Three offensive free agent targets for Chiefs draft flexibility

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 30: Terrelle Pryor #11 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 30, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 30: Terrelle Pryor #11 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 30, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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Terrelle Pryor #11, now in Free Agency
ORCHARD PARK, NY – DECEMBER 18: Stephon Gilmore #24 of the Buffalo Bills breaks up a pass intended for Terrelle Pryor #11 of the Cleveland Browns during the second half at New Era Field on December 18, 2016 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

Terrelle Pryor – Wide Receiver

This offseason, the Chiefs lost Chris Conley to the Jacksonville Jaguars. While Conley was not an irreplaceable force on the field, for various reasons, he was a relatively consistent No. 3 option the last several years. Last year when Sammy Watkins wasn’t able to play, he became the de facto No. 2 receiver for the team.

The Chiefs have a few options to fill this particular void—the most obvious is to move forward in 2019 with Demarcus Robinson as the team’s third receiver. This is not an ideal scenario. Robinson has shown flashes—displaying speed and quickness you idealize in receivers—but he has struggled to show any kind of consistency, especially catching the ball.

The other two options go hand-in-hand. The Chiefs will likely target a receiver in this year’s draft. Where they will target that receiver is another question altogether. It’s likely they won’t grab a receiver in the first round, but might in the second or third. It’s also possible they wait until round four or round five to grab a developmental prospect.

The third option, signing a free agent, would give them the flexibility to do whatever they want. The Chiefs could bring in a veteran, like Terrelle Pryor, who could compete to fill the role of the third receiver for a year or two while their draft pick develops. A player like Pryor would likely be low cost and could bring instant competition for this role.

Not to mention, he has already been in the Chiefs building before. You might argue that’s a bad sign for his prospects with the team, but, the team’s expectations this time around would be mainly to push Robinson or overtake his role. Given Pryor’s ability, which he demonstrated by eclipsing 1,000 yards in 2016, I think this is something he could effectively do for a year or two.

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