Should the Kansas City Chiefs be interested in Daryl Washington?

With a potential need in the middle and a low-risk, high-reward potential in Daryl Washington, should the Chiefs check him out?

For a while, it was uncertain whether Daryl Washington would ever be able to return to the Arizona Cardinals after being suspended from the NFL. Today, however, he is a free man able to sign with any team and suit up immediately for offseason workouts. The question for many teams with a need at linebacker, including the Kansas City Chiefs, is whether or not a player like Washington would be worth the effort.

The negatives

Let’s get the negatives out of the way, of which there are many. Washington will need some help with the amount of baggage he’ll bring to any team, especially in the Public Relations department who will have to hear incessant comments about his legal issues. First and foremost is his guilty charge of felony aggravated assault against his then-girlfriend who he pushed, causing her to break her collarbone four years ago.

Washington has also had considerable issues overcoming substance abuse with multiple suspensions after having violated the league’s substance abuse policy. The last one suspended him indefinitely although he was recently reinstated by Roger Goodell.

Even more than that, Washington hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2013, meaning three full seasons have come and gone since he suited up for the Cardinals. For anyone who has questioned other free agent signings — a la Jamaal Charles, Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch or even Tony Romo’s rumored destinations — Washington is far more of a stretch. Even Josh Gordon sounds a better bounce-back candidate given he’s still firmly in his twenties. At this point, Washington is 30 years old.

The positives

Let’s be clear about the caliber of Washington’s play when he was on the field and focused. As an inside linebacker, he was capable of rushing the passer and dropping back in coverage. He had at least 1 interception every year of his career, who also had 18 career sacks to his name. He’s a three-down talent who was finally named a Pro Bowler in his third pro season. The suspensions began during his fourth (and final) year.

If Washington has maintained a good workout regimen, the suspension could actually help in some ways because he will have less proverbial wear on his tires. Staying out of the league for so long would surely make a player like Washington rusty when it comes to recognizing schemes and game-ready instincts, but it would also keep him from experiencing the wear and tear that comes with being a 30-year-old NFL player. In short, the age thing might not work against him like you’d expect.

Perhaps even more than anything, Washington knows he’s on a very short leash in all aspects—that everyone is looking for him to fail. He should be very motivated to perform well on a cheap, incentive-laden deal and a team that has the support structures in place could be in line to benefit from taking such a chance.

But the Chiefs?

The Chiefs have already dealt with these issues before with Tyreek Hill, so the question remains as to whether or not they really want to add any fuel to the fire that burns when a team brings in someone with an unfortunate past. Domestic violence is ugly and rooting for a player with any such history is a horrible feeling. As exciting as it is to see Tyreek in open space, it’s also easy to feel a bit of dis-ease when you remember why the Chiefs got him in the fifth round. Adding Washington to the middle of the defense just adds another such player to the roster, and for some fans it will be enough to sever ties.

On the field, the team certainly has to have some questions about Derrick Johnson’s ability to return from his Achilles tear, although you might not know it from their draft class. The selection of Ukeme Eligwe in the fifth round could reap dividends down the road, but he’s a developmental player who has a lot of work ahead of him. It’s likely he ends up on the practice squad if the Chiefs had better immediate options in house.

Ramik Wilson remains in play, as does D.J. Alexander, but more as a special teams ace. Justin March-Lillard is also on the roster. The Chiefs have certainly done their homework with free agents, bringing in Gerald Hodges and Rey Maualuga before the draft and Reuben Foster, the former Bama linebacker, took a visit to Arrowhead before the draft as well.

Conclusion

The Chiefs aren’t shy about the fact that they’re apparently open to outside help coming in at the linebacker spot. Whether or not Washington is a worthy gamble is a question that can only be answered if the team felt morally okay about it, and even then, a full physical and interview would have to take place. If the Chiefs ever signed Washington, fans could at least rest assured that the front office, coaching staff and ownership all felt good about Washington’s decision-making from here on out as well as his ability to make a difference on the field. The only question is how the fans would handle the same.