Chiefs Best Free Agent Pickups In The Andy Reid Era
By Ken Coltharp
As we are getting right into the thick of the free-agency season, there is a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air. DeAndre Hopkins is the shiny new toy that Chiefs Kingdom covets and there is a clear opening in the wide receiver room where he will fit right in.
There is a brand-new tackle in Jawann Taylor who is the heir-apparent to the recently-vacated left tackle spot thanks to the departure of Orlando Brown Jr. Hope springs eternal during the free agency season and the Chiefs are no strangers to it.
The Chiefs during the Andy Reid era may not be as active with the big swings that some teams are wanton to do, but there have been several lowkey pickups that have led to the summit upon which Kansas City currently sits.
KC Chiefs’ best free-agent deals during the Andy Reid era: SS Ron Parker
2013 (waiver pick up), 2015 (Five years/$30 million)
Coming into the 2013 season, Ron Parker was a cornerback that had already been on three separate teams’ practice squads. He had just been cut for the second time from Seattle when Kansas City picked him up on Sept. 1.
Parker made the team as a fifth cornerback and appeared in all 16 games that season after only appearing in ten games the previous two years combined. The 2014 season was a breakout for Parker after he was moved to free safety alongside Eric Berry and Hussain Abdullah.
After signing a 5 year, $30 million deal as an unrestricted free agent in 2015, Parker became a key piece of the Chiefs’ secondary. He was a starter for 77 games as a Chief and only missed two games, racking up 394 tackles, 11 picks, and eight sacks.
Parker was an old-school type of safety who could make plays all over the field. While his pass defense was sometimes suspect, Parker was a crucial component in bringing the Chiefs back to respectability during the Andy Reid era.