The Kansas City Chiefs are trying their hardest to repeat as Super Bowl champions come Sunday, and Patrick Mahomes and his group aim to be the first team to do so since Tom Brady's New England Patriots in 2004-05.
The Chiefs are going to be contenders in the league for a long time, especially with Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce not going away anytime soon. While Kansas City doesn't have many holes on its roster, free agency is always a time to improve the team.
The cap space is an issue for the Chiefs, so some cuts might open up a bit more space before the free agency madness begins, but as of now here are a few early free agent targets for Kansas City.
3. WR John Ross
A wide receiver who only has a career 51 catches in 24 games through three years in the league might not make a lot of sense, but just imagine the duo of Hill and Ross, two of the fastest players in the league, with the arm strength of Mahomes.
Demarcus Robinson and Sammy Watkins will hit the open market and will more than likely be playing elsewhere, so some added depth at the receiver position would be beneficial.
Wow, just before the half John Ross scores on a 55-yard touchdown catch.
Ross is alive under Zac Taylor. Has 108 yards. His career high previously was 52.#Seahawks should go to halftime with the lead, 17-14.pic.twitter.com/qxbgCbIxTA
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 8, 2019
Ross has battled injuries amid his young career as a Cincinnati Bengal, but he showed flashes of his college self in 2019, finishing with 506 yards. His rookie year was up and down, but he did have seven touchdowns in 2018, more than any other year, and in 2020 he only appeared in three games and caught two balls.
Ross would come extremely cheap on a prove-it deal, and if he pans out like everybody thought he would coming out of the draft the Chiefs will look like geniuses and Mahomes will have another speedy option who can catch passes downfield.
2. CB Patrick Peterson
A veteran corner who is searching and hoping for a Super Bowl ring and both sides would be ecstatic to make this work out. Of course, Peterson isn't the shutdown corner he once was, but he can provide solid depth and mentor some of the younger guys on this Chiefs defense.
Charvarius Ward and Rashad Fenton have done a nice job so far and Bashaud Breeland has also done a decent job for this Chiefs cornerback group, but adding a guy like Peterson would be a huge boost especially considering that Breeland might test the free-agent market in the offseason.
Peterson has played in every game in nine of his 10 seasons as a member of the Arizona Cardinals and adding a future Hall of Fame player to mentor the young guys would be terrific for the Chiefs.
He got burned quite a few times in 2020, but a change of scenery might do him well, especially after he requested a trade during the 2019 season.
Josh Allen gets picked off by veteran Patrick Petersonpic.twitter.com/OfbFMDGWiU
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 15, 2020
Although he's not the player he once was, he won't need to be with this Chiefs defense. He just needs to come in, be healthy, and provide depth and be a mentor to this young secondary as the Chiefs look to stay put in the Super Bowl race in 2021 and beyond.
1. C Austin Reiter
The Chiefs have a lot of free agents of their own to decide between, and bringing back Reiter should be priority No. 1 as they hoped to keep the continuity of the offense in place going forward.
Reiter's been with the Chiefs for three years and has been a huge factor on that offensive line as they try and protect the richest man in the NFL in Mahomes. He spent two years in Cleveland before coming to Kansas City, and he started every game in the 2019 year on their run to the Super Bowl.
Austin Reiter has quietly been an anchor for our o-line 🤫👀🚢 #ChiefsKingdom | @ReitErDie78 pic.twitter.com/PgDviULZ03
— Chiefs Focus (@ChiefsFocus) October 5, 2019
He turns 29 years old in November and would probably be a much cheaper option than somebody like David Andrews, and with the limited cap space, the Chiefs have to find creative ways to keep some guys around.
While Reiter hasn't been a Pro Bowl center, he doesn't need to be with the talent around him on the offensive line and the rest of the team in Arrowhead Stadium, and Reiter would more than likely love to stay in Kansas City and keep competing for championships year in and year out.
The former seventh-round pick has turned into a full-time starter for coach Andy Reid and his team, and while this isn't the most attractive signing due to lineman not warranting much attention from the fans, this is necessary to protect Mahomes and keep this offense intact going forward.
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