KANSAS CITY, Mo. — NFL teams have some tough decisions in the coming weeks to clear salary-cap space for their roster ahead of the new league beginning on March 16.
Players generally hit the free-agent market after a contract expires or for a handful of other reasons, including:
- Their production doesn't warrant a new contract;
- They have injury concerns;
- Their production doesn't match the current cost;
- Off-the-field concerns;
- Teams needing to clear cap space;
- The player doesn't fit the scheme.
The players listed below likely will fall into one or more of these categories with their current situation, so those teams will have to make some tough decisions.
Here is a selection of those players whose skill sets that could match the Kansas City Chiefs:
DE Za’Darius Smith, Packers
If Green Bay defensive end Za'Darius Smith gets released, it will because cap hit won’t match his future snaps.
Smith is coming off back surgery and was only unable to play in one game during the regular season, but he has violent hands as a pass-rusher and swipes linemen away with ease.
Smith aggressively utilizes his club, swim and bull rush to put offensive linemen in the dirt. He also has good lateral movement and is capable of running twist games and stunts with ease.
Smith's pass-rushing ability and strength demands double teams.
DE Danielle Hunter, Vikings
Minnesota defensive end Danielle Hunter is coming off a torn pectoral muscle. He also has missed 26 of the past 33 games due to a a herniated disc in his neck in addition to the pec injury.
Hunter is a unique pass rusher with long arms that lock out offensive tackles in the run game and keep them from getting punches on him.
He has a trademark hop that allows him to get tackles off balance and accelerate off of it or work inside on them.
Hunter has counter after counter in his game. When he is healthy he is one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL.
Few players have his understanding of how to set tackles up while utilizing his long arms, speed and quick hand-fighting techniques to negate their pass-blocking in seconds.
Hunter also is able to routinely split double teams and close quickly in open space. He is a high-energy player and doesn’t give up on a play or sack.
DE Demarcus Lawrence, Cowboys
Dallas defensive end Demarcus Lawrence worked his way back from foot surgery near the end of last year. He is a very explosive straight-line rusher.
Whether Lawrence is shooting the gap or just getting upfield, he has a quick burst and covers 10 yards quickly.
Athletically, he can struggle working his way back to the quarterback. It takes him a couple ticks to change direction and explode, but Lawrence has a good rip and swim.
He didn’t showcase a lot of bull rushes in the tape I watched, but he does a great job is separating the football from the ball carrier.
If Lawrence can regain his form, he has the potential to be a difference-maker.
DE Preston Smith, Packers
Green Bay defensive end Preston Smith wins with his long arms and rip move. He is a good hand-fighter who can keep tackles disengaged.
Smith lacks fluidity when changing directions and doesn’t have a top-end burst, so he is a complementary pass-rusher who needs a speed or violent pass-rusher opposite of him.
Ultimately, Smith can be a piece of the pass-rushing puzzle, but not the centerpiece.
WR Amari Cooper, Cowboys
Dallas wide receiver Amari Cooper still has plenty of speed left at age 27. He is a smart route-runner and sells his fakes well.
Cooper has good burst out of his breaks but even better body control and awareness along the boundaries. He had a couple of hamstring issues in 2021, but was able to come back from a ankle fracture the previous year to return to form.
Cooper, who reportedly will be a cap casualty for the Cowboys, would be a nice jolt to the Chiefs passing offense.
WR Cole Beasley, Bills
Buffalo wide receiver Cole Beasley has lost a couple steps, but that's to be expected at 33 years old.
He still does a good job of getting clean releases off the line, has a good feel for coverages and knows where the voids are in zone to sit down.
Beasley is a good safety blanket over the middle and is able to convert the first down regularly. He also does a great job of adjusting to the football no matter how poorly throw it might be.
WR Jarvis Landry, Browns
The MCL sprain, partial quadricpes tear and bone bruise Cleveland wide receiver Jarvis Landry described in a Feb. 22 tweet showed this season as he struggled to gain separation on routes.
Normally, Landry has the route-running savvy to gain position, but his burst was lacking for most of the season.
If his injury issues persist, he will be a possession receiver who can get extra three to five. Landry turns 30 in November.
WR Sterling Shepherd, Giants
New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepherd suffered a torn Achilles before Christmas and it may take him two years to return to his previous athletic form. He'll be pushing 32 years old by that time.
WR Nelson Agholor, Patriots
New England wide receiver Nelson Agholor was an ideal fit for the Chiefs' scheme last season but he took a nice pay day from the Patriots.
Agholor made the best of the Patriots' scheme and working with rookie quarterback Mac Jones, but he shines more in a West Coast offense that provides better spacing.
He is a physical receiver who will battle through press coverage and doesn't give up on a route or play, works to find space if the play breaks down, and knows where the voids are in the coverage.
Agholor has the frame to make contested catches but also take a hit over the middle and pop back up. He is a competitive player who wants to win every ball and every route.
LB Myles Jack, Jaguars
Jacksonville linebacker Myles Jack didn’t look comfortable in new Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen’s 3-4 scheme last season.
It exposed him too much to blocks, which he struggled to get off of at times.
Jack is at his best when he is allowed to use his athletic ability to attack and close, so he's best used on the perimeter.
He looks comfortable in his zone-coverage drops and could be an asset in the Chiefs' 4-3 scheme, but his athletic ability comes at a significant cost.
LB Eric Kendricks, Vikings
Minnesota linebacker Eric Kendricks still has a lot left in the tank at 30 years old.
He still has really good athletic ability despite seven years of NFL wear and tear.
Kendricks shows good drops in zone coverage, can stay against tight ends in coverage and remains astrong blitzer. He comes in under control on his reads and doesn’t run himself out of position.
Kendricks can play both the middle or weak-side linebakcer positions. He has a good feel for offenses and plays his role well versus trying to do too much.
