KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It looks like it will be a busy offseason for the Kansas City Chiefs, who need to rebuild the defensive line after last offseason’s offensive-line makeover.
Kansas City also has work to do at wide receiver and in the secondary, among other spots, in the quest to return to the Super Bowl.
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The Chiefs are expected to have more cap space, especially if they make a few more contract moves, which would allow General Manager Brett Veach and his staff to be more active in free agency than the last two seasons.
Of course, they also have more needs to construct a championship-worthy roster and that starts with several looming free-agent decisions within the Chiefs’ roster.
Here’s “4th & 1” podcast analyst Nick Jacobs’ position-by-position analysis of the 2021 roster:
Feb. 10 | Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs quarterbacks, running backs
Feb. 11 | Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs wide receivers, tight ends
Feb. 12 |Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs offensive linemen
RELATED | GM Veach: Brown to remain Chiefs LT ‘moving forward’
Feb. 13 | Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs defensive linemen
Feb. 14 | Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs linebackers
Feb. 15 | Nick Jacobs: Evaluating Chiefs cornerbacks, safeties
RELATED | Chiefs GM Veach doesn’t rule out re-signing Mathieu
Jacobs also breaks down the free-agent market and which available players might be the best fit for the Chiefs.
Feb. 25 | Possible Chiefs wide receiver targets in free agency
Feb. 28 | Possible Chiefs defensive end targets in free agency
March 1 | Possible Chiefs defensive tackle targets in free agency
March 2 | Possible Chiefs secondary targets in free agency
March 3 | Possible Chiefs linebacker targets in free agency
March 4 | Possible Chiefs running back targets in free agency
March 5 | Possible Chiefs offensive tackle targets in free agency
Of course, it's not just free agency alone. Other teams will be releasing veterans for cap, performance or injury reasons.
Here are a few potential roster cuts who might fit with the Chiefs.
Chiefs player news
March 26: With Darrel Williams a free agent, Kansas City needed to bolster its running back room and did so with a Super Bowl champion, signing former Tampa Bay standout Ronald Jones II. He fills the need for a dynamic big runner in the backfield.
Jones lost his starting job with the Buccaneers last season, but he's been an important piece for Tampa Bay the last three seasons with 2,130 yards rushing, 17 touchdowns and a 4.6-yard average per carry.
March 24: One day after the Tyreek Hill trade, the Chiefs added a big-play threat by signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Valdes-Scantling, who explained the powerful meaning behind his hyphenated last name during an introductory video conference, wants to unite with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid to win a title.
March 24: Kansas City announced a flurry of moves, including officially bringing back four veteran players — including tight end Blake Bell and defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi — and signing four other veteran free agents — including Blue Springs and Kansas State graduate Elijah Lee.
March 23: The Chiefs traded wide receiver Tyreek Hill to Miami for a haul of five draft picks.
Rather than sign Hill to an expensive contract extension, like the Dolphins did to make him the NFL's highest-paid pass-catcher, Kansas City opted to spread that money around and strive for a younger roster.
Chiefs Kingdom didn't react well to the trade, but it gives GM Brett Veach flexibility with two picks in each of the first rounds this season, including a third-round comp pick for losing Ryan Poles to Chicago, and additional cap room and picks in 2023.
March 23: Amid news of the Hill trade, Kansas City added veteran safety Deon Bush, who did a hilarious about-face on Twitter with Chiefs Kingdom mid-meltdown.
March 23: Seeking depth after losing Austin Blythe in free agency, the Chiefs agreed to terms with a familiar face, bringing back center Austin Reiter.
March 18: The Chiefs weren't able to persuade JuJu Smith-Schuster to join the team last offseason, but he's in the fold now.
After having his career in Pittsburgh ended by Kansas City in January, Smith-Schuster is pumped to join forces with Patrick Mahomes and play for Chiefs Kingdom.
March 16: Kansas City reached a deal to retain backup quarterback Chad Henne.
March 15: With defensive end Frank Clark set to cost $26.3 million against the salary cap, something had to give.
Rather than release Clark, the Chiefs restructured his deal, essentially paying less than $1.5 million to keep him around compared to what a dead-cap charge would have been to release him.
March 14: As NFL free agency kicked off, the Chiefs identified and agreed to terms with a replacement at safety for Tyrann Mathieu, inking former Houston safety Justin Reid to a three-year deal.
Reid cited the desire to play for a championship-caliber team in his introductory news conference.
March 12: Patrick Mahomes married long-time girlfriend and fiancée Brittany Matthews in a posh Hawaiian ceremony.
March 7: The Chiefs used the franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., which keeps him in Kansas City for at least one more year and allows the two sides more time to work on a long-term deal.
March 4: The Chiefs and Tyreek Hill are working on a contract extension. Hill is entering the last year of his contract and an extension would allow Kansas City to reduce his salary-cap hit.
Feb. 22: The first major domino to fall in the Chiefs' 2022 rebuild came with the announcement that the team had released linebacker Anthony Hitchens in a move to clear salary-cap space.
Chiefs coaching staff news
It’s not just the Chiefs’ roster that will in flux this offseason. Coach Andy Reid’s staff will also undergo changes.
Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy missed out on a head coaching job for the fourth consecutive offseason, but there was a chance he still may have left Kansas City.
Bieniemy met with Reid and discussed his options before word leaked last week he would return in 2022.
After a four-year stint as the Chicago Bears' head coach, Bieniemy's predecessor, Matt Nagy, also is back on Reid's staff. The Chiefs announced Friday that Nagy would return as a senior offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach.
But not everyone is back.
Linebackers coach Matt House is returning to the college ranks as the new defensive coordinator at Louisiana State University and cornerbacks coach Sam Madison is returning to the Miami Dolphins.
Kansas City hired Joe Cullen as its new defensive line coach, shifting Brendan Daly to a role with linebackers.
Offensively, quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka has moved on to the New York Giants as offensive coordinator.
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