Arrowhead Addict
FanSided

Three offensive free agents who could help KC Chiefs

By Lucas Strozinsky

INGLEWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Julio Jones #2 of the Tennessee Titans runs down the sidelines for a gain during the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on November 7, 2021 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Julio Jones #2 of the Tennessee Titans runs down the sidelines for a gain during the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on November 7, 2021 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Rob Gronkowski against the Jets
Rob Gronkowski, of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers /

Rob Gronkowski, TE

I know. Rob Gronkowski as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs sounds crazy—and it probably is. However, I promise it makes sense in the right light, so please hear me out.

The Chiefs’ tight end room is a strange one. They have arguably the best tight end in the world in Travis Kelce but then behind him are a bunch of question marks. Blake Bell, Noah Gray, and Jody Fortson are all useful players, but at the same time, none of them are better than Gronkowski today. Fortson is also a WR/TE hybrid and could also be categorized as a “receiving weapon”. After them, it’s young guys Matt Bushman and Mark Vital along with journeyman Jordan Franks.

Outside of Kelce, none of the aforementioned players are locks to make the team. The Chiefs have never really had a true #2 tight end in the Kelce era. That is just something that they haven’t prioritized. Since Kelce became the starter in 2014, no other Chiefs tight end has hit 250 receiving yards in a single regular season. They don’t use two tight ends a ton in the passing game, with the exception of blocking, and Kelce is dominant (and healthy) enough to not need a traditional backup.

But Kelce is getting older and he did, unfortunately, slow down a little bit last year while still dominating. He’s still TE1 by a mile but it may be time for the Chiefs to finally not rely upon a half-measure when it comes to his backup. As good of a blocker as he is, Bell simply doesn’t cut it as Kelce’s backup. Gray is still unproven and, even though he has serious potential, Fortson isn’t a proven commodity either and is also coming off a major injury. If Kelce has to miss time this season, the Chiefs could be in some hot water when it comes to tight end production.

Even though he’s “past his prime”, and battling injuries, Gronk still managed 918 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns in 14 total games last season for the Bucs. He would also be the first non-Travis Kelce tight end to be an active threat as both a blocker and receiver in a very long time.

It’s very unlikely to happen, as it seems that it’s Tampa Bay or retirement for him, but Gronk could be a signing that could change the way the Chiefs run their offense this season. He wouldn’t be an average backup but he would still undoubtedly be the TE2 in Kansas City. Gronk and Kelce are arguably the best two tight ends this generation, and even if one or both are past their prime, it would still be crazy to have both on the same team.

Home/Kansas City Chiefs Free Agency