How much will the Kansas City Chiefs draft class make?
By Matt Conner
Armani Watts (No. 124 overall)
2018 cap hit: $634K
Total contract amount (through 2021): $3M (total)
For the last five years, Ron Parker has grown to reach an unforeseen ceiling that made former general manager John Dorsey look like a genius. He grabbed Parker as a waiver wire claim, gave him to the Chiefs coaches and watched him transform into the versatile starter he envisioned when he first claimed him.
Fast forward those five years, however, and Parker looked a bit off last year. The Chiefs as a whole looked a bit off last year. Running backs got the extra yard they fought for. Wrong angles were taken. Tacklers were shed. Parker, among others, was believed to be a part of that. Consequently, Parker was released this offseason and has yet to sign anywhere.
In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Chiefs drafted his replacement, or at least a player hoping to take his spot, in Armani Watts. The Texas A&M safety has a similar skill set and would likely fare well if tasked with replacing Parker. But this isn’t about talent; our concern is primarily money.
To that end, if the skills were similar, then Watts will be looking great as a young, cost-controlled player in the secondary. Any safety next to Eric Berry, the most expensive safety in the game, needs to be cheap, and Watts is going to cost the Chiefs a cool $600,000 for the next year. In ensuing years, it’s not going to be much more than that.
Considering Parker was set to cost the team $5 million, it’s no wonder that Brett Veach decided to go cheap here if Watts can achieve the same result.