Are Ron Parker’s days numbered with the Kansas City Chiefs?
Given how much the Chiefs have spent on safeties this offseason, does this mean Ron Parker’s days are numbered in Kansas City?
Newberry, South Carolina is a small town located 43 miles north of Columbia. In this small town is Newberry College a Division II school that is the alma mater to Kansas City Chiefs safety Ron Parker.
Parker was a D2 All-American, but being an All-American at that level does not lead to you being a high draft pick in the NFL. He began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Seattle Seahawks, however his stay with Seattle was short-lived after he was cut at the beginning of the season. It’s hard to blame Seattle for this move given all of the talent they had in their secondary.
Parker was then signed by the Oakland Raiders, where he was eventually cut. Parker then went back to Seattle (was cut), signed with Carolina (cut again), and then finished with one finally stint in Seattle before he found a home with the Kansas City Chiefs. In total, Parker was cut eight times before he signed with the Chiefs.
Parker was signed right before the start of the 2013 season in arguably the finest preseason free agent classes ever signed. His first bit of playing time came in a 17-16 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. 2014 was an up-and-down year for Parker. The safety excelled at getting to the quarterback, but struggled at cornerback. He finished the season with a PFF rating of 62.8—his worst as a Chief.
In 2015, Parker was moved to safety and it was there that he flourished. Parker finished the season with 78 tackles, five sacks, and three interceptions, and he finished the season with a PFF rating of 79. Then there was last season, where according to PFF, Parker had the best season of his career. Only Eric Berry, Chris Jones, Ramik Wilson and Marcus Peters finished with a higher score on defense.
Yet until now, the Chiefs have enjoyed a relatively inexpensive secondary. Every cornerback is on a rookie deal or cheap veteran contract. Berry has been pricey all along but, until this offseason, future expenses were zero or unknown. Over the last few weeks, however, the future is quite expensive. Berry received a $78 million deal over the next six seasons, and even Sorensen is averaging $4 million per year. Marcus Peters’ extension looms on the horizon.
Will John Dorsey be interested in cutting some costs in the secondary?