Will Chiefs be active in second free agency wave?
By Ben Almquist
As we progress through the NFL offseason, general managers around the league are continuously checking off boxes in regards to their immediate and future needs. It’s a never-ending process for them because there is always somewhere a team can be better, or a spot to invest in for the future. There are always players to be considered and reviewed.
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That’s just as true in Kansas City as anywhere else, and it’s something that John Dorsey has done an excellent job of in the past several years. Since beginning his tenure in the Chiefs front office, Dorsey has proven to be constantly looking for ways to upgrade the Chiefs roster. And he’s done so with more hits than misses.
That alone is plenty of reason to believe that the Chiefs will continue to be active as the offseason progresses on.
The NFLPA has the Chiefs at 85 roster spots and $1.18 million left in salary cap space against the Top 51 contracts. For those who are unfamiliar with the importance of the Top 51, it is the rule that allows teams to operate in the offseason with up to 90 players on their roster by only counting the 51 most expensive contracts against the salary cap.
Now, $1.18 million may not sound like a lot, but with the Chiefs unlikely to add any big name free agents, and 85 roster spots already claimed, it is plenty to make moves for now. The important thing here is “cap differential.”
How much a new player costs MINUS the cost of the contract that is no longer in the Top 51. So signing a player for $1 million would actually cost the Chiefs just $400k due to the player (Nick Williams – $600k) being knocked off.
Next: Looking at the roster