Signing Tyler Boyd makes some sense for KC Chiefs in wake of recent events

Following the L'Jarius Sneed trade that was finalized this last week, the Kansas City Chiefs now have a lot more cap space with Sneed's franchise tag number coming off the books

Sneed was due $19.8 million on the franchise tag for 2024, but with him now officially being a Tennessee Titan, the Chiefs have over $20 million in cap space that will allow them to make some smaller signings before and after the draft.

A couple of names that it would appear Kansas City would pivot to with this money are some of their own free agents such as defensive end Mike Danna and left tackle Donovan Smith. We also saw Kansas City agree to terms with backup quarterback Carson Wentz and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire on one-year deals so moves are already starting to happen.

Even though the Chiefs already signed veteran wide receiver Hollywood Brown this offseason, many of us would still like to see the team bring in another veteran to solidify the depth of the position and bring in yet another reliable target for Mahomes.

Per the Athletic, the Chiefs have mutual interest with a free agent at the posiiton: former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd. 

Tyler Boyd would fit just fine with KC Chiefs

There are still plenty of viable free agent receivers out there for Kansas City to sign, but one in particular that makes a bit of sense is Boyd. While Boyd is a little bit older than some may realize (29), the team wouldn't be on the hook for more than a year or two. The fact of the matter is, at this point in free agency, if a player is still available, then he's probably not getting that multi-year deal.

In Boyd's case, it would be smart to take a little bit less like Brown did to play with Patrick Mahomes for a chance at winning a Super Bowl and then hope to earn a better payday next offseason.

Boyd has been extremely consistent throughout his NFL career as he's caught over 500 passes for 6,000 yards and 31 TDs. While some will point out that his numbers have been on a steady decline over the last few years, he's also been asked to be the No. 3 wide receiver at most since the team drafted Ja'Marr Chase a few years ago. Also, he wouldn't be coming to Kansas City to be any more than the third option at wide receiver anyway.

The one true pushback to signing Boyd is that he's almost exclusively a slot receiver and that creates an awkward fit with Rashee Rice on the roster because Rice thrives in the slot. Of course, with the developments over the holiday weekend involving Rashee Rice, all of a sudden a signing like this becomes more realistic.

If Rice is suspended by the NFL for any length of time, the Chiefs are going to want someone who can fill in there. Boyd can do that. Not only that, but if Rice continues to expand his role on the outside, then Boyd can co-exist with Rice within the Chiefs' offense.

We saw what happened last year when it initially looked like Kansas City had a lot of depth at wide receiver in the preseason and then things didn't work out. By mid-season, they were trying everything they possibly could to give the team a chance to win games. A good way to prevent that would be to cut your losses and bring in as many quality receivers as possible. Boyd would be another quality wide receiver to add to the mix.