The Chiefs had one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL in 2018. While many would be content to focus purely on the defensive side of the ball during free agency and the draft, good teams don’t ignore the opportunity for improvements.
There are plenty of pending free agents that the Chiefs can add to this offense in order to make it better. With some expected departures on offensive side of the ball, they’ll need to reload and rebuild their depth. I’ve identified three pending free agents that I think can come in an make a difference on offense. The Chiefs should prioritize and pursue each of these players when the free agency period begins March 13.
They won’t be able to sign every player I’ve suggested here or on the defensive side of the ball. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t look into them.
Brett Jones – C – Vikings
The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to let Mitch Morse walk in free agency. They’ve extended Austin Reiter, but as we learned this season, they need to be deep along the offensive interior.
Brett Jones hails from Canada and got his start with the CFL before joining the NFL. He played for the Calgary Stampeders before signing with the New York Giants in 2015. It’s certainly a bonus that Jones can join the Chiefs’ throng of Canadian offensive lineman.
Jones was traded to the Vikings from the Giants in 2018. This came after a career-best 2017 season with the Giants, part of which came under interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo. There was an expectation Jones would compete for the starting job with the Vikings given his 2017 performance. He ultimately won that job out of the preseason, but by Week 4 he’d been replaced by Pat Elfein. My understanding is this wasn’t a performance issue, but the front office wanted to see their guy playing. Most of Jones’ 2018 season was spent on the bench because of that.
The Chiefs need to build more competitive depth along the offensive line as their set to lose Morse and another two contributors. Jones was paid just $2.9 million for his services in 2018. The Chiefs could likely sign him to a deal that wouldn’t hamstring the team if he didn’t win a starting job.
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Maxx Williams – TE – Ravens
Maxx Williams may be the odd man out for Baltimore this offseason. In 2018 the Ravens drafted Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews. It seemed to be out of frustration because they really couldn’t keep guys healthy during the past several seasons.
Williams made it through his rookie season in 2015 healthy, and it was his best season to date in terms of yardage and receptions. It still wasn’t a huge offensive impact though.
During the 2016 season Williams suffered a knee injury that sent him to injured reserve. In 2017, he couldn’t secure a starting job and was the third tight end out of training camp. He suffered a mid-season ankle injury that kept him sidelined for three games. Injuries mostly derailed any consistent production out of this player.
By the 2018 season, Williams found himself on the roster bubble. He managed to hold onto his job, but the Ravens carried four tight ends on the roster. Williams was No. 2 of those four tight ends per Pro Football Focus grading. He only started a total of six games and outperformed Hayden Hurst and Nick Boyle.
Williams is only 24 years old. He still has plenty of room to grow. Right now blocking seems to be where he does his best work. He’s lined up as a fullback, in the wings, and in-line as a blocker for the Ravens. He also does a good job blocking in space. In 2015 he proved to have reliable hands, but the Ravens never utilized him in the passing game the same way after that season.
Chiefs fans have been begging for an upgrade at the second tight end spot for a while now. With Demetrius Harris scheduled to become a free agent, there is a chance they’ll be in the market for that upgrade. Williams has the potential to be an upgrade, he just needs to be utilized properly and remain healthy.
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Breshad Perriman – WR – Browns
Breshad Perriman NFL career got off to a turbulent start. His rookie season in 2015 was lost to a PCL Injury. Ahead of the 2016 season, Perriman suffered a partially torn ACL. This didn’t knock him out for the 2016 season, but it certainly stunted his growth as a player. Speed was a big part of his game and knee injuries really put a damper on that.
Eventually the Ravens declined Perriman’s 5th year option and let him walk in free agency. In 2018 Perriman spent about a week in Washington before being waived. He didn’t get another opportunity until October when he signed with the Cleveland Browns.
Perriman finished the 2018 season with 16 receptions for 340 yards and 2 touchdowns. That production may not seem like a whole lot, but the most encouraging thing about Perriman wasn’t the numbers.
If you turn on the tape, you see an entirely different player from his time in Baltimore. He’s catching the football, whether he gets open with speed or needs to make a contested catch. He’s functioning as a more complete receiver and not just a speed threat.
There were reports out of Cleveland that he was really buying in and thriving off the energy the team had. The Browns recently signed former Texans receiver Jaelen Strong, so the expectation is that Perriman will not be back in Cleveland. The Chiefs have a similar youthful exuberance on offense under Patrick Mahomes, so I have a feeling Perriman would fit right in.
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