K.C. Chiefs face much easier free agency period than last spring

There are many decisions to be made, of course, but it’s probably safe to assume that Brett Veach is sleeping a bit easier than he did at this time last year as the K.C. Chiefs general manager.

Last year, if you’ll recall, the Chiefs were facing a serious decision on what to do with a dynamic young defensive lineman in Chris Jones in the same offseason in which contract extensions were due for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce. The Chiefs were up against the cap, tasked with the goal to “run it back” with precious few resources—or so it seemed—to make it happen.

This year, there are myriad choices to make with nearly two dozen free agents of one kind or another. Yet none of them are as impactful as choices the Chiefs have made in recent years. Last year, it was time to commit to Jones (or not). Prior years have featured the same sorts of decisions on Dee Ford or trading Alex Smith.

Instead, the biggest decision for the Chiefs to make this year is likely what to happen with Sammy Watkins. A recent column at Yardbarker listed the most high-profile FA for every team and Watkins was their choice for K.C. We’re inclined to agree. And while Watkins has had impactful moments and stretches in these last couple years, he’s also not an automatic return based on reliability.

The K.C. Chiefs face an easier offseason than recent years.

If the Chiefs were to re-sign Watkins, it’s not going to be the sort of overwhelming financial deal he received in the first place—a three year, $48 million contract that set league-high cap hit in his first year. If anything, it would be a single-season deal with incentives built in to make sure that the Chiefs were paying proportionally for the production on the field.

Put that into perspective. If the Chiefs single biggest decision to make in free agency is whether or not to bring back an oft-injured player on a one-year, incentive-laden deal, that’s not a bad spring to face down. It means the Chiefs won’t need to pour in the collective man hours debating things at a make-or-break level. Instead it hopefully means that a front office that didn’t lose a single exec can dig deeper into the finer details of potential hidden gems in free agency or the draft.

That’s not to say this isn’t an important offseason for the Chiefs. There’s considerable retooling to do along the offensive front. The pass rush needs considerable help. Safety has to be addressed, and linebacker is still a troubling spot. But the Chiefs are now facing the same sort of decisions that every team stares down. Future offseasons will bring the franchise-altering choices once again. Just not this year.