The Kansas City Chiefs need a cornerback. This we know. Exiting free agency I would place that as the Chiefs No. 1 need. So why then did the Chiefs pass on Sean Smith and Casey Hayward, two corners who ended up with reasonable contracts?
Smith signed a four-year, $40 million deal with the Oakland Raiders. That is a healthy contract, sure. It's also a reasonable one for someone like Smith, who is 28 years old and coming off three of the best seasons of his career. We thought that based on last year with Byron Maxwell getting six years, $63 million that Smith could be looking for more than $10 million per year. Just $10 million per year (just?) seems like a deal the Chiefs should have jumped at.
Hayward, meanwhile, was someone we mentioned before free agency. He's a slot corner coming from Green Bay which has some familiarity for GM John Dorsey. He didn't sign on the first day of free agency which made me wonder if he was an option for KC if / when they lost Smith. Well, the Chiefs lost Smith but they also lost Hayward as he signed a three-year, $15.3 million deal with the San Diego Chargers.
(Editor's note: One more I forgot: CB Prince Amukamara signed a reasonable one-year deal.)
$10 million per year for someone you know in Sean Smith. $5 million per year for someone who fits a position of need in your base defense (nickel / dime these days, basically). It's possible the Chiefs just preferred other players than these two. Or maybe it was a cap issue. I don't know exactly where the Chiefs cap space stands right now with incoming contracts but given the way the cap can be manipulated both of those contracts seemed possible for KC.
Perhaps the Chiefs believe in the players they already have. Cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Phillip Gaines on the outside while Steven Nelson is competing with others on the inside. Is that the Chiefs plan? Maybe add a cheaper veteran corner to compete? Sure looks like it at this point. There's always the draft but I'm guessing the Chiefs aren't pigeon-holing themselves by saying, 'We have to pick a corner in the first round...'