Three positions where Chiefs need more veteran depth
Possible targets for Chiefs GM Brett Veach in shoring up roster before training camp
Roster construction doesn’t stop after the draft. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach will continue to massage the roster as he looks for effective ways to make his Super Bowl contending club even better. This group is not complete and there are some clear areas where the Chiefs could look to get a veteran player into the mix.
Be it an on-the-street free agent, a player soon-to-be-released by his organization or a potential trade, there are still spots that could use additional depth and talent. Here are three positions I think could use veteran help from the outside.
Defensive end
You can never have enough pass rushers, and the Chiefs don’t have all that much depth outside on their defensive line. Yes, there is a chance that Chris Jones will kick outside on some base downs and play end but expect him to rush from the interior when it’s time to get after the quarterback.
The Chiefs need more bodies that can affect the passer — every team always needs them. Frank Clark and Taco Charlton are the two most promising pass rushers, and rookie Josh Kaindoh could eventually provide some juice off the edge. That’s not enough as currently constructed. It’s a thin position group and a quality pass rusher would be beneficial to this defensive line.
The solution: Melvin Ingram. The Chiefs visited with the former Charger earlier in the offseason and he remains out on the market. There are other veteran bodies worth monitoring — namely Olivier Vernon and Ziggy Ansah. All three are coming off injuries and are on the back ends of their career. Ingram is the best player mentioned and would benefit from a reduced role where he can be more of a situational rusher — limiting his snap count and getting to do what he would do best in Kansas City.
Wide receiver
The Chiefs have not done much of anything to address the wide receiver position for the immediate future. Rookie Cornell Powell is a great addition on day three of the draft, but you don’t often build a plan around players selected on Saturday of draft weekend. He’ll have a learning curve but his future is bright.
This team could benefit from a more established X-receiver type that they lost when Sammy Watkins moved on to Baltimore. Keeping Tyreek Hill freed up at the Zebra position is important. Mecole Hardman profiles more as a player that needs to operate off the line of scrimmage as well — you don’t want him having to beat press coverage or win above the rim and in contested situations. Byron Pringle picked up a larger sample size of snaps at X last season to mixed reviews. There’s talent in the receiver room but an additional bigger-bodied receiver is a glaring need.
The solution: Wait it out. Whether it be a cap casualty or a veteran available for trade on the market, the Chiefs should be looking for additional help at the X position. They’ve proven they can be an explosive offense without much beyond Hill and Travis Kelce in the passing game but additional insurance at the position would be valuable — especially if a productive X-type does find their way onto the market.
Cornerback
There is a lot of young, unproven talent on the depth chart at cornerback for the Chiefs. The group is headlined by L’Jarius Sneed — a player with inside/outside capabilities who offers versatility the Chiefs can utilize. Charvarius Ward has played capably the past three seasons in Kansas City.
After that, it’s a lot of unproven players with limited sample sizes — Rashad Fenton, BoPete Keyes and Deandre Baker. Throw in the recently acquired Mike Hughes — an oft-injured wild card at the position — and you have a group of interesting players on paper. The Chiefs know what they have better than anyone looking on the outside, but who they have on the roster would not preclude me from looking to improve it with a more established player.
The solution: Wait it out. The market is barren and the options to improve the cornerback position have dried up — especially if looking specifically for an outside cornerback. The player to monitor could be Richard Sherman, depending on what his options look like the closer we get to training camp. He’s an outside corner who despite his age (33) could provide a quality contribution for the Chiefs.
Similar to the receiver position, veterans can become available into the summer and the Chiefs should be doing their due diligence — even if the bad taste of the David Amerson experience (a summer signing) still linger. The free-agent options right now are limited but there are certainly going to be more experienced cornerbacks available in July and August — it’s hard not to have more experience than the current group of Chiefs corners.