AP Photo/Ed Zurga

Free-Agent Contracts Chiefs Must Pursue After Preseason

Jake Rill

The Kansas City Chiefs will soon begin their quest for a seventh consecutive AFC West title. On Sunday, they'll open the 2022 season with a road matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, and they'll hope to start the year with a win.

It was a fairly uneventful training camp for the Chiefs, who went 2-1 in their preseason contests and didn't make any huge, surprising cuts when setting their 53-man roster. So Kansas City will enter the regular season with a roster close to what most expected.

But it's also possible the Chiefs' roster could change before Sunday, or if not, then later on in the year. NFL teams are always looking for ways to improve, and Kansas City will surely be considering how it could do that at all times.

With that in mind, here are several free-agent players who the Chiefs may want to consider targeting this week (or potentially further down the line).

Odell Beckham Jr., WR

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

It's not a huge surprise that Odell Beckham Jr. is still a free agent. Even though he has the potential to be a dynamic playmaker, the 29-year-old isn't fully recovered from the torn ACL he suffered while playing for the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI in February.

At some point, Beckham will sign with a team and instantly boost its receiving corps. And maybe that could end up being the Chiefs, who have a bit of uncertainty at the position after trading Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in March.

Kansas City will be relying on free-agent acquisitions JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mecole Hardman and rookie Skyy Moore to be targets for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. But if that unit underperforms as a whole, it may not take long for the Chiefs to seek an upgrade, which is what Beckham would surely provide.

An eight-year NFL veteran, Beckham has proven to be a big-time playmaker for various teams throughout his career. After some struggles with the Cleveland Browns, he made a sizable impact last year for the Rams. And if he was catching passes from Mahomes, he could possibly put up some impressive numbers.

Preston Williams, WR

AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

Even if the Chiefs don't make a splash as big as signing Beckham, they may still want to add a more affordable wide receiver who can provide depth in their unproven unit. Preston Williams, who was released by the Miami Dolphins last week, could be a good target.

Williams is only 25, and he's flashed his potential at times over his first three NFL seasons. He's been limited to 24 career games due to injury, but he's mostly been productive when on the field, particularly early during his time in Miami. Williams had 428 receiving yards as a rookie in 2019, and he scored seven touchdowns over his first 16 games.

If any of Kansas City's wide receivers struggle, it'd be nice to have an experienced player to quickly plug in at one of those spots. And Williams' play may even be elevated from the past, as he's never had a quarterback as talented as Mahomes throwing him the ball.

So Williams could be a worthwhile addition for the Chiefs to ensure that they have enough offensive firepower to have success in 2022, even though they no longer have Hill.

Blake Martinez, LB

AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson

When a player as talented as Blake Martinez gets released, most teams should show interest. That's especially the case for the Chiefs, who have only four linebackers on their active roster and could use a boost at the position heading into the 2022 season.

Martinez has been a strong defensive contributor for much of his career (six seasons, four with the Green Bay Packers and two with the New York Giants). He recorded 144 or more tackles every year from 2017-20, and he never missed a game over that span.

Last year, Martinez played only three games for the Giants because of a torn ACL. But the 28-year-old could be in store for a bounce-back season after parting with New York, a decision that was mutual between the two sides, according to ESPN's Jordan Raanan.

Now, Martinez just needs to find a new team. If he ends up not costing too much, then Kansas City should try to find a way to add him, as he could take its defense to another level this year.

   

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