Brett Veach had a successful year in his first season as general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs. Veach was able to bring in former higher round draft picks Reggie Ragland and Cam Erving from trades. This is added depth that is always needed for NFL rosters. So far in the 2018 offseason, Veach has completed a trade to send Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins.
This trade officially allows the Patrick Mahomes era to begin, but also the defense improves greatly by adding cornerback Kendall Fuller to a defense that was inconsistent throughout 2017. Darrelle Revis was also released from his contract, which clears up $10 million for 2018. The offense seems pretty complete for the most part, but the defense needs to be looked at extensively after a rough 2017. The draft will help to find much needed changes to the defense, but before then we will take a look at the Chiefs possible free agent targets.
Linebacker
As the Jacksonville Jaguars defense continued to dominate in 2017, Posluszny’s role had changed from what he had been doing with Jacksonville for the previous six seasons. Posluszny had been what Derrick Johnson has been for the Chiefs from 2011 to 2016, being a cog in the middle of the defense. Posluszny was a linebacker who did everything from being the defense’s quarterback to playing on most downs.
In 2017, Posluszny moved on from constantly playing every down, to being more of a situational type of player. From 2011 to 2016, Posluszny played at least fourteen games in five of those six seasons. In 2017, he played in every game, but his tackles dropped to 61. The drop is not because of his ability, but he moved from strictly inside to playing both inside and outside. He became a true run defender, as the Jaguars already had plenty of pass rushers.
Chiefs fit: Time will tell if Derrick Johnson is back for 2018 and Tamba Hali is likely to be gone as well. With the Chiefs finishing 25th in run defense in 2017, Posluszny slides in perfectly. His style of play is similar to another current Chiefs linebacker, Frank Zombo, who mans an outside spot. With Zombo, the Chiefs would be able to stick Posluszny at an inside spot. Posluszny would also presume to come at a pretty cheap price. He turns 34 by mid-season.
Cornerback
Kyle Fuller
Could the Chiefs add two new cornerbacks from the same family in 2018? With the Kendall Fuller trade, it doesn’t seem out of the question that one Fuller acquisition could help recruit another Fuller. Kyle Fuller has played a full season in three of his four years in the NFL. In Chicago, the Bears have quietly built a defense that could have a bright future. Along with Fuller, the Bears have two other cornerbacks that will be entering free agency. The production is definitely there, as Fuller has made a total of 186 tackles in his three full seasons. Fuller also has 8 interceptions throughout his career.
Chiefs fit: Again, the addition of Kendall Fuller could be enticing enough for Kyle Fuller to want to come to the Chiefs. Even with Kendall Fuller, Marcus Peters, Ron Parker, Daniel Sorensen and Eric Berry, the Chiefs could really create a lockdown secondary if they could sign Kyle Fuller. In the NFL, teams can never have enough defensive backs.
Defensive Tackle
Justin Ellis
To complete the defensive trifecta, the Chiefs could possibly steal away a defensive tackle from the rival Oakland Raiders. Justin Ellis enjoyed his best season in 2017, as he totaled his most tackles in a single season with 48.
Chiefs fit:
Like Kyle Fuller, Ellis has played 16 games in three of his four NFL seasons and it can be hard to find defensive linemen that are able to stay healthy. Also like Fuller, Ellis has continued to get better every season and his production would be much wanted by the Chiefs. If the Chiefs are unable to resign Bennie Logan, Ellis can step in.
