KC Chiefs: The pros and cons of chasing James Bradberry

There are reasons to go after James Bradberry as a free agent and reasons to stay away for the Kansas City Chiefs.

At this point, there’s not really much to mask when it comes to the Kansas City Chiefs and their obvious interest in cornerback James Bradberry. It’s a move that’s been potentially telegraphed for months by NFL reporters, and while some reports have been conflicting, the vast amount of smoke between both sides has indicated some level of fire.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s meant to burn.

The very fact that James Bradberry is not a member of the Chiefs roster at this point means that general manager Brett Veach is not interested in the former New York Giants cornerback at any cost. For weeks, the Chiefs have been linked with him, but the majority of that span would have demanded some sort of trade asset (likely involving draft capital) in return as well as the assumption of some if not all of the hefty financial burden attached to Bradberry.

This week, the Giants decided to set Bradberry free after failing to find any takers on the open market for Bradberry’s services. That’s not a statement about Bradberry’s talents; rather it’s about the bloated contract attached to those talents—a total that was disproportional to the return any team would see on the field.

Now that Bradberry has been cut free, the rumors began to churn again for the Chiefs but the landscape has changed considerably. The draft completely remade the Chiefs’ defense and Veach hasn’t stopped adding players since the draft’s seven rounds faded from view.

At this point, there are good reasons for the Chiefs to chase Bradberry and there are also reasons to back away. What’s ultimately right comes down to your desired approach for the team going forward—aggressive or patient.

Let’s look at the pros and cons for the Chiefs at this stage in their potential pursuit