Kansas City Chiefs: 5 free agent targets for the defense

The Kansas City Chiefs need some reinforcements on defense. Here are five players that the Chiefs can target that won’t break the bank.

The Kansas City Chiefs have several big name star players on defense. Guys like Justin Houston, Marcus Peters, and Eric Berry are all among the very best at their positions already, and they have a couple other ascending talents in Chris Jones, Reggie Ragland, and the newly acquired Kendall Fuller. Those six players make up about half of their starting defense.

With that many quality players, you would think the unit would be a force to reckon with. Unfortunately, in 2017 the defense was a disappointment. The return of Berry from injury and the acquisition of Fuller should help this defense but they are going to need more new blood added to the mix (especially in the front seven) if they want the defense to be significantly better in 2018.

Last week, I wrote a post on the five guys I thought the Chiefs should focus on signing on offense. While some readers were on board with my suggestions, others were unimpressed due to the lack of big names on the list. If you were one of those that was disappointed last week, brace yourself, because you may not love today’s list either. Some names you will NOT see on this list that you might be seeing elsewhere include: DeMarcus Lawrence, Sheldon Richardson, Dontari Poe, Navorro Bowman, Trumaine Johnson, Malcolm Butler, Lamarcus Joyner, Kenny Vaccaro and Eric Reid.

Some of you may be about to give up on this post about now after seeing all your favorite big name free agents on my list of guys that didn’t make my list. Before you bail on me though, hear me out. First, if the Chiefs were to sign any of those players I listed I would be thrilled. Every single one of them would improve this team. However, I think if you are going into free agency with your heart set on landing one of the biggest names (and therefore price tags) I think you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

Brett Veach is in the process of trying to reverse the salary cap hell that John Dorsey left the Chiefs with. Alex Smith and Derrick Johnson are already gone and there are likely more cuts on the way (I’m looking at you, Tamba Hali). The Chiefs are beginning the Patrick Mahomes era now and while fans should be excited I don’t think Veach’s mindset is that he has to try and win the Super Bowl THIS SEASON. I believe he’s building for the long haul. He’s not going to cut veterans like DJ and Hali just to use up every bit of salary cap space on high dollar free agents again.

Instead, I believe he’ll target young and relatively inexpensive (at least compared to the guys I mentioned before) players that can contribute now, possibly be part of the future going forward, and will still allow them the cap freedom to re-sign some of their star players in the coming years without the cap getting out of control again.

So the players I targeted for the Chiefs are mostly guys in their mid-to-late twenties that have proven themselves to be valuable players but shouldn’t break the bank to sign this offseason. Let’s start the list with my favorite option at inside linebacker.

Anthony Hitchens – Linebacker – Dallas

While I’m a HUGE Reggie Ragland fan and believe he will have a significant role in the Chiefs defense for years to come, I’m worried about the starting inside spot next to him. With Derrick Johnson gone the assumption was that Kevin Pierre-Louis would be re-signed and start there. That could still happen, but an offseason arrest could potentially make that less likely. Plus, while KPL did show promise, he wasn’t as high on my confidence list as Ragland was. So if the Chiefs look elsewhere for their other inside starting linebacker, I hope they go after Anthony Hitchens of the Dallas Cowboys.

First, Hitchens is only 25 years old, so he could definitely be more than a short term space filler. He has plenty of starting experience and with DJ gone, it would be nice to put someone experienced next to Ragland in the base defense. The Chiefs have had issues stopping the run in recent seasons and I definitely think Hitchens could help there. Check out this tweet from Pro Football Focus:

In case you haven’t seen much of Hitchens and are wondering if he is just some big gap filling linebacker, he’s not. He’s actually a smaller inside linebacker at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds. He’s at his best when he can run to the ball. That actually works with Ragland being the more physical backer (6-foot-2 and 258 pounds) that takes blockers head on. Hitchens may not make the NFL’s list of best coverage linebackers but he isn’t a liability in coverage and can stay on the field on third down.

While Hitchens won’t be cheap, he should be more affordable than other inside linebackers like Navorro Bowman, Avery Williamson, and Preston Brown. I believe the combination of Ragland and Hitchens would give the Chiefs a good young pair of inside linebackers that could anchor their defense for several years to come.

Next up, let’s talk pass rush.

Junior Galette – Outside Linebacker – Washington

I don’t think there’s a Chiefs fan alive right now that doesn’t think that the Chiefs need some pass rush help. Justin Houston is great, but when there isn’t a threat across from him there is only so much he can do. Tamba Hali is probably days away from being released. Dee Ford has been injured and, despite some flashes of pass rush upside, has largely been a disappointment as a first round pick. So finding some more pass rush help has to be a priority this offseason.

Junior Galette actually has several things working against him. First, he’s a little older than all the other guys on this list at 30 years old. Second, he’s had some injury concerns that have limited his availability at times. Finally, he’s had some off the field issues that raise some concerns.

So why in the world would I put this guy on the list?

There are actually three reasons I did.

First, he still shows elite pass rush ability. Galette’s lack of playing time this past season had less to do with his play and more to do with Washington’s ridiculous depth of edge rushers (more on that in a minute). I believe Galette would easily beat out both Dee Ford and Frank Zombo and I don’t think it would be particularly close.

Second, because of the issues I listed above Galette should be WAY more affordable than typical pass rushers of his caliber are in free agency. Finally, I think it’s worth factoring in that the guy hasn’t been shy about the fact that he likes the idea of becoming a Chief. Recently fans have tweeted him about coming to KC and he has “liked” several of those tweets. See for yourself by scrolling through his likes below.

If Galette’s age, injury history, and character scare them off there’s actually another Washington player that might also be an option.

Trent Murphy – Outside Linebacker – Washington

I actually like Trent Murphy more as a long term option for Kansas City than I do Junior Galette. Unfortunately, I think the rest of the league may feel the same way, so his price tag may be higher than Galette’s. The one thing that may keep Murphy’s price tag down is that he was out all of last season with a knee injury. That makes him a risk and whichever team signs him will obviously have to feel good about his medical status.

Assuming that Murphy is healthy he would be a HUGE upgrade for the Chiefs. He had nine sacks in 2016 (his last season) but is not just a pass rusher. At 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds he is a complete edge player. He is good against the run and when the Chiefs go to the sub package and essentially turn their OLBs into defensive ends, Murphy has the size to better hold up against offensive tackles. The Chiefs have been descent against the run in their base defense but have been AWFUL against it in their sub package. Having a player like Murphy that could give you pressure opposite Houston AND not be a liability in the run game would be huge.

If Murphy is healthy the Chiefs certainly wouldn’t be the only team competing for his services (Washington probably doesn’t want to let both he and Galette leave town), but he is a player that I would be okay with Kansas City investing some money in.

Now let’s look at some possible big bodies in the center of the defense.

Beau Allen – Defensive Tackle – Philadelphia

While pass rush would top my list of defensive needs, some big bodied run stuffers aren’t far behind. Bennie Logan is a free agent and while I’d be fine with the Chiefs re-signing him, if his price tag is higher than what they would like, there are some cheaper options out there. One of them is Philadelphia’s Beau Allen.

A huge part of the Eagles success this season was the dominance of their defensive front. While Fletcher Cox was the standout in the middle of their defense Allen was a key rotational player for them, especially when it came to stopping the run. Allen is a big dude at 6-foot-2 and 330 pounds. His build is ideal for the nose tackle position because he’s stout without being too tall (which allows linemen to get under his pads and drive him).

While Allen is seen as a run stopper he has shown the ability to apply pressure up the middle as well. While he hasn’t racked up many sacks Pro Football Focus credited him with 21 pressures last season and that’s as a part time rotational player. I don’t know if Allen will ever be a pro bowl nose tackle but at only 26 years old he’s an ascending player with proven ability that will likely be significantly cheaper than re-signing Logan (or former Chief Dontari Poe).

Beau Allen is exactly the kind of player that I expect Brett Veach to target in free agency.

Finally, one more option inside in case Allen isn’t an option.

Mike Pennel – Defensive Tackle – New York Jets

At this point some of you are realizing that there isn’t a single cornerback or safety on this list. I’ll address that in a minute. First, let’s talk about why Mike Pennel would be a great signing for the Chiefs. Pennel is a true run stopping nose tackle. He’s 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds and is a really strong run stopper. Pennel does not offer any real upside as a pass rusher, which should make him very affordable in free agency. Plus, Pennel is only 26 years old so, again, his best years aren’t behind him yet.

If Bennie Logan isn’t re-signed, the Chiefs HAVE to get someone who can play the nose tackle in the base defense and be a force in short yardage and goal line situations. While it would be great to sign someone that can do those things AND rush the passer in the sub package, there is nothing that says they have to go that route.

Signing a guy like Pennel who would be cheap to play the run stuffer role would give them more cap space to spend on pass rush guys. Plus, often rookie defensive linemen can contribute more as pass rushers than they can as a two gapping run plugger. You need NFL strength and technique to do that and Pennel has those things.

Now, I know many of you would prefer to see more cornerback help or even an upgrade at safety but I’m just not seeing it. The Chiefs now have Marcus Peters, Kendall Fuller, David Amerson, Stephen Nelson, and Terrance Mitchell at cornerback. They may add another rookie to that mix, but I can’t see them spending big money on a corner unless they really don’t see a future for Peters in K.C. (which I don’t think is the case).

As far as safety goes, with Eric Berry already being one of the NFL’s highest paid safeties I can’t see them breaking the bank there and investing that much of their cap in the safety position. Yes, they could cut Parker and free up some money there, but as I look over the list of free agent safeties the only ones that I think would be upgrades over Parker are going to be expensive. Safety simply isn’t a position that most NFL teams want to invest THAT much money in. Again, I think you’re more likely to see them go after someone in the draft than free agency.

Next: The single most important task for the Chiefs this offseason

So that’s my list of free agent targets for the defense. What do you think Chiefs fans? Are there not enough big names for your liking on this list or do you agree with me that the Chiefs aren’t looking to break the bank on free agents this year? Do you think there are better young/cheap players out there than the ones I listed? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

As always, thanks for reading and GO CHIEFS!!!!!