Xavier Williams shouldn’t mean the end of free agency additions
When the Chiefs signed Xavier Williams, many fans assumed that the Chiefs were done finding defensive starters in free agency. Not so fast.
The insta-analysis on Xavier Williams is pretty simple. He’s a young, ascending player who can stop the run and fill one of the three major holes the Chiefs have on defense. These are all true and good things. However, the dismount on most of the analysis was “…and now the Chiefs look to the draft.”
They shouldn’t be done with free agency quite yet. One more starting defender is still on the market and within the Chiefs’ budget.
Split hairs between Tre Boston and Eric Reid if you wish, but first, look to the safety market as a whole. Morgan Burnett just signed with the Steelers on a three-year, $14.5 million deal – a steal of a contract for a safety of consequence. Tyrann Mathieu signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Texans – a clear gamble on himself to hit free agency when the safety market is less-saturated.
John Dorsey’s Chiefs gave Daniel Sorensen $16 million for four years, in addition to a hefty deal for Ron Parker and a bank-breaking one for Eric Berry. The Chiefs have placed their bets somewhat poorly on safeties in years past, but Brett Veach can not be forced to atone for the sins of his predecessor. The Chiefs will have to manage Parker’s dead cap hit this year and Sorensen’s eventual hit in 2019 and 2020, but you can have a little more fun with the salary cap when you have rookie contracts in as many places as the Chiefs do. (They’re not the Rams, but they’re also not extremely far off.)
So what’s the move for now?
Look at the safety market. Look at the need the Chiefs have. Go sign Eric Reid to a 2019-heavy version of what Burnett just got from Pittsburgh, draft cornerbacks and the best players available in the draft, keep your playoff window open for 2018 and knock the whole wall down for 2019.
For more on Xavier Williams and the free agent market for safeties, tune in to today’s show.
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