Could Kendall Fuller trade help Chiefs recruit Kyle Fuller in free agency?

Would brothers want to play together enough to make a difference in free agency? Kyle Fuller has a choice and the Chiefs have a need.

The Kansas City Chiefs are on a mission to remake their secondary. The numbers tell the story from this last season, and even the Chiefs coaches admitted halfway through the season that they were trying anything and everything to find the right fit across from Marcus Peters. It also showed through in the signing of Darrelle Revis off the street for the final few games of the year.

Shortly into the team’s offseason, Brett Veach pulled the trigger on a shocking trade that sent starting quarterback Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins in exchange for a third round choice and promising young cornerback Kendall Fuller. The 22-year-old earned high marks in his second season in the NFL and could solve the Chiefs’ woes on the outside or in the slot.

From there, however, there’s still the belief that the Chiefs will continue to acquire cornerbacks until they feel good about their situation. For now, Revis remains a roster possibility. Terrance Mitchell, Kenneth Acker and Phillip Gaines are all free agents in waiting, leaving Steven Nelson and pretty much no one else to compete for real reps.

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Some options for the Chiefs could include Leon McQuay, Keith Reaser, Ashton Lampkin and Will Redmond if they wanted to promote a younger player on the roster or practice squad, and those guys will be given every chance to earn an active roster spot with a consistent effort through the offseason and training camp. Of this bunch, Lampkin looked good on special teams as an undrafted free agent and McQuay was the sixth round choice a year ago.

If that sounds thin, it is. Peters, Fuller and Nelson form a nice core trio to build around, but the addition of another starter, especially given the rate at which the Chiefs remain in sub packages heavy on pass defenders, makes a lot of sense. Enter Kyle Fuller, older brother of Kendall who is a free agent himself.

Kyle Fuller is a former first round pick for the Chicago Bears and he carries that prestige with him into his new team. He started all 16 games this last season for the Bears and had 2 interceptions and an incredible 22 passes defended for the Bears, which will make him a popular target on the open market.

Fuller did miss the entire 2016 season due to recovery from a knee surgery and the Bears decided not to pick up the fifth year option, so if there are question marks around the elder brother, it’s here. However, he played very well last year and will only be 26-years-old heading into next season.

Given the Chiefs limited cap space and other needs, it could prove interesting if the acquisition of Kyle’s younger brother could provide a bit of a non-financial boost for the Chiefs. Should they decide to chase after the elder Fuller, it could provide a bit of leverage for a slightly better deal.

Then again, most players strive after and dream of the single moment that Kyle Fuller has finally reached in his football career: the chance to get that big payday on the open market. Perhaps family ties could move the meter ever so slightly but it would be surprising if Fuller took quite a bit less than what he could make elsewhere for the sake of playing with his younger brother.

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