The Sammy Watkins Dilemma
Brett Veach’s first move as the general manager of the Kansas City Chiefs was a bold one: Bringing Sammy Watkins to form a “big three” in the passing game. While the move was approved by most fans, the fact is that Watkins was never worth the paycheck that they gave him to begin with. In fact, during Watkins’s tenure with the Chiefs he has never started for an entire season. Additionally, he has never been on the receiving end of more than three touchdown passes.
When Watkins originally signed his contract, it was for 3 years, $48 million. This year, he took a pay cut to remain with the team on a one-year $9 million deal. Now, after a disappointing season, the Chiefs are faced with the decision of whether or not to approach him to re-sign.
The Chiefs could either try to negotiate a contract with Watkins for the next season on a cheaper deal or invest considerable draft capital in the position. They could also sign another free agent to take the Watkins role.
Overview
All in all, the Chiefs shouldn’t overreact to a Super Bowl loss to the Bucs who are led by one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time and had a defensive showing that was among the greatest in Super Bowl history. That being said, the Chiefs need some reliable depth. Hardman is a gadget player and seems unlikely to emerge as someone who can be a top three receiver on the team. Robinson has good hands but fails to create much separation with a lack of quickness. Pringle has speed and very good strength for his size, but ultimately pales in comparison to Kelce and Hill.
Kansas City needs to invest in offensive linemen and wide receivers this offseason. The Chiefs need to avoid LeBron’s Cavalier fate of being too “top heavy.” This case could be made for both sides of the ball. Ultimately, the Chiefs have a lot of star power but need to make sure that their depth is top-notch if they hope to win multiple Super Bowls. While Kelce and Hill have managed to stay healthy in recent years, if they were to get injured (God forbid), would you really want Hardman or Robinson to step into that role as the number one wide receiver?