When the Kansas City Chiefs traded away cornerback Trent McDuffie for draft picks, it wasn't a sign that they were giving up on being good at the position, but rather that they were confident they could find cheaper options to get the job done. There has been plenty of talk about whether the McDuffie trade could make it more likely that they re-sign Jaylen Watson, but Watson's age and play last season will likely demand a big payday of his own. Thankfully for Kansas City, there are likely to be some underrated, cheaper options in this year's free-agent class.
It is certainly possible that the Chiefs look to the draft to find permanent replacements for McDuffie and Watson. In fact, it is probably highly likely that they add at least one cornerback in the draft. But if the Chiefs feel like Nohl Williams' inexperience and Kristian Fulton's injury history make it too dangerous to make their only meaningful additions through the draft, then free agency could have some options that would provide experience and depth without breaking the bank.
This free-agent cornerback class may not have a ton of huge names, but there are plenty of solid NFL starters available. In fact, here are 10 options that the Chiefs could at least test the market on once free agency starts. It is highly likely that a few of these options will get paydays higher than the Chiefs will want to give, but eventually the teams that are desperate for a corner will spend their money and the remaining guys on this list will likely settle for deals that will be much cheaper than what it will cost to re-sign Watson, who is right up there with guys like Jamel Dean, Tariq Woolen, and Alontae Taylor as the top cornerbacks available.
Ten Cornerbacks the Chiefs should consider in Free Agency
Greg Newsome - 25 years old - 6'0" - 192 pounds
Newsome may have been a bust as a first-round pick for the Cleveland Browns, but he's still young enough and has shown enough potential to be worth signing if the price is right. Plus, he has the length that Steve Spagnuolo likes and has also played in the slot some. Brett Veach is known to like a former first-round pick reclamation project.
Eric Stokes - 27 years old - 6'1" - 193 pounds
Another former first-round pick, Stokes was a bust for the Green Bay Packers but really turned things around after getting traded to the Las Vegas Raiders last season. His play last season may have been good enough to price him out of KC's range, but like many on this list, if the big money dries up before he's found a home the Chiefs should be ready to pounce.
Cor'Dale Flott - 24 years old - 6'2" - 175 pounds
At just 24 years old, the former third-round pick of the New York Giants has the length and potential to be a tempting target for the Chiefs. The biggest question with fit for KC is if he is physical enough to play press and be a factor in stopping the run. Still, as the youngest player on this list and given KC's track record of developing players, he is worth a look.
Nashon Wright - 27 years old - 6'4" - 199 pounds
Wright had a breakout season for the Chicago Bears last season with 11 passes defended and five interceptions. He'll certainly be hoping for that to turn into a big payday, but if no team is willing to shell out because they're worried he's a one-year wonder, the Chiefs could swoop in if the price comes down.
Montaric Brown - 26 years old - 6'0" - 190 pounds
Montaric Brown is a former seventh-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars who had his best season last year. If you are a Pro Football Focus fan, Brown had the best PFF coverage grade last year of any player on this list. His 74.0 was actually better than Jaylen Watson's 68.4.
Cobie Durant - 28 years old - 5'11" - 182 pounds
It would be almost cruel of the Chiefs to sign the player whose job Trent McDuffie just took with the Los Angeles Rams and turn him into a much cheaper quality starter, but that's exactly what KC could do if they signed Durant, a former fourth-round pick with the Rams. He isn't flashy, but he's been a quality starter for the past two seasons, and if KC were able to get even more out of him it could be a smart and cost-effective move.
Rasul Douglas - 31 years old - 6'2" - 209 pounds
Rasul Douglas is the oldest player on this list but was a really solid starter last season for the Miami Dolphins. If the Chiefs were looking for a reasonably priced one-year signing to be a reliable veteran while they develop more young players, Douglas could be the perfect fit.
Josh Jobe - 27 years old - 5'11" - 190 pounds
Josh Jobe was undrafted coming out of college and originally spent a couple of seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. When he was released by the Eagles, the Seattle Seahawks signed him, and in his second year with Seattle he developed into a solid starter on a defense that carried the team to a Super Bowl title. Jobe isn't a big name, and with so many free-agent corners in this class he could end up being a value signing.
Jack Jones - 28 years old - 5'11" - 175 pounds
Jack Jones was also a solid starter for the Miami Dolphins last season, starting opposite Rasul Douglas. Jones might not be the best player in coverage on this list, but he did have PFF's highest run-defense grade of all the free-agent corners on this list, and the Chiefs do like corners who aren't afraid to tackle. It would be a big surprise if Jones were very expensive with all the other options available, so he should be an option as a discount signing with plenty of starting experience.
Kader Kohou - 27 years old - 5'10" - 197 pounds
If you aren't familiar with the name Kader Kohou, it might be because he is a former starting slot corner for the Dolphins who missed all of last season with a partially torn ACL. He's also known as a great tackler, and with Nohl Williams and Kristian Fulton as potential starters on the outside, a slot player like Kohou could make a lot of sense. Plus, despite being fully cleared to play recently, his injury last year could keep his price down.
The Kansas City Chiefs should absolutely not overpay for any player on this list. However, if you add the ten players on this list to the group of corners that will likely get sizable contracts like Watson, Woolen, Dean, and Taylor, you are already up to 14 free-agent corners. Then there are former bigger names that have fallen off some like Tre'Davious White, Trevon Diggs, Cam Taylor-Britt, and Asante Samuel Jr. There are just a ton of free-agent corners out there.
With the Chiefs' reputation for getting the most out of corners, there is no reason to spend huge money on any player, even someone as great as Jaylen Watson. That's why they traded Trent McDuffie for picks. The Chiefs should draft one corner at some point in the draft and sign one of these ten players who misses out on the bigger contracts. If you add a rookie and a solid free-agent signing to Williams and Fulton, the Chiefs should be just fine at cornerback next season.