KC Chiefs 2021 free agency overview: Predicting who will stay or leave
As has been well chronicled, Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has a lot of work to do this offseason in order to keep, and build upon, the core roster of players which has been so successful for head coach Andy Reid and the two-time defending AFC Champions.
The Chiefs need to work to keep as much of the roster intact as possible, yet also recognize that growth and improvement is necessary at key positions, including the interior offensive line, offensive tackle (depth, at least), edge rusher, and cornerback. To do this will require significant cap management strategies, as the Chiefs are currently projected to be more than $19 million over the 2021 salary cap, despite having a bevy of openings which will be left by free agents and the need to sign April’s draft class.
By restructuring contracts (see Eric Fisher and Frank Clark), extending players who are nearing free agency (see Tyrann Mathieu), and converting money to signing bonus (see Patrick Mahomes), Veach should be able to create enough cap flexibility to keep the Chiefs in play for not only their own free agents but also for low-to-mid-tier veterans when the league opens up for bidding next month.
How the Chiefs can create money and what they might do externally in free agency will be covered in future writings, but for now we’ve taken a look at pending free agents, and categorized them by how likely (or unlikely) they are to return to Kansas City next season.
If you’re unfamiliar, free agents have one of many designations which alter their ability to sign in other places. According to NFL.com:
"Unrestricted free agent (UFA): Any player with four or more accrued seasons and an expired contract; free to negotiate and sign with any team. Restricted free agent (RFA): A player with three accrued seasons and an expired contract. RFAs are free to negotiate and sign with any team, but their original team can offer them one of various qualifying offers (“tenders”) that come with the right of first refusal and/or draft-pick compensation. If the tender is withdrawn by a team, the RFA becomes an unrestricted free agent. In 2020, teams must submit these tenders before 4 p.m. ET on March 18. These amounts change annually; the following numbers are for the 2020 season. Players can choose either (a) or (b) regardless of which is greater in the applicable tenders below. Exclusive rights free agent (ERFA): Any player with fewer than three accrued seasons and an expired contract. If his original team offers him a one-year contract at the league minimum (based on his credited seasons), the player cannot negotiate with other teams."