What does Charles Omenihu signing provide for Chiefs defense?

Free agency is such an interesting time on the NFL calendar. On the one hand, it’s a frenzy of headlines and transactions that excite or frustrate the fan base with so many players going to and fro—piling up the gains and losses six months from any sort of actual impact. On the other hand, even casual fans know that the teams that “win” the offseason rarely play out as expected.

That’s because free agents all come with questions. Elite players are never made available, and those on the market have obvious questions or concerns. They might be aging. They could be coming off of an injury. Perhaps they were a source of division and drama. No matter what it is, there’s a reason why they’ve been made available in the first place.

So what does that mean for Charles Omenihu? The Kansas City Chiefs made him their second major score of the offseason after signing Jawaan Taylor to play left tackle. Omenihu adds serious muscle on the other side as a situational pass rusher with considerable power and strength.

So what should Chiefs fans think of Omenihu as an incoming player? We asked our friend and San Francisco 49ers expert Peter Panacy, editor of Niner Noise, to tell us what to expect from Charles Omenihu and why his former team didn’t retain him.

What were your expectations heading into the offseason in terms of Omenihu’s pending free agency and the sort of contract he might demand?

Charles Omenihu turned into a valuable rotational piece for the Niners defense last year, and that kind of effort can typically result in an annual average of $6 million for a new contract. Especially with him coming off a career-best 4.5 sacks and being asked to spot-start late in the season. No matter what, pass-rushers are always in demand, and even second- or third-tier ones can command a good deal of money.

Why didn’t the Niners re-sign him?

I’m guessing Omenihu priced himself out of San Francisco’s comfort range, and general manager John Lynch had other, more-pressing needs elsewhere. Plus, the 49ers have somehow managed to recycle castoff defensive linemen and turn them into quality players. Omenihu was relatively unknown during his time with the Houston Texans, and he had a nice boost with the Niners. EDGE Arden Key before him, and defensive end Kerry Hyder before that.

None of those players commanded big investments from the Niners after hitting free agency, so Omenihu departing isn’t a huge surprise. There’ll be someone else on the depth chart to replace him.

Omenihu profiled as a situational pass rusher, but do you believe there is room for him to grow into a three-down starter at end? Why or why not?

We can always go with the positive outlook and suggest he can be a true three-down defender by improving his run defense. He’ll turn 26 years old this offseason, so he can still grow in that regard.

That said, Omenihu isn’t quite an edge setter and wasn’t particularly great for San Francisco against the run last season. His snap counts were skewed largely toward pass-only situations, but it’s important to note the 49ers used a wide-9 defensive alignment that might not have suited Omenihu’s run-stopping abilities.

Anything else you think Chiefs fans should know about Omenihu?

There were some legal question marks regarding Omenihu, and he was arrested just before the NFC Championship game. Nothing more than that, but it’s something to note.

Other than that, though, he’s a quality rotational pass-rusher, and good defenses can never have too many of those. You’re probably looking at four to five sacks from him over the course of a regular season, and that number holds value.