Bennie Logan named top ‘sleeper free agent’ by Pro Football Focus
By Matt Conner
Defensive tackle Bennie Logan, the newest signing for the Kansas City Chiefs, was named one of PFF’s top sleeper free agents.
Before Dontari Poe even had a chance to sign or think about returning to the Kansas City Chiefs, general manager John Dorsey apparently made up his mind about the defensive tackle position by signing Bennie Logan to a one-year deal. The former Philadelphia Eagle is a younger veteran known for stuffing the run, and the early responses to the signing were positive for the Chiefs.
They aren’t the only ones who like the deal for Kansas City. Pro Football Focus listed 10 “top sleeper free agents” and Logan was listed among the lot, described as a “true nose tackle,” which can be hard to find in today’s NFL. Sam Monson of PFF writes:
"More from Arrowhead AddictMultiple Chiefs execs mentioned as strong GM candidates in 2024Former Chiefs cornerback in legal trouble in Las VegasChiefs Kingdom: Get ready to break contract newsChiefs news: Travis Kelce wants to host fan ‘chug-off’ in GermanyPodcast: Breaking down the Chiefs biggest roster battlesLogan is a true nose tackle, effectively limiting him to being a two-down player, which in today’s NFL has never been less valuable in terms of contract dollars. He has the ability though to make a major impact on those two downs if a team is willing to embrace the type of player he is. This past season he was a poor fit for Philadelphia’s new, aggressive, one-gap defensive front, but the year before he notched 45 defensive stops, fourth in the league among all interior defenders despite playing just 597 snaps in total. Only Damon Harrison had a better run-stop percentage than Logan’s 14.8 percent, a figure that would also have been second to Harrison this season. Embrace the two-gapping, run-stuffing ability and you could transform your run defense for pennies on the dollar."
Dorsey signed Logan precisely because he is the perfect fit for what the defense wants to do at the position. Expect Bob Sutton, Britt Reid and the rest of Logan’s coaches to utilize his strengths and size to great effect, and Logan should also enjoy a return to the open market next season for another nice payday. For the Chiefs, Logan gives them a nice stop-gap solution in the middle while talent develops, including Chris Jones and Rakeem Nunez-Roches. It also wouldn’t surprise anyone to see Dorsey take a young developmental tackle in the upcoming draft.
Dorsey has also been flirting with another member of that same sleeper free agent list in inside linebacker Gerald Hodges, the former San Francisco 49ers player. After rumors of a visit, there’s been little news since, but expect Dorsey to remain interested in any players who fit this sort of sleeper description.