2011 Free Agency Preview
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One of the biggest influences on the NFL Draft is Free Agency. In that free agency period a need in the draft can disappear with a single signing. A weakness on a team can become a strength. Some teams do hardly anything during that period while others throw money around like a monkey flings its poop.
My policy on Free Agency is to look for deals to be had while adding depth unless you are a playoff contender. It joys me to say that the Kansas City Chiefs are playoff contenders. That does not mean I think the Chiefs should start spending money left and right. However, I am in favor of a bit of a splurge.
Of course all of this is moot unless the owners and the NFLPA can find common ground in time for there to be a free agency period. I’ve written before how I believe Free Agency is important to the Chiefs in order for them to continue to be a playoff contender. My opinion hasn’t changed. To that end, here are a few players that I have my eye on as we (possibly) approach Free Agency.
Brandon Carr Cornerback Kansas City Chiefs 6’0” 207 lbs.
This first one is a bit of a cheat, but like it or not Carr is a free agent unless we resign him. Most conversation on the re-signing front for the Chiefs has been about linebacker Tamba Hali, and rightly so. However, the second most important re-signing is Carr. He has shown improvement from year to year and now stands as a good number two corner. We don’t want the Chiefs’ defense to regress and re-signing Carr is an important part of that. With the Chiefs now a contender, and assuming he gets a fair deal from the Chiefs, I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t still be with Kansas City for their next game.
Steve Breaston Wide Receiver Arizona Cardinals 6’0” 189 lbs.
Wide receiver Dwayne Bowe showed how good he could be in 2010. Unfortunately, we were also shown how weak the Chiefs’ wide receiver corps was. We may have a project in Verran Tucker, and Jerheme Urban coming off his injury should add depth, but the Chiefs are still lacking a complementary receiver with big play ability across from Bowe. While there are some options in the draft, instead of being forced to draft one, we can go after a receiver like Breaston. He’s got the characteristics the Chiefs are looking for. With the quarterback situation in Arizona a mess, Breaston would probably like to leave the Cardinals. The move makes extra sense for the Chiefs since Breaston has worked with Chiefs’ head coach Todd Haley before. The one knock against Breaston is that he seems somewhat injury prone. However, what this might do is allow the Chiefs to sign him to a good deal.
Paul Posluszny Inside Linebacker Buffalo Bills 6’1” 238 lbs.
Linebacker Jovan Belcher is acceptable for the Chiefs and there are certainly more pressing needs. However, Posluszny is on a team that is not a contender and he would be an upgrade over Belcher. Posluszny had 103 solo tackles this season (and that’s having played only 14 games). For comparison, Belcher had 53 in 15 games. At 26 years old, Posluszny is in his prime. He would be yet another leader for the Chiefs. My concern is that he may be too good. The contract that he would warrant could be larger than the Chiefs are willing to spend and they will not be the only offer. Still, he must be considered by the Chiefs.
I have others on my list of free agents the Chiefs should consider, but the rest mostly provide depth. The important thing to realize is that the more needs the Chiefs can fill in free agency, the more freedom the Chiefs have in their draft picks. So what do you think of these players? What free agents are on your mind? Put them in the comments.