The best remaining free agents for the Kansas City Chiefs

Cornerbacks

The Chiefs are poised to lose a lot of snaps from last season at cornerback with Charvarius Ward already gone and Mike Hughes a free agent. Yes, they have L’Jarius Sneed, Rashad Fenton, Deandre Baker, and Dicaprio Bootle on the roster, but they need at least two more quality options to add to that group. I don’t love the corners that are still available, but here’s how I see what is left.

Great Outside Starting Corners: Stephon Gilmore

There just aren’t many options left of guys that KC could sign to come in and be a clear-cut dependable great starting outside corner. Stephon Gilmore is probably the only guy that fits that description and he is going to be very expensive. There haven’t been any rumors of the Chiefs being interested and Brett Veach doesn’t have a history of spending on this position, so I wouldn’t get my hopes up.

Good Starting Slot Corners: Tavon Young, K’Waun Williams, Bryce Callahan

If the Chiefs wanted to add a younger starting level player the easiest place to do it would be with one of the slot corners listed above. These guys would all be great additions to the roster, but it would have to mean that KC was comfortable playing Sneed and Fenton primarily on the outside. If that’s the case, these are definitely the guys to target. If KC is looking for someone to play on the outside, these probably aren’t the best options.

The 30 years old and up veteran options: Patrick Peterson, AJ Bouye, Janoris Jenkins, Xavier Rhodes, Kyle Fuller, Jason Verrett, Joe Haden, Chris Harris

There are a lot of “names” on this list, but how much do they have left in the tank? With some of these options, the question is if they have the speed to still play on the outside. If they can’t play outside then the younger slot options above make more sense. For others, the question is if they can stay healthy enough to be relied on. The Chiefs could fill a hole with one of these guys, but they would probably need to draft a longer-term solution in the early rounds to go with them.

Under 30 outside options: Mike Hughes, Steven Nelson, Kevin King

So here’s a list that’s going to agitate some Chiefs fans. I know Mike Hughes wasn’t fantastic last season, but he wasn’t as bad as some fans are making him out to be and he’s still just 25. Steven Nelson probably burned too many bridges in KC to come back, but he’s an average NFL starter at age 29. Kevin King has the tools on paper that the Chiefs like, but the 26 year old has been very inconsistent in his career so far. This isn’t an inspiring list, but Hughes or King paired with an early draft pick would be a cheap way to fill out the position.

Finally, let’s look at a couple of linebacker and safety options still available.