The Kansas City Chiefs have had a huge day in free agency, but they have yet to really make headlines, as they have mostly retained their in house free agents. Kansas City was able to bring back its defensive leaders in linebacker Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali.
Johnson, who had suffered a brutal Achilles tear during the 2014 season, is looking to end his career on a strong note, as he will likely retire with the Chiefs. The Chiefs were also able to resign defensive tackle Jaye Howard to a two-year deal worth up to $12 million.
Howard was one of the key pieces of this defensive line, as he was able to consistently generate pressure up the middle. Kansas City was also able to bring back Tamba Hali, as he signed a three-year deal during the first day of free agency.
The 32-year-old linebacker has been a leader of this Chiefs defense since 2006 and will likely retire with the Chiefs when his contract is up. The Chiefs would round out the huge day for their linebackers with the resigning of outside linebacker Frank Zombo to a three-year deal worth $3.6 million.
Kansas City only signed one player from outside of their franchise, as they suddenly released offensive lineman formerly of the Cleveland Browns; Mitchell Schwartz signed a five-year deal with the team. The Chiefs seem firmly committed to the players on their roster, as they halted a major turnover in personnel on the first day of free agency.
The Chiefs can now head into the 2016 NFL Draft focused on their core needs as a football team. The Chiefs need to continue to fortify their offensive line, so they should be able to find a decent offensive lineman towards the end of the first round.
The Chiefs will also need a solid wide receiver, and since they lost out on Marvin Jones and most likely Mohamed Sanu, they will likely look towards the draft to increase their depth at the position. Kansas City could be looking to select a wide receiver prospect such as Corey Coleman, Tyler Boyd or Braxton Miller.
The Chiefs have done a fantastic job at retaining the core of this roster while strengthening a big weakness in their offensive line. Resigning the leaders on this defense will go a long way in helping the Chiefs return to the playoffs in 2016.
