In a surprising move, the Indianapolis Colts have released starting CB Pierre Desir according to a number of reports. As the 2020 free agency period continues, there could be mutual interest in a deal that brings Desir to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Brett Veach has placed an emphasis on retaining as many players from the Super Bowl LIV team as possible. Bashaud Breeland is still out there and available, but if they’re unable to retain him, Desir might be the next best thing.
Desir grew up in Cottleville, Missouri after emigrating from Haiti at a young age. He went to college at Washburn in Topeka, Kansas but eventually transferred to Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri to be closer to his family. Desir still has strong ties to the area, donating 20,000 meals to the St. Louis food bank this past week.
In 2019, Desir missed four games due to injury but had 50 tackles, 11 passes defended and 3 interceptions on the season. The 30-year-old still has plenty of good football left ahead of him. Desir’s connections to Missouri could make him an easy sell to join the Chiefs. Not to mention, his release prevents him from counting toward the compensatory pick formula, which is important for Kansas City.
The Colts signed Desir to a 3-year contract worth $25 million last March. He had a $3 million guarantee for the 2020 season that would have triggered on March 22, which prompted his release. Look for Desir to recoup that amount in his next contract.
It’s well-known that the Chiefs are hard-pressed for salary cap space, but the fact that they were in on a long-term deal for Andrus Peat tells us they have more cap flexibility. This type of move could provide an opportunity for the team to truly stick to the best player available strategy in the 2020 NFL draft.
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