Chiefs’ Top Players to Avoid in 2022 NFL Free Agency

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David Zalubowski/Associated Press

The Kansas City Chiefs were one win away from a third straight Super Bowl appearance this season. And with so many talented players on their roster, their window of championship contention is still open heading into 2022.

That means their objectives this offseason will be to add players who fill holes on the roster in an effort to get back to the Super Bowl and add another title to their trophy case. They should be able to do that, even though they’re currently projected to have only $4.3 million of available cap space, per Over the Cap.

Kansas City may have more cap space by the time free agency arrives, as there will be ways for it to create more financial flexibility. But even if the Chiefs can do that, they’ll need to be smart about the free-agent signings they make.

With that in mind, here’s a look at several players Kansas City should avoid targeting in free agency.

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Zach Bolinger/Associated Press

Even though the Chiefs have wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce as top pass-catching threats on their offense, they could use a No. 3 option for quarterback Patrick Mahomes to throw the ball to. In recent years, no player has stepped up and filled that role for Kansas City.

So, it may be time for the Chiefs to bring in a free-agent wide receiver who can take their offense to another level. And while that could be a good idea, they shouldn’t consider adding DJ Chark Jr., who could be among the most pursued wide receivers in free agency.

The 25-year-old may not be the best fit for Kansas City. Its offense already has a deep-play threat in Mecole Hardman, and that’s what Chark would also be. There may be some uncertainty surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars player, too, as he was limited to four games in 2021 after fracturing his left ankle.

It’s still possible a team will give Chark a sizable contract considering his age, so he may be out of the Chiefs’ price range. They should go with a more dependable and affordable receiver who can bring consistent production to their offense instead.

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Gary McCullough/Associated Press

Over his first six NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears, Kyle Fuller was among the strongest cornerbacks in the league, as he was a one-time All-Pro selection and two-time Pro Bowler.

However, he wasn’t as productive with the Denver Broncos in 2021, which marked the first season in which he didn’t record an interception, even though he played in 16 games.

Fuller, who turns 30 on Wednesday, may continue to trend in the wrong direction in future years. He’s several seasons removed from his best showings with the Bears, and he may not be worth the type of contract he may still land in free agency this offseason.

The Chiefs need a cornerback to pair with L’Jarius Sneed, unless they bring back Charvarius Ward, who is entering free agency. If Ward doesn’t return, Kansas City could try to sign a free agent to plug that hole on its defense.

However, a better option could be for the Chiefs to take a CB early in the draft, as they could then build around Sneed and another youngster for the foreseeable future. It would be much wiser for them to do that than take a chance on Fuller in free agency.

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Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press

During the 2021 season, the Chiefs recorded only 31 sacks, which was the fourth fewest in the NFL. So they need to do a better job of putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2022, and Pro Bowl defensive tackle Chris Jones can’t do it alone. Kansas City needs to get stronger up front on defense.

It’s possible the Chiefs may even be looking to add multiple defensive linemen/edge-rushers this offseason so that one of their weaknesses could become one of their strengths in the near future. But one player they shouldn’t look to add during free agency is Dante Fowler Jr.

The 27-year-old has already played for three teams during his six-year NFL career, and he’s had inconsistent production. He had 11.5 sacks for the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, then recorded only 7.5 sacks in 28 games over the past two seasons for the Atlanta Falcons.

If Kansas City signed Fowler, it may not know which version of the edge-rusher it’s going to get. And considering the Chiefs are trying to win now, they can’t take a risk on a player who may underperform and not make the desired impact.

There should be quite a few strong defensive linemen available in free agency, so Kansas City should look elsewhere to bolster that area of its roster.