If I were Brett Veach, Part 3: Free agency

How I'd reload the Chiefs roster for 2023 in free agency if I were Brett Veach.

Talking about the offseason is always fun, especially after a Super Bowl win (isn’t it a marvelous thing to know that, Chiefs fans?). And that means it’s time for our annual offseason tradition in which I put myself in the shoes of the Chiefs’ general manager and lay out how I’d handle each step of the way. It’s time for “If I were Brett Veach.”

The offseason is such a terrific time to start dreaming of a brighter future when you’re an NFL fan, regardless of how the previous season ended. Optimism begins to flow, and dreams of a new (and different) future abound.

You know what’s even better? An offseason after a Super Bowl win. Every proposed move is started with a “since they are SUPER BOWL CHAMPS” and is followed up with “and that should help them REPEAT AS SUPER BOWL CHAMPS.” It’s quite nice.

In either event, getting to participate in the (hypothetical) molding/shaping of one’s team is a big part of the fun in sports fandom. And so, every offseason, I write a series about what I would do if I were Chiefs general manager Brett Veach. In part 1 of this year’s series, I broke down how I’d free up some cap space for the Chiefs. In part 2, I walked through in-house free agents I’d let walk or try to retain.

Now, we’re at where the rubber REALLY hits the road, as free agency is set to begin. We get to play matchmaker for our favorite team, and with Orlando Brown (whose 2022 film review you can find here), Juju Smith-Schuster (his film review is here), Juan Thornhill and others hitting the market the Chiefs have some holes to fill. The good news is they’ve got a little flexibility to play around with as long as they’re smart with how they proceed.

Let’s look at some of the things I would look at doing in free agency if I were Veach. I’ll work through it by looking at a few different options at various position groups the Chiefs should address, starting with my favorite option at each. Let’s have some fun and make Kansas City better in our hypothetical world.