Friday, January 21, 2011

Tis the season . . . for free agents.

Free agent acquisitions or losses can make or break a team. Although they are not as long term as drafting, the benefits from free agency can make a good team great.

I'm not saying that this is what the Kansas City Chiefs should do; they have proven that they can build a good football team through the draft. But if we want to reach that next level, and we want to do it sooner rather than later, free agency is something we should dabble in.

Last offseason, Scott Pioli, in addition to having a great draft, also brought several key players in through free agency. Among these were: Thomas Jones, Ryan Lilja, Casey Wiegmann, and Shaun Smith.

These veterans brought experience and a lot of starts to the 2010 Chiefs. Lilja and Wiegmann anchored the line of the number one rushing offense in the NFL. Thomas Jones was part of that rushing offense, providing a good change of pace and some relief to Jamaal Charles. And Shaun Smith helped a much improved defensive line and even came in for a few plays as full back.

Free agents like these were good for the Chiefs and a reason why we brought home an AFC West Championship.

And free agent signings this offseason, if done right, will help us improve once again.

Now, I know any Chiefs fan would love for us to swing for the fences and bring in a player like Larry Fitzgerald (this would have to involve a trade since he's still under contract), but there are some good players approaching free agency this offseason that could make the Chiefs even better in 2011. And this includes wide receivers.

For a list of these key players, check out this site, and see if you would like any of these players wearing arrowheads on their helmets next season.

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