Chiefs Offseason Wishlist: Part 3- Signing A Wide Receiver

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Later this week, the 2022 NFL league year will officially begin. Teams are ready to make the next move or two that could lead to them becoming the next Super Bowl champion. Some moves will grab more eyeballs than others, so to speak. Meanwhile, there will be some positions of need that will be highly coveted around the NFL overall, compared to others. This could lead to some intense bidding wars. There is one position that the Kansas City Chiefs are expected to be bidding heavily for throughout this week.

That would be wide receiver. Simply, Kansas City needs to act fast and add a number two receiving option behind Tyreek Hill at this roster spot. In part three of our 2022 Chiefs offseason wishlist series, we will be listing five free agent wide receiver options that we hope the team considers. A couple of these names may be more impactful of signings, compared to others. Nonetheless, the Chiefs have a good handful to choose from, and they have been linked to a couple of these names extensively.

What sort of play style would the Chiefs be getting in any of these wide receivers? Plus, which of the five could garner larger contracts? We will answer those questions, as well as list ideal lengths of contracts, depending on the player. To read part two of the Chiefs offseason wishlist series, click here. Click here for part one. Let’s kick it off.

JuJu Smith-Schuster

We know that JuJu Smith-Schuster was close to signing with the Kansas City Chiefs last offseason. The Baltimore Ravens were also reportedly in the mix. However, the USC product opted to re-sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers for 2021.

It was a campaign that was unfortunately limited to just five games. Smith-Schuster suffered a gruesome shoulder injury in October and missed the remainder of the regular season. He would return for the Wild Card playoff game, which was ironically against the Chiefs. JuJu hauled in five catches for 26 yards in that postseason contest.

Overall, Smith-Schuster provides a unique slot presence. He is not necessarily the most savvy of route runners. Smith-Schuster can still make defenders miss after the catch, however. His ability to play physical can stun opposing defensive backs from time to time. Most of all, Smith-Schuster has a chance to truly thrive in an environment where he does not have to focus on being the top star.

Potential Contract

I would say that it is extremely difficult to anticipate Smith-Schuster’s possible contract. He is still just 25 years old. But, Smith-Schuster is coming off of an injury riddled season and only re-signed in Pittsburgh for one-year last offseason.

Basically, I do not see Smith-Schuster getting more than a three-year deal. A two-year pact may be more reasonable at this point. Yet, potential bidding for total money and expected heavy interest from multiple teams could force organizations to grant him a longer deal.

Christian Kirk

Despite being part of a rather deep Arizona Cardinals offense, Christian Kirk had a career best season in 2021. He set single-season bests in receptions (77), receiving yards (982), yards per target (9.5), receiving yards per game (57.8) and catch percentage (74.8 percent). His five receiving touchdowns were one short of tying his single-season career high.

Like Smith-Schuster, Kirk primarily wins from the slot. He can win in any area of the field, though. Kirk often plays bigger than his size may suggest. This is especially true when he is working underneath routes or over the middle of the field. Additionally, Kirk has no issues in being able to win deep. His long speed and ability to stack defenders vertically allows for opposing defensive backs to get lost in space.

Potential Contract

Out of these five wide receivers, I truly think that Kirk will have the greatest chance of landing the longest contract. He has continued to get better every single season. Furthermore, there is still a chance for him to secure a more consistent role, depending on the offensive infrastructure.

Do not be surprised if Kirk lands a deal that is four or five years in length. Spotrac is projecting his market value at $11.8 million per season. Honestly, Kirk could certainly top that number by another one or two million per season at least. That could be due to the expected strong market and high demand of this wide receiver.

DJ Chark

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Similar to Smith-Schuster, DJ Chark is coming off of a crucial injury. A fractured ankle limited him to just four games and seven catches in 2021. The Jacksonville Jaguars had many issues last season. In the meantime, Chark’s injury seemed to get lost in the shuffle. It did put quite the damper on Trevor Lawrence and his rookie season.

Stylistically, Chark is more of an outside receiver, compared to the previous two names. He can win vertically and in the deeper areas of the field. To boot, this wide receiver provides a solid combination of savvy route running and physicality. Do not discount the sneaky good quickness of Chark either. Other than last year’s injury, he has largely shown steady improvement and has provided fine durability or reliability.

Potential Contract

This is a player who could still command at least a three or four year pact. Because of his ability to create explosive plays in a variety of ways, as well as his youth, there could be a great deal of steady offers coming Chark’s way. The injury does make it a bit tricky. Nevertheless, Chark has not had a lengthy injury history and his specific ailment was not as detrimental as say a knee injury could have been.

Chark could very well get close to $12 million per season. That may seem like a surprise to some. At the same time, many top wide receivers have either been hit with the franchise tag or have already found a new deal for 2022. That may be because of an early re-signing or trade. Chark should not get any less than $10 million per season, when it is all said and done.

Will Fuller

The potential has always been there for Will Fuller. He did indeed provide solid secondary production behind DeAndre Hopkins for a few years in Houston. There was eventually a constant string of injuries that held Fuller back. That carried over to last season as well. He was limited to just two games and four catches with the Miami Dolphins in 2021.

When right, Fuller provides speed that is nearly unmatched by opposing defensive backs. He can hold his own fairly well in contested catch situations. On top of that, Fuller is extremely adept when it comes to spatial awareness and yards after catch ability. He is someone who definitely carries a high risk. But if he can remain healthy and rediscover that WR2 type of production, Fuller would be a steal for some lucky team.

Potential Contract

The expectation for Fuller should undoubtedly be a one-year deal and a one-year deal only. Coming off of his 2021 campaign, there is not much leverage that he could hold when it comes to possible deals. The contract he signs for will likely be heavily incentivized as well. What that max value is, remains to be seen. But for a squad like the Chiefs, Fuller only makes sense at an exceptionally cheap number.

Russell Gage

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Russell Gage will not blow anyone away. On the flip side, he is tailor-made to play second or third fiddle at a team’s wide receiver position. Over the last two years, Gage has combined for 138 receptions, 1,556 receiving yards, eight receiving touchdowns and 11.3 yards per reception.

Last season, his total production was quite impressive. That is especially true when you consider how difficult it was for the Atlanta Falcons to consistently move the football. At this stage in Matt Ryan‘s career and given the lack of weapons on last year’s offense, I’d say Gage honestly outproduced what could have been expected for him.

Potential Contract

There is not a clear expectation for Gage’s next contract. If anything, he likely will not top a three-year contract. One or two years may be more appropriate of a projection too. The salary will probably be fairly cheap. That is of no fault of Gage, though. He will not be as gigantic of a risk, as say Fuller.

Whatever his deal ends up being, Gage can add significant speed, elusiveness after the catch and elite ball skills. The Chiefs seem to be the type of team that would be more willing to add a possible breakout candidate like this.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.