Drue Tranquill is pretty happy with his decision to leave the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency to join the Kansas City Chiefs last season. He became a Super Bowl champion in just a year, and he's already champing at the bit for a chance at another.
Speaking to media members on Wednesday to discuss his three-year contract extension, Tranquill was asked about his recruiting pitch to other pending free agents this time of the year. Tranquill evoked a moment during his recruitment last season, while also revealing that he tried to put Brett Veach on to another Los Angeles Chargers player recently.
"I'd tell them to see red and think Super Bowls and it's a pretty good pitch," Tranquill said, referencing the text he received from Andy Reid last year. "In all honesty, I'd think to — this is very, very recent — but I texted Brett Veach like, 'Alohi Gilman.' Man if the Chargers don't bring him back, he's a stud. He's been a teammate of mine since Notre Dame."
The Chargers re-signed Gilman on a two-year contract extension, which Tranquill described as a "smart move." Unfortunately, Veach couldn't reunite Tranquill with his former Notre Dame and LA teammate. Could this come again with other Chargers free agents, though? What about WR Mike Williams, who Los Angeles released on Wednesday to clear salary cap space ahead of the 4:00 p.m. deadline? It's certainly food for thought with another wave of free agency fast approaching.
Tranquill says he hasn't been much on the recruiting trail to get players to join him in Kansas City outside of the text to Veach. He also says there's no need to make a recruiting pitch for players to come to Kansas City — the franchise's reputation speaks for itself.
"I haven't had too much conversation with external free agents, to be honest," Tranquill said. "I've kind of been going through my own process, but there isn't much of a recruiting pitch that needs to be made with Kansas City. Incredible leadership as I talked about earlier from top to bottom. You've got a culture that is a winning culture. It's not about egos or self or guys wanting to get paid, we all want our guys to get paid, but everything in the Chiefs' organization is about winning and it's about hoisting a Lombardi at the end of the season. It starts with Coach (Andy) Reid and his day-to-day leadership. You just go to his word for our team last year, it was united. Everybody working toward one goal. So, I don't think there's much of a sales pitch that needs to be made. I can't think there's a better place to play football in the NFL than in Kansas City."
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