KC Chiefs: Five most underrated moves of the offseason

It’s been a very, very busy offseason for the K.C. Chiefs and general manager Brett Veach. If there was a big ticket item available this spring, the Chiefs were likely in on him, trying for him, or mentioned in conjunction with him in some way. From missing out on Trent Williams to trading for Orlando Brown Jr. to signing Joe Thuney, the Chiefs have been retooling for another Super Bowl run, especially up front along the offensive line.

But away from the headline names and exciting trade rumors, Veach also put together several roster moves that barely moved the needle in the news yet should still reap considerable dividends. Here are the five most underrated moves for the Chiefs this offseason so far:

Jarran Reed

For all of the ink spilled about the Chiefs remade offensive line (and rightfully so), their defensive line has been remade a bit this spring as well but nothing is more exciting there than the unexpected addition of Jarran Reed.

The Seahawks decided to go ahead and clear some cap space by ridding themselves of Reed in a surprising move this offseason, one that presented teams with the sudden ability to add a disruptive defensive tackle with a strong reputation as a run-stopper back in March. The Chiefs won the sweepstakes with a single season deal that will allow Reed to hit the market next offseason for another big payday. It was a big win for both sides.

While there’s been at least some level of a spotlight on this addition for the Chiefs, and even head coach Andy Reid was trying to call attention to it as well recently, the reality is that the Chiefs added one of the NFL’s better defensive tackles for pennies on the dollar in an unexpected signing that suddenly makes them look very, very dangerous up front. Suddenly the team can flirt with Chris Jones on the edge. Frank Clark is going to have fun rushing next to his old college teammate. Younger players like Turk Wharton, Derrick Nnadi, and Khalen Saunders are also going to learn from the addition.

It will likely take a bit of time to sort out just how it will all work together along the defensive front—just like the team’s new offensive line—but the addition is worth the work and the Chiefs have a real chance at employing one of the league’s best defensive lines.