Everything to know about Chiefs' free agency | KCSN Daily 3.10
Plus latest KCSN podcasts, 2023 draft picks and more Chiefs news.
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Free agency will technically get underway on Monday, March 13 beginning at Noon ET, when the NFL’s legal tampering period begins. Representation for players who haven’t been extended and are set to become unrestricted free agents can officially be contacted by NFL clubs. Teams can agree to terms with free agents and officially execute deals without the risk of being fined for violations of the NFL’s tampering policy.
Restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents cannot be contacted at this time. They’ll have to wait until the official start of free agency on March 15 at 4:00 p.m. ET, but they’ll only be able to participate in free agency if they’re not tendered contract offers by their respective teams.
All NFL teams must be salary cap compliant by 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 15 as well. That means that a team’s 51 highest-paying contracts must come in under the $224.8 million salary cap total for the 2023 NFL season. That won’t be a problem for the Chiefs, as they are currently projected to have $17.8 million in salary cap space for 2023 after releasing DE Frank Clark.
KC Laboratory - Kansas City Chiefs 2023 NFL free agency primer
KCSN’s Kent Swanson, Matt Lane and Craig Stout preview the 2023 NFL free agency class and discuss some players that the Kansas City Chiefs may want to take a look at once the legal tampering and FA periods officially begin next week.
Chiefs pending free agents:
Unrestricted:
LT Orlando Brown Jr.
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
WR Mecole Hardman
S Juan Thornhill
DT Khalen Saunders
EDGE Carlos Dunlap
RT Andrew Wylie
OL Nick Allegretti
DT Derrick Nnadi
QB Chad Henne (retired)
RB Jerick McKinnon
RB Ronald Jones
FB Michael Burton
TE Blake Bell
S Deon Bush
DT Brandon Williams
WR Justin Watson
Restricted:
DT Tershawn Wharton
P Tommy Townsend
LB Darius Harris
Exclusive Rights:
OT Prince Tega Wanogho
QB Shane Buechele
TE Jody Fortson
Street:
DE Frank Clark
TE Jordan Franks
RB Melvin Gordon
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Matt Lane - Chiefs Free Agency Primer: 10 Names to Watch
Compensatory draft picks revealed, Chiefs now have 10 picks in 2023 NFL draft:
Kent asked for it, and the NFL delivered. The Chiefs were awarded three compensatory picks in the 2023 NFL draft, though they’d already traded away one of those picks to the New York Giants to acquire Kadarius Toney last season.
In total, the Chiefs now have the following 10 picks in the 2023 NFL draft:
Round 1, Pick 31
Round 2, Pick 63
Round 3, Pick 95
Round 4, Pick 122 (via MIA for Tyreek Hill)
Round 4, Pick 134
Round 5, Pick 166
Round 6, Pick 178 (From CHI via MIA for Tyreek Hill)
Round 6, Pick 217 (Compensatory Pick)
Round 7, Pick 249
Round 7, Pick 250 (Compensatory Pick)
You’ll notice, the Chiefs were not awarded a conditional draft pick attached to the Rashad Fenton trade. The team also has the top pick in Round 6 as part of the Tyreek Hill trade, which wasn’t previously projected to Kansas City.
Appalachian State QB Chase Brice | 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Appalachian State quarterback Chase Brice sat down with KC Sports Network to talk about his game and the pre-draft process at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Quick Hits:
From NFL Network: The Chiefs are tendering RFA P Tommy Townsend with the lowest possible tender, meaning they’d receive no compensation if a team signed him to an offer sheet.
From the Chiefs: Otis Taylor has passed away at 80 years old after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Read more about Taylor and his play here.
From Aaron Wilson: Stephen F. Austin EDGE rusher B.J. Thompson is heading to Kansas City for a top-30 visit. East-West Shrine Bowl director Eric Galko spoke to Kent Swanson and Matt Lane about Thompson.
From CBS Sports: The Chiefs were among the teams in attendance at Odell Beckham Jr.’s workout on Friday. The team reportedly had some level of interest in the free agent wide receiver last season as he dealt with the recovery from a knee injury in Super Bowl LVI.
Important dates:
March 7-April 19: Top 30 visits can now take place along with video or telephone interviews with draft-eligible players.
March 13-15: NFL’s legal tampering period begins.
March 15: New league year begins at 4:00 p.m. ET. 2023 NFL free agency and trading period open. The top 51 rule is now in effect.
March 26-29: Annual League Meeting.
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