If I were Brett Veach Part 3: Clearing cap and targeted FA
If I were Brett Veach Part 3: Clearing cap and targeted FA
Now that we know a little more about the Chiefs' plans, I have a few very specific wishes for Veach to fulfill.
One of my favorite things about the NFL offseason is how fluid things are. Every single action (or inaction) results in a domino effect that changes the big picture.
In the days since I wrote Part 1 and Part 2 of the “If I were Brett Veach” series, a fair amount has changed that creates a clearer picture not just of the Chiefs’ roster for 2024, but the league as a whole.
The Chiefs have brought back some guys from last year, particularly on defense. Most notable are Chris Jones, Drue Tranqull, Tershawn Wharton, Mike Pennel, Derrick Nnadi, and Deon Bush. They’ve signed just a couple of notable free agents in Hollywood Brown and Irv Smith Jr. (who is likely TE3 and I MAY get around to writing about given how limited his role will probably be). And of course, some Chief free agents (Willie Gay Jr., Nick Allegretti, Tommy Townsend, and Jody Fortson to name a few) have signed elsewhere, while a plethora of others remain available.
Brown has been the biggest splash signing for the Chiefs, with the speedy WR showing the ability to do a number of things that fit in with Kansas City’s need at the position (you can find an in-depth film review of multiple games from 2023 here).
In the meantime, there’s been plenty of player movement around the league that would take forever to note (Spotrac has a marvelous tool you can use to track free agents and sort them by type, position, and availability). Obviously, the varying availability of free agents affects the most logical course for the Chiefs moving forward, as certain guys the fanbase wanted (like Tyron Smith) are no longer on the market.
It’s also worth noting that per Over The Cap, the Chiefs are sitting at $15.2 million in cap space for 2024, but this does not include the newly-signed Brown (whose deal will eat into more than half of that). They’ve got some contract games they could play to buy more room, of course (and even as I write this at 10:06 a.m. on 3/18, news could drop at any moment), but the money isn’t exactly super free at the moment.
The glaring issue is that the Chiefs continue to be in a holding pattern with franchise-tagged star CB L’Jarius Sneed, with the latest rumors being that there has been a lot of interest in a trade for Sneed but his contract negotiations with a potential new team has held the process up. If Sneed were to be traded, that would create another $19 million in cap space for Veach to play with.
(UPDATE: As I write this, Adam Schefter told Pat McAfee that the Chiefs and Colts have not had any conversations, which runs counter to reports by Dianna Russini. So… I have no idea what to think)
The short story is that if the Sneed situation remains unresolved (with a trade or an extension that frees up space in 2024), the Chiefs aren’t in a position to make many moves at the moment without playing salary cap games. I personally would be in favor of utilizing a restructure to Joe Thuney or Jawaan Taylor’s deals (or both) to free up space given the holding pattern they’re in with the Sneed talks. Because now that team needs are a bit more clear (along with what free agents can probably be had at a more reasonable price), it may make sense to have a targeted approach to shore up weaknesses and get the team ready for the draft.
With all that in mind, I thought it might be fun to write about a few moves that would make sense for the Chiefs if Sneed were traded or they decided to shake a few dollars loose with contract games. After all, while we’re stuck waiting, we might as well have some fun even if it’s obsolete in a day or two!
And so, if I were Brett Veach (and Sneed were traded or a couple bucks shook loose from Thuney/Taylor)…