Jamie Collins and other free agent linebackers for Chiefs consideration

Jamie Collins

Obviously I’m deviating from lesser-known players here. I just couldn’t resist throwing him on here. Picture Jamie Collins, Honey Badger, Frank Clark and Chris Jones on the field together. Collins is an established playmaker. Even better, he plays a 4-3 style that should make him a good fit for Spagnuolo’s scheme.

Collins signed a 1-year, $2 million contract with the Patriots before this season. While Collins is considered a quality linebacker, he isn’t priced as one. What’s ironic, though, is that Anthony Hitchens is currently on a 5 year/$45 mil deal, a deal that makes it practically certain he’ll be back with the team next year. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who wouldn’t rather have Collins over Hitchens.

The question will ultimately be up to Brett Veach and his spending strategies regarding the offseason. Will the Chiefs add a short-term piece like Collins, and immediately challenge for a Super Bowl again? (Frankly, they’ll be challenging for championship regardless.) Or will they opt to rebuild the position through draft investments? For this year, my guess is the Chiefs play conservative and improve the defense through the draft or cheaper signings. But speculating strategy is tough since the new CBA is looming and there’s uncertainty regarding Chris Jones.

All in all, a Jamie Collins move probably won’t happen. But it’s worth noting that he wouldn’t be as expensive as one would expect. The free agent class provides a few nice, cheap options for the Chiefs to consider as they think more about the big-picture financial commitments of the team.