How the Chiefs dodged a big bullet before OTAs start
If there was an award for teams that dodge bullets, the Kansas City Chiefs need two now for the last two seasons. They dodged one when Orlando Brown declined their offer last offseason, as he ended up having his worst season, allowing well over 35 total pressures. Then this offseason they let him walk and […]
If there was an award for teams that dodge bullets, the Kansas City Chiefs need two now for the last two seasons. They dodged one when Orlando Brown declined their offer last offseason, as he ended up having his worst season, allowing well over 35 total pressures.
Then this offseason they let him walk and got someone who had a better year last season and was cheaper in a sense. The other bullet they dodged was that one free agent they were interested in, ended up signing with another team.
How is that a bullet dodged? Well, it really makes a ton of sense.
Sure, the Chiefs haven't had the most active offseason, especially when it comes to their receiver room, where they have only made one addition, which is Richie James. They never went and got a number-one receiver.
They were rumored to try and trade for DeAndre Hopkins or sign Odell Beckham Jr. as that number one guy they needed. They didn't end up doing either, and while that may not seem good that they still don't have a number one, they ended up dodging a bullet with the OBJ signing.
Beckham Jr. signed with the Baltimore Ravens for one year and $18 million, which is pretty crazy, to say the least. That makes him the 15th highest-paid receiver in the league when you sort by yearly average. The Chiefs' current highest-paid receiver is Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who is the 29th highest-paid receiver in the league.
Not signing OBJ saves them a ton of money in their receiver room, it keeps them from roster turnover, as they may or may not be able to re-sign him again next year, and they didn't sign an injury-riddled receiver that hasn't played in over a year to that big of a deal.
The Chiefs dodged a huge bullet by not signing OBJ. And hey, he could have a huge year for the Ravens catching balls from Tyler Huntley, but at the same time, the Chiefs felt like they didn't need to pay that much money for a guy that could easily get hurt or not even be the same guy he was before.
