7 Chiefs land on Pro Football Focus list of top 200 free agents, including No. 1

7 Chiefs land on Pro Football Focus list of top 200 free agents, including No. 1

The Kansas City Chiefs have 36 pending free agents heading into the 2024 season. On Monday, the football analytics site Pro Football Focus released its list of the top 200 players set to be available. Seven Chiefs players from 2023 made the list.

As mentioned on these pages Monday, the league’s franchise tag window opens on Tuesday and concludes on March 13. The Chiefs’ most likely tag candidate is cornerback L’Jarius Sneed.

Let’s round up the seven Chiefs, with some quick analysis below:

No. 1: defensive tackle Chris Jones

PFF: It’s rare for a player of Jones’ caliber to reach unrestricted free agency, and Kansas City did not give up the right to franchise tag him for a second time when the two sides agreed to a reworked contract this past offseason. A tag for Jones would land north of $33 million, which perhaps helps him test the open market for the first time in his career.

Jones is not only one of the best interior pass rushers in the game right now; he’s one of the best ever. He is also capable of lining up outside of tackles as a five-technique, bending around the edge and getting home.

Top free agent comparison: Ndamukong Suh, 2015

No. 10: cornerback L’Jarius Sneed

Sneed was a fixture out wide in 2023 after lining up primarily in the slot over his first three seasons, and he held up quite well in several tough matchups. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo asks a lot of his cornerbacks, and Sneed is sticky in coverage, getting into receivers’ hip pockets and becoming very hard to shake with lateral movement or in the air at the catch point.

Sneed could stand to cut down on penalties, but his aggressive nature would be welcome on many teams, and his inside-outside versatility is a nice benefit, as well.

Top free agent comparison: James Bradberry, 2020

No. 81: linebacker Drue Tranquill

It came as a surprise last offseason when Tranquill’s free agent market didn’t pan out, but he eventually joined the Chiefs on a one-year, $3 million flier. Tranquill is light on his feet and can get washed out of plays against the run, but he more than makes up for it in coverage and as a free rusher. Tranquill has recorded 33 quarterback pressures and 10 sacks dating back to 2022.

As a coverage backer, Tranquill has recorded 36 stops in coverage since 2022, and his 0.85 yards per coverage snap allowed over the span is a top-25 mark. Tranquill possesses the change-of-direction ability to carry running backs on out-breaking routes to the flat, as well as the backpedaling speed to patrol the deep middle in a variety of Tampa 2-esque looks that Steve Spagnuolo likes to deploy and disguise, making his fit and big role in this defense unsurprising despite a lot of draft capital invested at the position in recent years.

Former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson had a similar profile before signing a one-year, $2.75 million contract in 2021.

Top free agent comparison: Kyzir White, 2022

No. 102: pass rusher Mike Danna

Danna is the epitome of a solid, high-floor player who understands his role, controls his gap and makes plays when they come to him. He’s not the burstiest player off the line but does well to drive opposing tackles back into the pocket. He took on an increased role in 2023 and improved in detaching his hands from blockers to get after the quarterback.

Top free agent comparison: Derek Barnett, 2022

No. 105: linebacker Willie Gay Jr.

Gay is perhaps the best lateral athlete within the Chiefs’ loaded linebacker corps, often drawing the quarterback spy role and earning some of the more challenging coverage responsibilities after starting his career as a pure downhill attacker. The former second-round pick is a quality weakside linebacker who appears to have grown better at reading and reacting, and he also did well in the occasional blitz package dialed up by defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Top free agent comparison: Cody Barton, 2023

No. 117: offensive tackle Donovan Smith

Smith struggled in 2023 with oversetting and then losing to the inside, often grabbing defenders and taking penalties once he was beaten. But he’s still a functional pass-protecting left tackle over the course of a season.

Top free agent comparison: George Fant, 2023

No. 148: safety Mike Edwards

Edwards seemingly always forces a turnover if the ball hits his hands. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer carved out a solid role in a Chiefs secondary that utilized a lot of three-safety looks both before and after the loss of Bryan Cook.

My take

Free agency officially begins on March 13, 2024, at 3 p.m. Arrowhead Time, but teams are allowed to start negotiating with free agents (the legal tampering period) on March 11, 2024, at 11 a.m. Arrowhead Time.

Much goes into an organization’s free-agency plan, and things can change quickly, so perhaps general manager Brett Veach pulls a rabbit out of his hat and finds a way to keep Jones and Sneed.

Just considering how much it would take to tag Jones, I think Veach opts to tag Sneed while Jones finally hits the open market (making his

All the indications from Tranquill are that he had the best year of his football career (both on and off the field) in Kansas City, so I like him to take a team-friendly contract to remain with the club. Danna is more of a toss-up for me, but I think they drafted Felix Anudike-Uzomah for a reason, and he ends up elsewhere.

I believe another team is going to be willing to give Gay more money than the Chiefs are going to be inclined to match, so it’s likely he’s played his last game in Kansas City. From the vibes of some of his interviews, it seems that he knew that on Super Bowl Sunday.

I see Wanya Morris as the starting left tackle in 2024, and Smith should be somewhere where he can make money and start. I also thought Edwards played well enough to earn more than Veach is going to be willing to pay. And they have been awfully good at drafting defensive backs late.