The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off of back-to-back Super Bowl championships and are looking to become the first team in the history of the Super Bowl era to three-peat. With Patrick Mahomes under center, anything is possible.
Heck, it might even be surprising if the Chiefs don't end up winning another title next season so long as they remain healthy. But just because they have been largely dominant over the last five years does not mean they are infallible.
Even in 2023, Kansas City clearly had some holes. The team had obvious issues at wide receiver, which resulted in Mahomes actually having what was probably the worst regular season of his NFL career as a starter. Their backfield also lacked depth, although Isiah Pacheco was solid.
There was even a stretch during the regular season when the Chiefs went just 3-5, and it looked like teams like the Baltimore Ravens and possibly even the Buffalo Bills were going to end up surpassing them. That did not happen, as Kansas City rolled through the AFC playoffs and defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs made some interesting additions this offseason, such as signing former Arizona Cardinals wide out Marquise Brown in free agency and selecting University of Texas receiver Xavier Worthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Still, Kansas City could stand to make some more moves heading into training camp and, eventually, the regular season.
Fortunately, there are still some free agents available for the Chiefs to sign. Here are three names Kansas City should consider.
David Bakhtiari – offensive tackle
The Chiefs have opted not to re-sign Donovan Smith this offseason, leaving a rather significant hole on the left side of the offensive line. Kansas City does have Wanya Morris, but the franchise does not seem sold on him as the starting left tackle.
One name that has been linked to the Chiefs is former Green Bay Packers star David Bakhtiari.
Now, we don't actually know if Andy Reid and Co. are interested in Bakhtiari. It really has been mostly fan and media conjecture by this point, but the fit absolutely makes sense. Bakhtiari is a seasoned veteran and surely wants to join a contender. Kansas City needs a left tackle. Seems like a match made in heaven.
Of course, this is not the same Bakhtiari from his prime days with the Packers.
Bakhtiari missed all but one game in 2023 due to a knee injury, and he has played in a grand total of 13 games the past three seasons altogether. He has also not played a full season since 2019, although he made the Pro Bowl and earned a First-Team All-Pro selection in spite of appearing in just 12 contests in 2020.
There is no doubt that Bakhtiari is one of the top offensive linemen in the game when healthy, but that's just the thing. He is rarely healthy these days, which is why Green Bay released him earlier this offseason. It's also a significant reason why he is still available in free agency.
But do the Chiefs really have anything to lose here?
Kansas City is on a quest for history. Mahomes is chasing Tom Brady. Reid is hunting down Bill Belichick. In order to make that dream a reality, the Chiefs need to have all of their bases covered, and left tackle is a pretty big base. It's Mahomes' blind side, after all.
Bakhtiari can almost surely be had on a cheap one-year deal, and it would be wise for Kansas City to consider adding him as training camp approaches.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling – wide receiver
When the Chiefs added the aforementioned Brown in free agency, it looked like their depth issue at wide receiver was solved. Then, Rashee Rice went and got himself involved in some pretty serious legal issues, essentially bringing Kansas City back to square one at the position.
The Chiefs did pick up Worthy in the draft, and many feel that he was one of the best picks of the class. That being said, regardless of how much of a steal he may have been in the late first round, he is still an incoming rookie. Therefore, he is unproven.
With Rice potentially facing a lengthy suspension, Brown may be the only dependable wide out Mahomes has at his disposal for much of 2024. That's why it would really benefit Kansas City to bring back old reliable in Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Valdes-Scantling certainly isn't a No. 1 guy. He isn't really a No. 2, either. But, he has played a rather significant role in helping the Chiefs win back-to-back Super Bowls, making some big catches in the playoffs. He also caught 42 passes for 687 yards and a couple of touchdowns during the 2022 regular season.
With veterans like Tyler Boyd, DJ Chark and Odell Beckham Jr. now off the board, Kansas City doesn't really have many other options. Michael Thomas is out there, but his injury history has to scare the Chiefs. You also have Hunter Renfrow, but he hasn't been good since 2021.
Considering that the receiver crop in free agency is very thin, Kansas City may be best served just going with someone they know in Valdes-Scantling. Mahomes trusts him, and he has proven he can perform on the big stage.
Xavien Howard – cornerback
The Chiefs had a very tough decision to make back in March. Do they keep L'Jarius Sneed? Or do they avoid the potential financial headache and trade him?
Ultimately, Kansas City chose the latter. They knew they had to reserve money to re-sign superstar defensive lineman Chris Jones long-term, and unless they wanted to completely sap their resources, they couldn't afford to pay both Jones and Sneed for the long haul.
As a result, Kansas City traded Sneed to the Tennessee Titans, and while they still have Trent McDuffie at the other cornerback spot, they could probably use some depth and insurance. It's hard to imagine the Chiefs trust Joshua Williams that much opposite of McDuffie.
They may find a solution in Xavien Howard.
Howard was released by the Miami Dolphins earlier this offseason after a rather underwhelming 2023 campaign in which he registered 45 tackles, an interception and 12 passes defended in 13 games. It's not that he was bad, but there was a clear drop off in his production, and he had some injury issues.
However, Howard is an experienced veteran who has put together four Pro Bowl seasons, including three straight between 2020 and 2022. Had it not been for injuries limiting him to five games in 2019, he may have made five consecutive trips.
The 30-year-old has led the NFL in interceptions twice, most recently doing so in 2020 when he racked up 10 of them. His ball-hawking skills have certainly dipped the last two seasons, as he has amassed a total of just two picks in 2022 and 2023. But we know that he has it in him.
Howard is definitely looking to land with a contender. Some have speculated that the Baltimore Ravens would represent a good landing spot for Howard, but why not the Chiefs? A duo of McDuffie and Howard would be pretty impressive.
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