This free agency period has been a wild ride for NFL teams.
The COVID-19 pandemic has team facilities on lockdown, so players are unable to visit their new teams for physicals, contract signing, media sessions and the whole nine yards. It has presented some challenges, but for the most part, things have been as active as ever.
USA Today’s Nate Davis recently graded all 32 NFL teams based on their activity during the 2020 free agency period. Kansas City received a B- along with two other teams. There were 16 teams that received better grades including two teams in the AFC West, the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos.
Here’s a look at what Davis had to say about the Chiefs:
“Not much to see here. DT Chris Jones was given the franchise tag, allowing the champs to keep their most important free agent. DB Kendall Fuller went back to Washington while several bottom-of-the-roster players were re-signed. But with virtually no cap room, K.C. will be challenged to lock Patrick Mahomes into an extension – one that will doubtless reset the quarterback market – any time soon.”
Frankly, the Chiefs still have a fifth-year option and two franchise tags to utilize before signing him if they so choose to go that route. It’s clear from the comments of Brett Veach and Clark Hunt that the team isn’t in a hurry to sign Mahomes. That’s not to say it won’t get a long-term deal in Kansas City, that’ll happen as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow. The team is simply looking to maximize their window before backing up the brinks truck.
If we’re basing this grade purely on the teams’ inability to sign Mahomes this offseason, we’re doing a bad job of reading the tea leaves. What we should be looking about are the moves the Chiefs have made with a minute amount of cap space. They managed to upgrade a gunner on special teams and add a four-position offensive lineman. They kept a plethora of key contributors including Chris Jones, Mike Pennel, Damien Wilson and Damien Williams. I think they deserve some more effusive praise than, “Not much to see here.”