Melvin Ingram wouldn’t completely solve the K.C. Chiefs pass rushing woes

On Tuesday, the K.C. Chiefs are reportedly set to host Melvin Ingram for the team’s next known free agent visit of the spring. It’s a potentially exciting addition, and if it goes anything like Kyle Long’s recent trip to Arrowhead, Chiefs Kingdom could hear of an official addition in the very near future.

The signing would be a boost to the Chiefs defensive line, a nice, proven addition who can provide another pass rushing force on a team that’s lost a lot of snaps in free agency. Alex Okafor and Tanoh Kpassagnon have largely held down the starting reps at one defensive end position opposite Frank Clark for the last two years, and both are now unrestricted free agents with no real buzz about returning to K.C. Even with them, the Chiefs needed another proven pass rusher. Without them, the need for a major player at defensive end is even greater.

Ingram is certainly one of the better free agents available for a team’s defensive front, but at this stage in his career, the Chiefs would need to keep searching even if they signed Ingram to a deal. That’s due to a couple primary reasons.

First, Ingram is getting older and slowing down. Discerning what he has left in the tank is a bit problematic when you factor in his lack of production in 2020 and question whether it’s due to a knee injury that will heal or whether the physical ailments will only build from here since Ingram will be 32 next month. Has Ingram already hit the wall? Can he hold it off? Will the motivation of winning a ring push him to new heights on the other side of a frustrating 2020 season? Is this all just wishful thinking?

Ingram is a familiar face for Chiefs fans given how often he’s played against Kansas City over the last nine seasons, ever since the San Diego Chargers made him a first-round selection back in the 2012 NFL Draft. In 15 career games played against the Chiefs—essentially a full season—Ingram has 47 tackles, including 15 of them for a loss, 8.5 sacks, and 7 pass deflections. That’s a productive season, to be sure.

Beyond the known quantity of seeing him over the years, Ingram was a Pro Bowler in each of the three seasons between 2017-19, which is certainly recent enough to encourage fans. However, it’s likely he’s not quite the Ingram of old these days. That doesn’t mean he’s not a good signing. It just means that the Chiefs are going to need more.

Second, even if the Chiefs do sign Ingram and he ends up a productive member of the roster, they are still going to need more rotational bodies. With Kpassagnon and Okafor likely out, the Chiefs have Mike Danna and Taco Charlton back to go with hopefuls like Tim Ward and Demone Harris. But even with Ingram in tow along with Frank Clark, there’s a need here for another rotational body and the best option would be a high-ceiling talent (early draft pick?) who could force the veterans into a complementary role.

Basically even if Ingram is signed this week—and that’s certainly not a guarantee—the Chiefs still aren’t done shopping at defensive end. It’s not quite a rebuild like the offensive line