Chiefs GM explains how they stumbled upon Drue Tranquill
The Kansas City Chiefs got one of the biggest steals of the free agency period, and his name is Drue Tranquill. We have talked about the Chiefs and their uncanny ability to find really good football players and sign them to very good deals. They do it like very few teams do. That is why […]
The Kansas City Chiefs got one of the biggest steals of the free agency period, and his name is Drue Tranquill.
We have talked about the Chiefs and their uncanny ability to find really good football players and sign them to very good deals. They do it like very few teams do. That is why Brett Veach is a top general manager in the league.
But what he was able to do with signing Tranquill put the move in the conversation for the best steal of the free agency period. Tranquill, who was very good last year for the Los Angeles Chargers, signed with the Chiefs for a one-year, $3 million contract.
But the way they got him wasn't how the Chiefs normally go about getting their free agents. They didn't really need a linebacker, so their attention wasn't focused on Tranquill. Veach said that one agent may have put them on to Tranquill being available.
"Sometimes it's just really good value," Veach started his Thursday presser. "Drew Tranquill. I don't know if we went into free agency. Stay in line back was a super high priority. I think we probably focus on the offensive and defensive lines predominantly. But then as free agency goes, there are always some guys that for some reason or other are just out there and they're really good players and just picked up communication because Drue actually has the same agent as JuJu [Smith-Schuster].
"So when we were trying to work through that JuJu situation, once we congratulated [his] crew and his team of agents, we were made aware that Drue was still out there and have had a lot of experience playing against him and knew how good he was and a guy that can play all three positions, he can play Mike, he can wear the green dot and back up Bolton…"
Tranquill was definitely good value. Sure, it's only a year, but this gives them depth they didn't have last year, whether it be Tranquill starting in place of Willie Gay Jr. and him moving to the bench, or vice versa.
And the Chiefs didn't even need a linebacker all that much, but when a really good one, and a guy you have played against twice a year the last four years. The way they came across the fact that they could get him for the price they did is because of the Smith-Schuster agent connection, which is a unique way to get one of the best deals in all of free agency.
