General manager Brett Veach and the Kansas City Chiefs are a long way from rebuilding but are looking to reload at a couple of key positions as the franchise aims to become the first to win three consecutive Super Bowls.
After trading away Pro Bowl cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans, bolstering the secondary could become a point of emphasis as free agency shifts into its second wave and the 2024 NFL Draft looms large.
According to The 33rd Team, adding a veteran presence at cornerback is the biggest remaining item on Veach’s offseason to-do list.
“With Sneed gone,” Dan Pizzuta writes for The 33rd team. “The Chiefs could use another corner. Trent McDuffie is a star, but Kansas City should want an upgrade on the outside. Joshua Williams played well in his limited time on the field last season.
“If there is another position group to watch, it’s the offensive line. 2023 third-round pick Wanya Morris is penciled in as the starting left tackle with Donovan Smith not on the roster. Trey Smith is in the final year of his contract, and the Chiefs could save $15 million by moving on from Jawaan Taylor at the end of the season.”
After trading away Snead, and restructuring Patrick Mahomes‘ contract, the Kansas City Chiefs have approximately $27.4 million in remaining cap space.
Xavien Howard is Perfect CB For Kansas City Chiefs to Target
Veach and the Kansas City Chiefs may earmark a significant amount of remaining cap space to sign Creed Humphrey or Trey Smith to extensions. Still, with significant spending flexibility, there’s little standing in the way of locking those key contributors up long-term and solidifying the secondary in the coming weeks.
If the Chiefs go shopping at the top of the market, there isn’t a better fit available than Xavien Howard.
Howard was released as a cap casualty by the Miami Dolphins, and could be drawn to signing with a team such as Chiefs for the chance to play for a Super Bowl ring.
Last season, Howard, 30, kept opposing wide receivers to just 11.4 yards per reception when they went up against him.
A two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, Howard has produced 331 tackles through the first eight seasons of his career with 29 interceptions and a pair of sacks.
Pairing Howard opposite emerging star Trent McDuffy could produce one of the league’s stingiest cornerback duos as a counterpunch to the elite quarterbacks such as Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson wh could stand in the Chiefs’ way of third consecutive Super Bowl berth.
More must-reads: