4 free agents the Chiefs should happily let leave

2. Carlos Dunlap

Signing Dunlap to a one-year, $8 million deal this offseason was a worthwhile gamble by the Chiefs’ front office. The veteran edge rusher repaid the team’s faith by giving them five valuable sacks in a reserve role.

The emergence of rookie George Karlaftis as a quality starter should free the Chiefs up to shop for a cheaper backup option in the offseason. The team could even elect to spend another high draft choice on an edge rusher to further insulate themselves against age-related decline from Frank Clark. Dunlap isn’t at the right stage of his career to give Kansas City that kind of insurance as he heads into his age-35 season.

In fairness to Dunlap, he’s been a perfectly adequate pass-rushing specialist this year. The problem is that he’s going to be looking for starter-level money as he hits the open market. This is almost certainly his last opportunity to garner a big free-agent deal.

Kansas City has more pressing needs on their roster than to give Dunlap another big contract. Signing him to a sizeable one-year deal last offseason wasn’t a mistake, but doing it again would represent a costly error by the team’s front office.