Three veteran free agents the Chiefs should monitor
These three free agents could help bolster the Chiefs' shallowest positions on the defensive side of the ball.
The Kansas City Chiefs are officially three days into padded training camp practices for the 2025 season. We’ve all been hammering the refresh button on our social media sites trying to find the next Joshua Simmons clip, Rashee Rice catch, or to check in on what the plan could be for newly acquired Jaylon Moore. Just like every training camp, there is no shortage of “must-see” stories and things to get hyped about for the upcoming season.
The thing about all those highs is they come with some lows, or rather opportunities that could be improved upon for the upcoming season. Not every part of a team is going to be perfect — even in practice — and training camp is our first chance to see where that improvement could be most beneficial.
Now that we are a week into the Chiefs’ training camp and three days with the pads thumping, it seems like the right time to start looking at the position groups that some outside assistance could help bolster the unit. For that potential help, let’s take a dive into the veteran free agent pool and see if we can find some players available that could help out during the 2025 season.
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Where the Chiefs could look to improve
It’s still early in camp, so there is plenty to learn but the position group that has appeared to produce the least amount of hype has been the cornerback room. It’s slightly unfair because they aren’t at full health with Kristian Fulton unable to participate but there’s no guarantee he plays a full season anyway. In his place, the Chiefs have gone back to the well of Trent McDuffie outside, Chamarri Conner in the slot, and Jaylen Watson and Nazeeh Johnson rotation as the other outside corner.
This isn’t to say there isn’t a chance that unit can be good this upcoming season but there are enough questions to feel uneasy about that rotation after seeing multiple seasons from those players. Another corner that could potentially push McDuffie back in the slot could go a long way in shoring up the middle of the defense in coverage.
The other position group that could be considered for some improvement is the defensive tackle position. Unlike corner, there have been some highs from the defensive tackle spot but the room remains rather thin. After Chris Jones and Mike Pennel, the next two guys up are rookie Omarr Norman-Lott — who is already practicing through an ankle injury — and Jerry Tillery, both with their first season on the team. Another veteran with some more experience and preferably some chops for stuffing the run could be something to keep an eye out for.
The question remains, who could those additions be?
Christian Wilkins | Defensive Tackle
Why he makes sense: Christian Wilkins was recently released by the Las Vegas Raiders, making him easily one of the biggest available free agents in late July in recent memory. He just signed a 4-year, $110M contract last off-season and was reasonably considered a top 10 defensive tackle in the NFL.