The Kansas City Chiefs have begun making some serious decisions, and free agency has not even opened yet, technically speaking. On Sunday night, word broke that the Chiefs had come to a verbal agreement with Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN. Only hours later, Kansas City and outside linebacker Tamba Hali agreed to a revised deal with Hali taking a pay-cut, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.
It was expected by many in NFL circles that the Chiefs would lay low without much cap space in 2015. In fact, the Chiefs entered the day approximately $1.1 million over the cap, and that does not include the re-signing of inside linebacker Josh Mauga to a three-year, $8 million deal (cap hits for that contract have not been disclosed).
General manager John Dorsey will likely release receiver Dwayne Bowe and defensive end Mike DeVito on Monday, giving Kansas City $9 million in cap relief. It is also uncertain how much of a cut Hali agreed to, providing more latitude to make a deal with another major free agent. Hali’s original contract called for an $11 million cap hit.
If everything goes according to script with Maclin (who can’t officially sign until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET), the Chiefs will have a massive upgrade on the outside. Maclin is well-versed in head coach Andy Reid’s system, having played under him for four years in Philadelphia. Kansas City did not have a receiver with a touchdown catch in 2014, something no team had accomplished since 1950. Maclin is coming off a career-year, with 85 catches for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Maclin, 26, provides the Chiefs with a player who can stretch the field. Kansas City will now be able to open up space underneath for Jamaal Charles and Travis Kelce to work, making Maclin’s acquisition all the more important.
It should also be stressed the Chiefs might be far from done in free agency. It has been widely reported they are in a bidding war with the Oakland Raiders to retain center Rodney Hudson. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports is also reporting Kansas City is in on corner Darrelle Revis, along with the New York Jets and New England Patriots.
Some may wonder how the Chiefs could afford Revis, but the answer is simple. Kansas City is slated to have $80 million in cap space after releasing Bowe. With that, the Chiefs can pay large signing bonuses to players now to keep 2015 cap hits down, while loading money into 2016. Revis would be well within Kansas City’s grasp should it go all-in, something that no longer appears a pipe dream.
For now, the Chiefs are showing aggressiveness. The AFC West appears wide open for the first time in years, and Kansas City is hoping to make a statement.
