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Kansas City Chiefs: 4 free agents who could help right now

By Matt Conner

SAN DIEGO, CA - JANUARY 01: Antonio Gates #85 of the San Diego Chargers runs for a gain late in the fourth quarter against Marcus Peters #22 of the Kansas City Chiefs. Gates scored his 111 career touchdown in the first half, tying the All-Time NFL Tight-end Record with Tony Gonzalez en route to their 37-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2nd half of a game at Qualcomm Stadium on January 1, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA - JANUARY 01: Antonio Gates #85 of the San Diego Chargers runs for a gain late in the fourth quarter against Marcus Peters #22 of the Kansas City Chiefs. Gates scored his 111 career touchdown in the first half, tying the All-Time NFL Tight-end Record with Tony Gonzalez en route to their 37-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2nd half of a game at Qualcomm Stadium on January 1, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images) /
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Mike Mitchell, safety

I need to admit a few things here.

  1. I don’t like Mike Mitchell as a football player. I think he’s played dirty and overly aggressive at a sport in which players are already going to get injured far too often.
  2. There are other safety options out there (really just Eric Reid) who I’d like more, EXCEPT the whole “divisive player” sort of rhetoric. I don’t buy into it personally. I love Reid and everything he says. But I get it’s just not happening, like it or not.
  3. I am not buying the Chiefs options at free safety. Sorry.

Mike Mitchell would easily be one of the oldest Chiefs on the team if he were to sign with them, but here’s the thing. Any veteran signing at this point is likely going to have to take a one-year deal. Check out the Tre Boston deal where he only signed for $1.5 million for a single season. And he was one of the good ones available.

I don’t get why the safety market has tanked, but there’s zero reason for the Chiefs to not take advantage of it. Eric Murray didn’t look the part last year when the Chiefs were looking for anyone to step up and help. He’s still young and could develop into something meaningful in terms of significant snaps, but I didn’t see it last year and don’t see it coming. At the same time, I also think Dan Sorensen, gifted as he is, is the single worst contract on the team.

As for Armani Watts. I’m uncertain on him for this first year. He missed the first week of camp. Dave Toub hasn’t mentioned him. Bob Sutton and Andy Reid have only said that he needs reps. He looks smaller out there than expected. If a guy can’t earn buzz without pads then I’ll going to slow my excitement a bit until year two.

Enter Mitchell. Even last year, even at the age of 30, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. And when that sort of overly aggressive player wears your favorite team’s uniform, he suddenly looks pretty awesome. Brett Veach has said he’s looking to get tougher, quicker, aggressive. He wants guys who give it their all for the full four quarters and want to play football. You don’t have to be 22 to do that.

Why not take a one-year flier on a guy who would bring a nasty edge to the secondary, help solidify the secondary (and help push out the worst contract on the team)?

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