The Chiefs were believed to be interested in cornerbacks throughout the draft process. Now that the draft has passed, who can the Chiefs add to the roster?
The Kansas City Chiefs have few needs before training camp begins. That being said, most Chiefs fans believe that the cornerback group is the roster’s weakest link.
Now that the Chiefs have let the draft pass come and go after adding only Rashad Fenton in the 6th round, who is out there to sign? Or, maybe more importantly, who will be out there to sign eventually?
In this article, we are going to break down potential fits with current free agents, potential cap casualties and trade targets for Brett Veach. Let’s start with free agents who are available right now.
Morris Claiborne
Most recent team: New York Jets
Fit with Chiefs: Medium
Pay range: Vet minimum to $5.5 million/ 1 year
Likelihood of being signed as a Chief: Medium
Morris Claiborne makes sense for Kansas City for a multitude of reasons. The most important of those reasons is that he is the best cornerback available in free agency. In the Jets 3-4 scheme, Claiborne saw a lot of man coverage, which has been hinted to be in the Chiefs plans. Despite transitioning to a 4-3, Spagnuolo has alluded to man coverage still being an important part of the scheme. While Claiborne is not a number one corner, he provides solid depth, which the Chiefs desperately need.
Claiborne’s best season as a pro was in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus. While he has not showed consistency, he has flashed and shown the capability to be a functional and serviceable NFL cornerback. He also has been a good tackler and run defender from his position throughout his career. If the Chiefs wanted to take a flyer on a one year “prove it” deal, it would make sense.
Brent Grimes
Most recent team: Tampa Bay Bucaneers
Fit with Chiefs: Medium
Pay range: Veteran minimum to $4 million/1 year
Likelihood of being signed as a Chief: Low
No matter how you look at Brent Grimes, he is a cornerback who has played well in the past. That being said, he is now 35 and it is difficult to keep up with younger receivers at that age. In Tampa Bay, Grimes was a ballhawking zone player throughout his career. In fact, there was time that some believed that Grimes was an elite cornerback.
Now, do the Chiefs want to bring in a guy of his age into the cornerback group? Maybe. Is it more likely that they go another route for someone who fits their scheme better with more versatility and matches Spagnuolo’s criteria of big physical corners who play well at the line of scrimmage. I don’t believe, however, that Grimes can be wiped from the list.
Shareece Wright
Most recent team: Houston Texans
Fit with Chiefs: High
Pay range: Vet minimum to $3.8 million/ 1 year
Likelihood of being signed as a Chief: Medium
Shareece Wright just seems like a Spagnuolo/Veach kind of guy. Despite the fact that he is 5’11, he plays much lengthier on film. Although he has been consistently a third or fourth string level of player, the Chiefs could use that with their depth.
Wright, much like Morris Claiborne is a willing and decent tackler who can attack the line of scrimmage. In an aggressive scheme that we expect from Steve Spagnuolo, Wright would be able to fill in when needed. Further, he has played with Tyrann Mathieu, so one can assume there is some chemistry between the two of them. Wright would likely be a fourth string, special teams and emergency time cornerback, which may be good for Kansas City if they decide that Rashad Fenton and Tremon Smith are not ready.
Sam Shields
Most recent team: Los Angeles Rams
Fit with Chiefs: Medium
Pay range: Vet minimum- $3.5 million/ 1 year
Likelihood of being signed as a Chief: Low
To round out the currently available cornerbacks, we turn to Sam Shields who filled in for Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib with the Rams. For a portion of the year, Shields played very well. Shields is more of a man coverage kind of player. Like the other current free agents, he is also not a young guy.
As a fit with Kansas City, he would likely be a nickel corner and be kicked into the slot which is the spot that Kendall Fuller normally takes. While Shields can play the boundary, that is not the position that I feel he fits the best. As depth, the Chiefs should definitely consider him, for considerable playing time, not so much.