Sammy Watkins named “Worst Overpay” in NFL free agency
By Matt Conner
The $48 million given to Sammy Watkins by the Kansas City Chiefs was recently called the single worst overpay in NFL free agency this year by ESPN.
The Kansas City Chiefs were supposed to have gotten rid of any salary cap management issues when they allowed former general manager John Dorsey to walk from his contract several months early. While Dorsey had been celebrated for his scouting acumen, the Chiefs were also always up against the cap ceiling, an ongoing frustration that eventually led to Dorsey being replaced by Brett Veach.
One month after Veach’s first official go at the NFL’s free agent market and he’s sitting atop ESPN’s rankings, at least per Mike Sando, of the “worst overpays” of the offseason. Specifically, Sando would chastise Veach’s contract offer for wide receiver Sammy Watkins. The three-year, $48 million deal was, in Sando’s opinion, a serious reach by a new GM who rewarded a player for not yet living up to the hype.
"More from Arrowhead AddictFormer Chiefs cornerback in legal trouble in Las VegasChiefs Kingdom: Get ready to break contract newsChiefs news: Travis Kelce wants to host fan ‘chug-off’ in GermanyPodcast: Breaking down the Chiefs biggest roster battlesKC Chiefs send Dave Merritt to NFL coaching acceleratorThe Chiefs are paying Watkins as though he’s a sure bet. They were not the only team willing to spend big for him. Dallas was also interested, as was Chicago. It seems like a case of teams valuing a player based more on their draft reports than what the player has done since college."
Watkins’ contract is a major one for the Chiefs and it was surprising to see them able to pull off such a deal when the competition for Watkins was supposed to be serious, given the cap constraints as well as other holes on the defensive side to fill. Yet Watkins also gives the Chiefs the sort of tremendous red zone target that will keep defenses honest. Remember how the Titans defense keyed in on Kareem Hunt in the box and Tyreek Hill deep after the Travis Kelce concussion in the postseason? Watkins will keep everyone stretched.
Still $48 million is a lot of money to be sure. Was it an overpay? It’s hard to say given the knowledge that other teams were involved, that Veach had been chasing Watkins for some time and that the Chiefs will have an abundance of cap room once 2019 arrives since Mahomes is on his rookie deal.
What do you say, Chiefs Kingdom?