Chiefs should go after Yannick Ngakoue if their main free agency plan fails
It wouldn’t be a bad pan for the Chiefs if they want to get back to glory in 2023.
The Kansas City Chiefs have several plans going into the 2023 free agency period. They would like to get a long-term deal done with Orlando Brown Jr., locking him up as their left tackle of the future.
But, the two sides couldn't come to an agreement, so, they will continue to see how things pan out. This free agency class isn't incredibly deep with left tackles. In fact, Brown Jr. is by far the best one, even after his down year in 2022.
The other position they need, or position group, is edge rusher. They have George Karlaftis, but Frank Clark and Carlos Dunlap are both free agents now. They would like to make that pass rush better, and most people think they will do that through the draft, but here is the thing:
This year's free agency class has far more pass rushers available, good ones than it does left tackles. Most think the Chiefs were going to use their first-round pick on an edge rusher, but, what if they didn't?
What if they went edge rusher in free agency, if the Brown Jr. deal falls through, and go left tackle with the first pick they have in the draft? They could grab someone like Anton Harrison from Oklahoma, a trend they have been on the last few years, and then grab a guy like Yannick Ngakoue as their pass rusher to pair with Karlaftis.
Ngakoue spent the last season with the Colts and has jumped around quite a bit. He has been with Jacksonville, Minnesota, Baltimore, Las Vegas, and Indianapolis last year, of course. So, maybe he is looking for a long-term deal, to finally settle down.
While he has jumped around, he has produced with every team he has been with. Last season he finished with 9.5 sacks, and the year before he had 10 sacks with the Raiders. Since 2016, he has accumulated 65 career sacks, which is more than Frank Clark, who has been in the league a year longer.
According to Spotrac, the seventh-year pass rusher has an annual market value of $14.8 million a year. The Chiefs currently have a little over $15 million in cap space, but could easily get that number up with some roster restructures.
It may not sound like the best plan, but it may end up being the only plan the Chiefs can do.
