Chiefs connected to former DPOY still on the market in free agency

The Kansas City Chiefs handled the offseason masterfully. With a few roster trimmings and restructures, general manager Brett Veach managed to strike a long-term deal with defensive tackle Chris Jones. Despite the lucrative contracts on their roster, the Chiefs still had the salary cap space to reward tight end Travis Kelce with a pay raise. Meanwhile, some of the Chiefs biggest rivals haven’t had the same success: the Buffalo Bills dismantled their aging roster, the Miami Dolphins were stripped down for parts, and the Cincinnati Bengals remain seemingly indecisive with wide receiver Tee Higgins. 

In addition to adding wide receiver Marquise Brown in free agency, Kansas City addressed major offensive needs in the 2024 NFL Draft by adding wideout Xavier Worthy and offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia. 

The concern should now turn to the defensive side of the ball. Kansas City’s Super Bowl championship would not have been possible without heroic performances from their defense.

Chiefs could sign Stephon Gilmore in free agency 

Kansas City traded cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who was initially retained with a franchise tag designation, to the Tennessee Titans earlier this offseason. 

Following Sneed’s departure, Kansas City could sign cornerback Stephon Gilmore in free agency, who Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox points out as a player that should be on their radar.

Gilmore established himself as one of the league's best cornerbacks with the New England Patriots, where he had a game-clinching interception against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII and won 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Sneed blossomed into one of the league’s best cornerbacks in 2023, which allowed defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to run exotic pressure packages with disguised coverages in the secondary. In the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens, the Chiefs ran an inverted Cover 2 defense which required Sneed to rotate into a safety role. Without Sneed, the Chiefs defense could struggle to run similar coverages.

Gilmore can excel physically and mentally in multiple schemes. In 2018, Gilmore shut down opposing wide receivers with the Patriots, who ran a predominantly man coverage scheme. In the Super Bowl, when the Patriots famously switched to zone coverage to stymie the explosive Los Angeles Rams, Gilmore clinched the game with a fourth quarter interception. 

The veteran cornerback will be 34 years old in 2024, but he could bring a veteran presence and versatile skillset to Kansas City. Gilmore’s season with the Dallas Cowboys in 2023 marked his fifth stint with an NFL team, but he quickly became an integral part of Dallas' top-notch defense. Gilmore allowed a 82.7 passer rating in coverage while recording career highs in combined, solo and assisted tackles through 17 starts.

Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie has emerged as a developing star, but cornerbacks Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams have only shown glimpses of brilliance thus far. Kansas City added Tennessee cornerback Kamal Hadden in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he likely won’t play meaningful snaps on defense this season. 

The Cowboys could still be interested in bringing Gilmore back, which could drive up his price. The All-Pro cornerback isn’t the cheapest player available, but he is still a feasible option as the Chiefs attempt to defend their title once again.