K.C. Chiefs should expect Melvin Ingram to be ‘solid contributor’ in 2021

On Tuesday, the K.C. Chiefs are going to sit down with a pair of potential defensive additions as they take their next steps in free agency. On the table are possible deals for slot corner K’Waun Williams, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, and a very familiar face in pass rusher Melvin Ingram, who just wrapped nine years playing for the rival L.A. Chargers.

The Chargers allowed Ingram to hit free agency this season after a frustrating 2020 campaign in which Ingram looked like age might be finally catching up to him. Aiding the process was a knee injury that plagued him all season long. Ingram endured two separate stints on injured reserve due to issues with the same knee—he re-injured it after coming off of IR the first time—and finished the ’20 season with 10 tackles and zero sacks in parts of seven games.

Coming into the offseason with a new head coach in Brandon Staley, the franchise decided to turn the corner with Ingram and go younger on the edge. That means Ingram is now an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career (after being tagged and then signed long-term for his second NFL contract).

While the first week of free agency went by without any buzz concerning Ingram, the Chiefs broke the silence concerning the veteran with a scheduled visit on Tuesday. It’s a chance for the Chiefs to see the former rival pass rusher up close and figure out how he might aid them going forward. Given his body of work against them, the Chiefs likely already have some ideas for how they could utilize him.

For now, however, questions linger about just how much Ingram has left in the tank. According to Chargers expert Jason Reed, who heads up Bolt Beat, the Chiefs should still expect him to be a “solid contributor” for the next year.

“I think the injury accelerated the regression,” Reed told us. “Melvin obviously isn’t a young bull any more and there were signs late last year that he would start slowing down. That being said, I still expected him to be a solid contributor, albeit not a Pro Bowler, in 2020. He definitely still has something to offer, but his prime has passed him by.”

According to Reed, it will be Ingram’s experience that will keep him effective even as he’s working with a slight decline in his skill set. “I think he will be an average edge rusher that has very above-average moments because of his experience and football IQ. He will make big plays, just less frequently.”

As for a potential market deal, Reed looks to a deal for a similarly situated veteran pass rusher to get a good idea. “I think he gets one-year, $5 million guaranteed with 2.5 in performance incentives. Everson Griffen got a one-year, $6 million deal last offseason off of a Pro Bowl season. Melvin should get less than that.”

Given the amount the Chiefs have created this offseason by jettisoning veteran players and restructuring a few deals, the team definitely has room to get such a contract wrapped up. Whether or not they want to extend a deal to Ingram is to be determined, but Tuesday’s visit will tell us a lot.