Rod Streater's signing shouldn't affect the Chiefs' offseason plan

Nothing lost. Nothing gained. At least now right now.

The Kansas City Chiefs signed free agent wide receiver Rod Streater to a 1-year contract on Saturday after clearly liking what they saw on a visit the same day. The team's rumored interest in the former Oakland Raider came days before Streater started making his FA circuit, one that included the Jets and Patriots. The Chiefs finally hosted the now 28-year-old and inked him that day.

For a team with a need at wide receiver, the signing of Streater comes as good news. In his breakout year in 2013, Streater was a good wide receiver on a very bad team in Oakland. Streater caught 60 passes that year for 888 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also averaged 14.9 yards/catch during the two seasons in which he was healthy.

Fortunately it's that last clause that signals the issue with reading too much into Streater's signing. That whole healthy thing is a real bugger. Streater's last game with 50 receiving yards actually came against the Chiefs, back on December 15, 2013. Note: Dunta Robinson and Brandon Flowers were defending Streater that day. How's that for perspective.

That makes Streater's entire deal an upside play, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's similar to signing Tyvon Branch to provide some potential punch and depth in the secondary. If he couldn't, there's nothing lost, but the Chiefs defense enjoyed employing Branch's obvious talents, especially late in the season. The same reasoning should be applied to Streater.

The questions marks you had about the Chiefs receiving corps when you woke up on Saturday should not be considered answered by this signing. Streater said his ongoing injury concerns (foot) were a complete mystery to all — even to the doctors who, you know, studied such things. Streater has a total of 10 catches since 2013. There's absolutely nothing to bank on here, and John Dorsey knows this.

The signing of Streater shouldn't keep the Chiefs from checking out other free agents. It won't keep them from considering a wideout in the draft. If their man is there, on the board or the open market, they should take him. Because Streater is not an answer.

That's not to be down on Streater. He's clearly talented, and new environments can work wonders for a player. In addition, another offseason to rehab whatever was wrong will hopefully set him on the right path. The Chiefs could use such a player on the right path. But that won't make him an answer. It makes Streater a bonus.

Will Jason Avant return (and if so, what's left in the tank)? How high is Albert Wilson's ceiling? Can Chris Conley emerge as a target that defensive coordinators must respect? Will DAT return at all or disappear into an all-caps tweet, never to be seen again?

Streater doesn't answer any of these questions until he steps on the field and shows the Chiefs what he can do. By then it's too late in the game to do anything proactive. It's hard to imagine that Dorsey will be content to rest on his laurels because the Chiefs made a bonus signing.