KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two of the the Kansas City Chiefs' three starting linebacker spots appear set with Willie Gay Jr. expected to continue settling in at the strong-side linebacker, or "Sam" position, and the team's reigning Rookie of the Year, Nick Bolton, taking over for Anthony Hitchens as the middle, or "Mike," linebacker.
Honestly, linebacker likely won't be a high priority in free agency, nor should it be, but here are some current free agents who could serve as depth or slide in nicely at the weak-side, or "Will," linebacker:
Best free-agent linebacker fits for Chiefs
1. Foye Oluoko, Falcons
Atlanta's Foye Oluoko could play Will or Mike for the Chiefs. He is at his best when he is allowed to flow freely and get upfield.
He has a great feel of how to avoid traffic and fill the gap, is a sure tackler like Bolton and closes well.
Oluoko is solid in his zone drops, but he's not elite by any means, but he is a good blitzer when allowed to be aggressive.
2. Leighton Vander Esch, Cowboys
Dallas' Leighton Vander Esch can play Mike or Will with ease. He reads and deciphers well while coming under control to tackle the ball-carrier.
Vander Esch will fight off blocks to shut down the run, and has good-but-not-elite speed. He has a good shuffle and knows when to fill, but his coverage can be a little stiff.
3. Kyzir White, Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers' Kyzir White is a good coverage linebacker who can lay a thump in the run.
He is at his best when coming down hill with his straight-line speed and looks comfortable in run support.
White can cover tight ends and can take away the edge with his speed, but he has trouble getting off blocks at times.
4. Anthony Walker, Browns
Cleveland's Anthony Walker is a really fluid coverage linebacker. He shines in zone coverage, reads and closes well.
Walker is a solid tackler, but he isn’t the most physical at bringing a ball carrier down. He does have an impressive change of direction for his size.
5. Kwon Alexander, Saints
New Orleans' Kwon Alexander is a familiar name as he was one of the prizes for San Francisco five years ago in free agency before tearing an ACL in 2018. He also endured a torn pectoral muscle and ruptured Achilles tendon in 2020.
Alexander is starting to get back into the ballpark of who he was before his injuries piled up.
He has good speed, great energy, plays with a physical style and will come screaming downhill to close the edge, showing great comfort in run support.
6. Micah Kisner, Broncos
At worst, Denver's Micah Kisner could be quality depth and a strong special-teams performer for Assistant Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub.
He has good closing speed, is serviceable in coverage and physical in run support.
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Some key NFL dates to remember:
- March 8: NFL teams must make franchise-tag decisions by 3 p.m. Central;
- March 14: Teams are allowed to begin negotiating with free agents at 11 a.m. during the "legal tampering period;"
- March 16: The 2022-23 NFL League Year officially begins at 3 p.m. Central, allowing players and teams to execute new contracts.
