Chiefs free agency: James Jones and Jermaine Gresham
(WR) James Jones
The NFL Draft is two months in the rearview and the third wave of free agency is currently underway. Are there serviceable options available to help the Chiefs bolster its budding offensive unit? I’m glad you asked. Today, I’d like to suggest two players I think Kansas City should consider signing before training camp in late July.
Take this with a grain of salt, but last week James Jones’ agent indicated that the Chiefs were one of three teams that made inquiries after he was released by the Oakland Raiders in May. Jones is 31 years old, but hauled in 73 balls for the division rival just last season. Jones could integrate well into Reid’s offense coming from a team that employs west coast elements. He’s not as fleet-footed as the other receivers down the depth chart, but he runs solid routes, is crafty about finding the soft spots in coverage, and has a nose for the end zone. He’d be a valuable option for Alex Smith on short and intermediate routes and might also help the Chiefs in the red zone (where they were historically inept last year).
(TE) Jermaine Gresham
Just yesterday, news broke that the Chiefs put in a waiver claim on former Patriots tight end Tim Wright. Kansas City missed out on the third-year man out of Rutgers (as they were 23rd in the waiver queue). It’s now clear that they aren’t completely satisfied with the depth at the position. Enter Jermaine Gresham. Fortunately for the Chiefs, Gresham’s been on the open market since the free agency period began. He had herniated disk surgery in March and hasn’t generated much interest. His lone visit was with the New Orleans Saints a few weeks ago. Gresham had 62 catches for 460 yards and five touchdowns in his 2014 campaign. He’d be a rock-solid complement to Kelce both with exceptional blocking talent and good ball skills.
Adding one of them gives the Chiefs an experienced third pass-catching option. Adding both of them legitimately gives the Chiefs one of the conference’s best offenses (on paper). Jones would be a security blanket for Alex Smith in the middle of the field. Gresham gives the Chiefs a chance to stretch defenses down the seam. The Chiefs are currently short on available cap space, but have a few options to make room for a couple of modest contracts.
Would you kick the tires on either Jones or Gresham for the forthcoming season?Are there other players available more suitable for Reid’s system? Might Evan Mathis have a bigger impact on Kansas City’s offense than these two skill position players? Use the comment section below to weigh in. As always, we appreciate your readership and support.
Until next time, Addicts!