There’s a possibility for a quick uptick in veteran free agent signings starting today.
May 7 was the deadline for free agents to count toward the compensatory pick formula. It’s why teams have been hesitant to bring in some of the better players who are still floating around out there in free agency. Now that those players won’t hurt a teams ability to earn compensatory draft picks, markets should begin to develop for several players.
The Chiefs have a good chunk of cap space left and it’s likely that they aren’t done spending. There are still some veteran free agents out there that are available who could potentially help the Chiefs in the 2019 season. Here’s a look at five of those players.
LB Jamie Collins
Collins would be the most impactful signing for the Chiefs to make in the coming days of free agency. The Browns have gotten the bottom of the barrel effort out of Collins, but if you go back and look at his tape with the Patriots, he looks like an entirely different player. Going to an organization with less dysfunction, and a familiar coach in Brendan Daly could be the boost he needs.
Collins has some versatility to his game and has played all three linebacker spots in a 4-3 defense. I think that he’d probably be utilized best as a strong side linebacker for the Chiefs, but having the ability to play in multiple spots is huge for depth purposes. In 16 games during 2018, Collins had 104 total tackles, four sacks and one interception.
Right now the Chiefs linebacker group doesn’t look great on paper. They’re likely hoping that better coaching can get some better play out of what is mostly the same group of guys. Adding Collins to the mix would at least allow fans to feel a little better about the group as a whole.
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CB Morris Claiborne
This would be a move akin to the Chiefs signing David Amerson in 2018. The corner position is one of the weaker groups on the team, and the Chiefs could seek some veteran help to reinforce the position.
Claiborne lived up to his contract with the Jets in one major way — he put together two healthy seasons. Prior to his time with the Jets, Claiborne hadn’t started a full season since his rookie season in 2012. In 2018, Claiborne set career highs in interceptions, total tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown for the first time.
Signing Claiborne to a low-cost one-year deal, where they can cut him with no damage to the salary cap, would be the ideal scenario. They can bump up his salary with big playtime and playoff incentives. The question is whether Claiborne is willing to bet on himself and perhaps go on a championship run with Kansas City and hit free agency again in another season.
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LB/DE Nick Perry
Perry hasn’t really ever lived up to his draft slot during his time with the Packers. In my eyes he’s been playing out of position as an outside linebacker in the the Green Bay system. He needs a look on a team where he’s allowed to put his hand in the dirt full time.
At 6-3 and nearly 270 pounds, Perry is exactly the size that Spagnuolo is looking for at the defensive end position. He’s extremely strong at the point of attack when he’s healthy. He’s great at playing down the line of scrimmage in run defense which is something the Chiefs will love.
It may feel like the Chiefs are deep at defensive end, but really behind Frank Clark, they have three rotational players and Breeland Speaks. Adding another guy to the mix only helps that group become stronger for the 2019 season.
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WR T.J. Jones
I know that everyone is looking for a big name receiver, like Dez Bryant or Michael Crabtree, but really I don’t see those guys helping this team. The Chiefs might be looking to create competition on the back end of their roster.
Jones pushes this team in a way those other players I mentioned can’t. First of all, he’s a good special teams player. He’s averaged over 20 yards per kick return throughout his career with the Lions. He also has 21 career punt returns, which could quickly become a need if the Chiefs find themselves without Tyreek Hill.
As a receiver, Jones hasn’t done a whole lot during his career, but the Lions offense hasn’t exactly been a powerhouse during his time there. He could certainly see some more success in an offense like the Chiefs’ where he has some more dynamic weapons playing around him. He’d make a solid No. 5 or 6 option in Kansas City, and at the very worst he’d push young players to get better during the offseason.
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TE Michael Hoomanawanui
This player is flying way under the radar right now for the Chiefs. In 2010, Steve Spagnuolo drafted Hoomanawanui in the fifth round with the St. Louis Rams. Even though Spagnuolo is a defensive coordinator, that familiarity could go a long way toward influencing a signing.
Hoomanawanui played with Saints for the past few seasons. He misssed the entire 2018 season with a neck injury, and it’s unclear if he’s currently healthy. He hasn’t been a big time pass-catching tight end during his career, but he is a solid blocker.
The Chiefs are currently suffering for depth. They have a few developmental guys they like, but it wouldn’t hurt to bring in some more proven depth to compete alongside the young players.
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