Armstead, ED Danielle Hunter, LB Patrick Queen, CB Kendall Fuller and S Kamren Curl
