It’s just one week since the end of the NFL season, but it is never too early to look at what internal moves the Kansas City Chiefs can make this offseason.
The Kansas City Chiefs season ended last Sunday, and it was not in the fashion they or anyone else had imagined. While the team has certainly not forgotten about coming up short in the big game, it is certain that General Manager Brett Veach has already started to navigate how the Chiefs will operate headed into this offseason.
This team has been a win from within team since Andy Reid got to town so it would make sense that they will look to take care of a few of their own guys, but also have to make a few tough decisions regarding players on the current roster.
Extend: Derrick Nnadi
Nnadi has been an unsung hero for the Chiefs since he got to KC in 2018, and he is a player who Veach should look to take care of this offseason. The former third-round draft pick has anchored the Chiefs defensive line the past three seasons and has yet to miss a game. He may not have glamorous stats but his presence on the field has been felt in almost every game he has played in.
When Nnadi got to Kansas City the Chiefs ranked near last in run defense, but since that time they have found ways to beat the run and Nnadi has been at the front of those stops. Stout yet nimble Nnadi can take on double teams and shake them to make stops.
A quality nose tackle is one of the most difficult positions in the NFL to find, and the Chiefs have been fortunate to have Nnadi on a rookie contract these past few seasons. Veach should reward him with a new deal, and Nnadi isn’t a free agent till 2022, but no time like the present to keep him in the organization. A four-year deal worth up to $16 million dollars would be a great investment for a key cog in the Chiefs defensive line, as well as for one who will only be 25 years old when next season kicks off.
Resign: Bashuad Breeland
This move makes sense for several reasons, the most obvious that Breeland played very well in 2020, and the Chiefs will still have a need for an outside cornerback this offseason. This also has more to do with the Chiefs needing to be able to target players at other positions in the draft and in free agency to help improve the roster overall, but also to retain a player who excelled in his second year in Steve Spagnuolo’s system.
Breeland was clutch all year and helped shut down some of the best wideouts in the game. He had a huge impact on the team for only being on a one million dollar contract. This time around the Chiefs should still give him a one-year deal, but up the guranteed money to two million and then let Breeland work his way to four million with incentives.
The team knows what they will get with Breeland, but by locking down the secondary it will allow them to first focus on drafting offensive linemen, signing free agent wideouts, and give themselves more time to look for Breeland’s potential replacement in a year or so. He still has football left in him so why not bring him back for another run at a Lombardi.
Cut: Eric Fisher
This pains me to type this, but it must be done. Eric Fisher has been a Chief through and through and will end up in the ring of honor one day, but his time in Kansas City is over. It’s a rough game, but cruel reality. Fisher will be due over $11 million dollars in 2021, and he will likely not take a snap due to an Achilles injury suffered in the AFCCG.
His presence was missed in Super Bowl LV, but this is not a story of redemption. This is a story of a team that must win now and must do whatever they can to win now, and by releasing Fisher before June 1st, they can save nearly all $11 million of Fisher’s contract and be able to use it to help bring in new talent.
This will mean the Chiefs will have to have a day one ready to go left tackle in either Lucas Niang, but what makes this decision even more important is that right tackle Mitchell Schwartz’s status for 2021 is still up in the air. It’s a tough one, but it seems more likely Schwartz will be able to return in 2021 than Fisher so it’s a gamble Veach will have to make.
The allure of bringing in a wide receiver like Allen Robinson, or even interior offensive linemen like Joe Thuney is too much for the Veach to pass up. This will make drafting a replacement at tackle much more important because even if Lucas Niang can play the left side of the line this would likely be Schwartz’s last season in KC as well.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown and Veach has plenty of weight on his back headed into this offseason.
Great piece!!