A case for and against the KC Chiefs bringing in Melvin Ingram

The 2021 preseason is quickly approaching with the “Hall of Fame Game” between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers kicking off in a matter of weeks on August 6th. Surprisingly, the two-time AFC Champion and Super Bowl LIV victor K.C. Chiefs find themselves in a bit of a predicament.

Even before the Frank Clark news, of which he was charged with a felony and could face three years in prison, the Chiefs were thin along the edge. It appeared, all things staying the same, the defense would enter the 2021 season with Clark, an unproven former first rounder in Taco Charlton, and a host of developmental players.

With the likelihood of at least a suspension in the range of two to four games, it now appears the Chiefs have a significant problem at the beginning of a schedule that is front loaded.

A handful of solutions exist for the Chiefs, such as playing Chris Jones almost exclusively at defensive end and bringing in a free agent or two along the interior and edge to fill the gaps. The one that has caught the attention of most in the media is bringing in veteran pass rusher and former Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram.

A case for Melvin Ingram

I’d posit the case for Melvin Ingram is fairly straight forward. The Chiefs need bodies along the edge. At this point, there are only two to three players on the roster that have actually played defensive end for any significant number of snaps on the NFL level.

I believe Chris Jones could be an absolute game wrecker at the position, but no one can tell the future. I believe Joshua Kaindoh has all the tools necessary to develop into a productive starter in the NFL, but it’s unlikely he’ll flash that potential consistently in his rookie season.

The Chiefs need to inject talent and competition into the edge position and while questions linger about Ingram’s knee, he has the track record to fit that need. Truth be told, unless the team is completely sure his knee will prevent him from playing consistently next season, I’m not sure they have much of a choice but to bring him in.

The case against Melvin Ingram

Ingram hasn’t been very effective the last couple seasons. In 2020 he only played in seven games, failing to post a single sack and posting less than two pressures per game. 2019 was much better, with Ingram playing in 13 games and posting seven sacks and 23 pressures.

If the Chiefs could count on Ingram playing 12-14 games this would be a no-brainer, but that is in serious question. How do I know? Because it’s middle of July, Ingram plays a premium position at which he has been consistently successful for most of his career, and there has been very little chatter of him meeting with teams other than the Chiefs and Dolphins.

The truth is the Chiefs are in win-now mode and the wrong signing at this juncture could be costly. They have a few options still available including bringing back two former Chiefs in Justin Houston and Alex Okafor. Neither are arguably a better fit at this juncture of their career than Ingram, but their health is not in question.

The Chiefs need to do something at the edge position. It’s unwise to enter 2021 with questions looming around Frank Clark and the position being so thin regardless. That said, Melvin Ingram might not be the slam dunk signing some think he is.