The Kansas City Chiefs were active early in free agency, and all their deals will become official later today. Still, they lost some key personnel and will have work to do – especially in the secondary – to replenish their losses. Today, though, is about what they gained, not lost.
Kenneth Walker (Signed 3-Year/$45 Million)
He is a 5’9”, 211-pound running back who spent 4 seasons in the NFL with the Seahawks. This year, he played 17 games, having 221 carries for 1,027 rushing yards, averaging 4.3 yards per carry, and rushing for 5 touchdowns. In his career, he played 59 games, carrying 821 times for 3,555 rushing yards, averaging 4.3 per carry, and rushing for 29 touchdowns. He had 133 receptions for 1,005 receiving yards, averaging 7.6 per catch, catching 2 touchdowns.
He is an explosive running back, and he has the second-best tackle-miss rate in the NFL. He will help the Chiefs and take some of the pressure off Mahomes. One of his weaknesses is his inconsistency in his run game; he is 18th in the rushing success rate among players with at least 200 rushes, and his pass projection is average, so far the best pickup so far in Free Agency. I give it an A signing. We can finally have a run game, and Mahomes doesn’t have to put pressure or try to be Superman to create run plays
Tyquan Thornton (Signed 2-Year/$11 Million)
He is a 6’2”, 185-pound receiver who had his best season with the Chiefs, where he had 19 receptions for 438 receiving yards, averaging 23.1 yards per catch, and had 3 receiving touchdowns. He has excellent ball-tracking skills; he is a vertical threat with the speed and poise to win the deep ball; he uses his speed to set everyone else up with quick slants and hitches; and he is a lot tougher than you think his frame is.
He resigned for an amazing contract only if he got more snaps than last year. I don’t know what happened last year; his snaps died out once Rice and Worthy were back on the field. But I’m happy we bought him back. He’s gonna bring his speed and his work back to Kansas City. I give an A signing because he brings that go-getter and hard-body receiver that we need in Kansas City
Travis Kelce (Signed 1-Year/$12 Million)
He is a 6’5”, 250-pound tight end who played for the Chiefs for the last 12 seasons in the NFL. Last season, he combined for 76 receptions for 851 receiving yards, averaging 11.2 yards per catch and 5 touchdowns receiving. He is one of the Goats in Kansas City. He brings a safety blanket for Mahomes whenever he takes off, and he always finds the open spots for him to throw it to him.
The only issue is how much gas he has left in his tank, but I think if they put him on a snap count and ease him in games, and then in the playoffs let him go, he would be excellent, and he would be a good mentor for the young rookies to help them fight through adversity. Overall, I love this signing. It brings back another key piece and one of Mahomes’ favorite targets. Time to run it back one more time. I give it a B signing because he brings the safety blanket back for Mahomes, but the only thing is how much he has left in the tank
Alohi Gilman (Signed 3-Year/$24.75 Million)
He is a 5’10”, 201-pound safety who played 7 seasons in the NFL. He had 90 total tackles, 50 solo tackles, 40 assist tackles, and 1 forced fumble. He brings veteran leadership on the field and off the field. He is a versatile safety who can play deep, blitz, and disguise certain coverages.
He would be a big help on the defense since we lost McDuffie, Watson, and safety Bryan Cook. He is known for his quick diagnoses of pass plays. He finished 6th leading tackler with the Ravens, but struggles sometimes at wrapping up. He will have a big year and could help our young secondary out with his mentorship. I will give this a B grade signing because he brings that leadership to mentor the young secondary, and he can play all around.
Khyiris Tonga (Signed 3-Year/$21 Million)
He is a 6’2”, 335-pound defensive tackle who spent 5 years in the NFL. He had 24 total tackles, 9 solo tackles, and 15 assist tackles. What he brings to Kansas City is depth that we need for defensive tackles, since Omarr Norman-Lott tore his ACL in October. He provides run-stuffing ability with Chris Jones; he created a lot of pressure in the backfield he even had Chris Jones excited to play alongside him.
I know he doesn’t have sacks to prove it, but he will make a difference on our defensive line and in our run-stopping defense. I love the contract we gave him. I give it an A signing because he brings that run-stopping and pure strength that a defensive tackle needs next to Chris Jones.
Jaylen Watson (Signs With Rams)
He signed a 3-year, $ 51 million deal, which is good for him and what losing him would mean for us. What it means is we are losing our starting cornerback, and he is an effective defender. You can put him in man and zone, and he still will dominate in either. He only gave up 1 touchdown on him.
He had 64 total tackles, 42 solo tackles, 22 assist tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 interceptions. But at the same time, I trust Veach will find a way to get us secondary help. Rams got a good one, but we will bounce back and find another corner. Best of luck to you, Watson.
Bryan Cook (Signs With Bengals)
He signed a 3-year, $40.25 million deal and spent 4 seasons in the NFL with the Chiefs. He had 85 total tackles, 50 solo tackles, and 35 assist tackles. He proved this year that he is one of the most reliable players on that field.
He improved a lot on the field I just think it’s Hicks time to take over Cook spot on that field and Cook was ranked 5th best safety in the Pro Football Focus and only having 5.6% missed tackle rate but Gilman and Hicks will do a good job at taking over his position. Gonna miss him, but best of luck to you, Cook.
Leo Chanel (Signs With Commanders)
He signed a 3-year, $24.75 million deal. This one hurts so far. We have lost 6 defensive starters. He spent 4 years with the Kansas City Chiefs. This year, he had 58 total tackles, 25 solo tackles, 33 assist tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 interception. He is a strong blitzer. He was known for his strength and tenacity to limit the run game.
He had his first interception against Lamar Jackson, but Veach has something in his sleeve I wanted to resign him to. This shows how good Veach is at drafting young, key defensive players on the field. Best of luck to you. Chanel will definitely be missed.
Isiah Pacheco (Signs with Lions)
He signed a 1-year, $1.8M deal to join one of the best offenses in the NFL. Statistically, Pacheco never regained the form of his rookie season. A 5-foot-10, 216-pound back, Pacheco ran for 2,537 yards and 14 touchdowns, including an additional 547 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 10 career playoff games.
At one point, the former seventh-round pick was viewed as a home run hitter, but injuries derailed his career, and once the Walker signing was official, it was clear Pacheco never had a chance in Kansas City. He had his moments, but his violent running style only masked his inability to be the patient running back the Chiefs’ offense needed.
