The Kansas City Chiefs set the bar so high for themselves that anything other than a Super Bowl would be considered a disappointment. That's exactly what happened when they fell 31-9 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.
It is important that the Chiefs not have a knee-jerk reaction to this setback and blow the core up. Kansas City still featured one of the most well-rounded rosters in the league and will continue to be loaded moving forward. Patrick Mahomes is the best young quarterback around and is on a massive long-term contract. Mahomes has All-Pro weapons in wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce. While their defense lags behind the offense, they have playmakers in defensive linemen Frank Clark and Chris Jones, as well as safety Tyrann Mathieu. This is a team that mostly just needs to run it back to have another shot at the Lombardi Trophy.
Had the Chiefs' key offensive linemen been healthy for the big game, the score would have been different. Also, it would have helped if Mahomes threw more short passes.
The front office will still have to make some difficult choices as they are currently projected at $25,792,376 over the salary cap. Free agents from teams that make the Super Bowl often get scooped up by other teams.
With that said, here are two free agents the Kansas City Chiefs would be better off not signing.
Nelson Agholor, WR
We already discussed how Mahomes has Hill and Kelce, but there will be times when those two guys are going to get double-teamed. Opposing defenses can choose to be hurt by the other complementary receivers. These wideouts need to be counted on to make key catches and keep the chains moving. Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson will be hitting free agency, and there is a chance they won't be returning to the team.
There's an adage in boxing that says, “You're only as good as your last fight.” If this were true in the NFL, then teams should scramble to secure Agholor's services. He played in 16 games last season and had 896 receiving yards and tied his career high of eight touchdowns. If he produced those numbers with Derek Carr throwing the ball, imagine what he could do with Mahomes' deep bombs.
Oddly enough, if Agholor signs with the Chiefs, he would see some similarities with his last team, the Las Vegas Raiders. Las Vegas has one of the fastest players in the league with Henry Ruggs and a physical, pass-catching tight end in Darren Waller.
Even with his impressive outing, Agholor's cap hit wouldn't be too painful. The biggest concern with him, though, is that his production might be an outlier. The closest he has ever come to matching his 2020 numbers was during the 2017 season, when he had 768 yards. Agholor also has a terrible reputation for dropping passes.
Acquiring Agholor would be a boom-or-bust move for the Chiefs, and they might be more interested in signing a more consistent player, even if it means having a slightly lower ceiling.
J.J. Watt, DE
Regardless of the sport, Watt is just one of those future Hall of Famers who “deserves” a ring. He was an elite defender for so long and with the same team that it would give fans a warm, fuzzy feeling if he gets to add Super Bowl winner to his impressive resume. Injuries and the rigor of a decade in the NFL have taken their toll on Watt as he no longer a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber player.
Nonetheless, Watt would bolster any team he lands on. He can still get to the quarterback and is solid against the run.
A front seven that includes, Clark, Jones, and Watt would add another dimension to what is already a buzzsaw of a team. Watt is also a high-character player and would provide veteran leadership to the locker room.
The two hurdles in signing Watt are health and money. The defensive end managed to play in 16 games last season, which was great. However, in the 2016, 2017, and 2019 seasons, he played a combined 16 contests due to various injuries. For a team with a wide-open Super Bowl window, it is extremely risky putting considerable resources in a player who might not even reach the playoffs at 100%.
After not even being able to sniff a Super Bowl with the Houston Texans, Watt is looking to sign with a contender. In this regard, Kansas City is a perfect match. He does not exactly fit the mold as a ring-chasing veteran who is well past one's prime, though. Watt will most likely still command a salary of at least $15,000,000. This amount is not too exorbitant, but for contending teams prioritizing keeping their rosters intact, it might just be too prohibitive.
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