The 2020 NFL free agency period is set to look a lot different for the Kansas City Chiefs this season. They’re Super Bowl champions for the first time in 50 years and with that success will come some changes to how the team approaches free agency. Below you’ll find some thoughts on what those changes might look like for Kansas City.
How do we sustain success?
Every offseason since 1970, the Chiefs decision-makers have come away asking themselves, “How do we get better?”
Why did they ask the question? Because they didn’t win the Super Bowl for 50 long painstaking years. This season, they finally get to ask themselves, “How do we sustain this success?”
Luckily, Brett Veach and Andy Reid already have some idea of what sustained success looks like. 2019 was their fourth consecutive season building an AFC West winner out of the Chiefs and their second consecutive season playing in the AFC title game. A lot of that success comes from the consistency with the coaching staff, a consistent flow of incoming talent on the offensive and defensive side of the ball, and it doesn’t hurt having the best player in football in QB Patrick Mahomes.
For 2020, there’s going to be a challenge with the talent part. The Chiefs have several key free agents, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. It’s looking, once again, like they’ll have to manufacture a bit of a defensive rebuild in Kansas City. They’ll also likely look to keep the offense loaded up with weapons, specifically at the WR position because the team loves running 11 personnel.
Everyone wants to stay until it comes down to the brass tacks
Keeping everyone that contributed to the Super Bowl LIV championship isn’t an option, it’s merely a pipe dream. When the confetti was still falling and that rare feeling of becoming a champion was setting in, you had plenty of players talking about staying in Kansas City and building a dynasty. The problem with that talk is that it’s just not realistic. When a team that isn’t the Chiefs comes in and offers one of their pending free agents’ more guaranteed money and more years, what will happen?
Chiefs players are going to become some of the most coveted on the market. They’re not just good players anymore, they also bring a championship pedigree with them. Teams that can fork out top dollar are going to have some sway over the players looking for a payday. Guys like WR Demarcus Robinson and CB Bashaud Breeland are already seeing a lot of interest sparked by the media. Others could follow suit and while that might be good for compensatory draft picks in the future, it won’t be too great for retaining players.
Veach and the front office will have to pick and choose their battles this time around. Keeping a player like Chris Jones might take some expert negotiation and it’ll certainly mean you’re giving up the chance to sign several other pending free agents.
Certain types of free agents make more sense than others
During the last few offseasons, the Chiefs added some cornerstone pieces during free agency. Anthony Hitchens, Sammy Watkins, Damien Wilson, Alex Okafor, and Tyrann Mathieu all signed long term deals to form a sort of nucleus in Kansas City. Those types of deals for players outside of the organization are unlikely for this season.
The money that would be spent on those types of free-agent contracts is now going to be spent on those currently on the team that hadn’t been signed to long term extensions. They’re rewarding players for their Super Bowl-winning effort and keeping as much of this team together as they can. This doesn’t mean the Chiefs won’t add players in free agency, it just means they aren’t looking for those same types of multi-year contracts.
So what types of players are they looking for? I’d break them down into a few categories. First, you’ll see veteran players who are chasing a championship interested in joining Kansas City. We’re talking about players who think they have one last ride in them. Maybe they’ve played for one team their entire career, made a boatload of money and are hitting free agency for the first time. Whatever the case, the Chiefs could grab a few of these guys.
Next up, you have the prove-it deal players. These guys will come out of the woodwork for Kansas City. They’ll see what happened with Bashaud Breeland, Blake Bell and others who bet on themselves and ended up winning Super Bowl LIV. These could be players coming off an injury, suspension, or simply a bad stretch of play. Maybe they’ve never been good in the NFL and just need the right coaching situation.
Finally, you have the players that just want to win. Don’t expect players to take a discount to play with the Chiefs, but be happily surprised if it happens. I’d be willing to bet there is someone out there who thinks they can make more money with endorsements playing alongside Patrick Mahomes than being paid more to play on the team that has to play against him.
