The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to upgrade a thin cornerback position this spring, and Kareem Jackson is a proposed fit from NFL.com.
A recent column from Marc Sessler at NFL.com attempts to reshuffle some of this year’s key free agents to teams that make the most sense this coming offseason, and the Kansas City Chiefs are due to receive some help at a much needed position.
Sessler has the Chiefs picking up cornerback Kareem Jackson, who has spent the last nine years with the Houston Texans, as their key offseason addition.
Jackson will turn 31 this spring, which is likely why the Texans would let such a longtime vet walk away, but he started all 16 games last season for Houston’s solid defense and set a career high with 87 total tackles. He was named a Pro Bowl alternate and even shifted over to safety when injury necessitated some invention from the Texans secondary. Sessler writes:
"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 acceleratorKansas City could use help at every position, but free agency is a good spot to find cover-man help in the form of Jackson, a reliable defender against the pass and a top-tier talent against the run for Houston in 2018."
Jackson has already gone public with his preference this offseason: to stay with the Texans. It’s understandable for a nine-year veteran with deep roots into a franchise and surrounding community and fan base. Then again he’s also prepared to do what is best for his family and wants a competitive situation.
"“…obviously, you want to go to a team that will be a contender, that will add some great pieces. You don’t want to just go play and end up on a team and your guys go 2-14.”"
It’s that contender part that will play well with the Chiefs. It’s hardly a secret that the Chiefs are going to be favored to reach the Super Bowl as long as Brett Veach keeps Patrick Mahomes surrounded with enough talent to ride his arm to victory. Having Andy Reid in place to captain the ship is another solid selling point. Together it should make the Chiefs a desirable location for players to try to make the step toward the Lombardi Trophy.
The downside for the Chiefs is that the cornerback market is a steep one given the current financial set-up. With expensive contracts due for Chris Jones and Tyreek Hill to go with those already out to Eric Berry and Justin Houston, there’s not a lot of room for money due this season. The recent deal offered to Robert Alford by the Arizona Cardinals shows that, once again, corners will get paid handsomely this offseason. (Alford has never been as good as Jackson, is only one year younger, and just signed a 3-year, $22.5M.)
If the Chiefs could bring in Jackson, he would add a veteran presence to a very young core of options already on the roster. Kendall Fuller is the most talented holdover but even he’s only his second year with the team. Charvarius Ward looked promising in the last few games and has earned the right to compete for a starting spot. From there, the pickings are slim if the Chiefs lose Orlando Scandrick (as they should) and Steven Nelson in free agency. Tremon Smith? Yep.
If the Chiefs want Jackson enough, they can find the money. Sessler thinks it’s the right deal. He’s not wrong. If the math works out, it’d be a nice fit to be sure.