The Miami Dolphins have a franchise tag to use and a choice to make, but it’s looking more and more like tight end Mike Gesicki will be the one who receives it (if they use it at all). According to his agent Drew Rosenhaus, that means defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah will be hitting free agency once again.
That’s good news for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ogbah will be a familiar name to Chiefs Kingdom given his short but productive history with the team. It was nearly three years ago now that Ogbah was flipped to the Chiefs by the Cleveland Browns in exchange for safety Eric Murray. Ogbah, a former second-round pick for Cleveland, was at the tail end of his rookie deal and the Chiefs gave him a place to showcase his skills before hitting the open market.
The Miami Dolphins are expected to allow Emmanuel Ogbah to hit free agency without a hurdle and the Kansas City Chiefs should be in on the bidding.
Given the change of scenery by the Chiefs, Ogbah showed enough in 4 starts and 10 overall games to make major money on the open market from the Dolphins. With the Chiefs, Ogbah had tied a career-high in sacks with 5.5. From there, he landed a two-year, $15 million deal only to put up consecutive seasons of 9 sacks apiece in south Florida. Now at the age of 28, Ogbah should get paid more than ever.
Perhaps Ogbah’s free agency was a lesson learned by the Chiefs, who presumably could have retained him for much cheaper for that level of production, but Miami deserves credit for a savvy signing. Even now as he’s likely more expensive, Ogbah would be a worthy veteran addition for a Chiefs defensive line that’s likely going to be rebuilt from one end to another this offseason.
Ogbah already knows Steve Spagnuolo’s system, at least given his single-season within it, and his steady production in recent years should alleviate any doubts about a previously spotty record. Over the last two years, Ogbah has quietly put up 75 total pressures, and last season he even deflected 12 passes. Experience has allowed him to really develop his game and turn around the bust perspective that shipped out of Cleveland.
The Chiefs might have their eyes on other pass rushers as they remake the defensive front, but Ogbah should be in the conversation. There are other players who could work well but he’s now a proven commodity who would look nice locking down one side of the line for Kansas City in 2022 and beyond.