Chiefs Sign More Players, Awarded Compensatory Draft Picks

The Kansas City Chiefs have already had an extremely busy offseason, making bold moves to upgrade its front office, coaching staff and roster. The team hasn’t slowed down yet, making more free agent signings and receiving good news regarding its compensatory draft picks.

The special teams unit has been a priority for the new coaching staff, as the Chiefs added coordinator Dave Toub and made punter Dustin Colquitt the highest paid punter in football. Kansas City decided to resign the man who has been snapping Colquitt the ball, inking Thomas Gafford to a new contract. Gafford has been with the team since 2008, snapping on punts, field goals and extra points.

The team also received good news regarding left tackle Branden Albert. Albert has told the team he plans on signing the Chiefs one-year offer worth $9.83 million. Albert was not happy about having the franchise tag placed on him, and has been vocal about both receiving a long-term deal and staying at left tackle. It is unclear if the team plans to keep Albert, given that the team has been linked to drafting an offensive lineman with its top overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. For now, Albert is in Kansas City’s immediate plans.

The team will enter the draft with two extra picks as well, earning a third and sixth round selection when the NFL announced its compensatory picks yesterday.  The extra third-round pick is especially good news considering Kansas City lost a second round pick in its trade to acquire quarterback Alex Smith. The Chiefs now have a total of eight draft picks in the upcoming draft.

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Chiefs Sign Anthony Fasano, Mike DeVito and Chase Daniel

No NFL team has been more aggressive in free agency than the Kansas City Chiefs. After making a big trade to land quarterback Alex Smith, the team has kept an aggressive mindset heading into free agency. Kansas City kept things rolling yesterday, signing tight end Anthony Fasano, defensive end Mike DeVito and quarterback Chase Daniel.


DeVito

Fasano, a former second-round draft pick from Notre Dame, has been productive in the NFL. Over the past five seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Fasano has averaged 35 catches and four touchdowns per season. After releasing Kevin Boss last month, the only proven tight end on Kansas City’s roster was Tony Moeaki, who has had some injury issues throughout his career. Fasano should provide some nice depth at the position, and the Chiefs are now set at tight end.

DeVito has spent the past six seasons with the New York Jets, where he played under new Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton. The former undrafted free agent has been a starter for the Jets over the past three seasons, and is known for his versatility.

The signing of DeVito may be a sign that the Chiefs will be letting go of Glenn Dorsey. Dorsey and the team could not come to terms on a new contract, and the former first round pick has become an unrestricted free agent. Dorsey has already planned a visit to the San Francisco 49ers, and it appears that his days as a Chief are numbered.

Former Missouri star Chase Daniel was the final free agent acquisition of the day. Daniel has spent his entire NFL career backing up Drew Brees in New Orleans and will provide some nice depth to the quarterback position behind Alex Smith. The signing of Daniel may mean that the team is not considering drafting a quarterback at any point in this year’s draft, and that the team will be resigning quarterback Brady Quinn.

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Chiefs Free Agency Overview

The NFL free agent signing period has opened, and the Kansas City Chiefs will be looking to fill several holes on its roster. The team has already been busy this offseason, acquiring new players while releasing several veterans.

The Chiefs have made two big acquisitions already this offseason – trading two draft picks for 49ers quarterback Alex Smith and signing defensive back Dunta Robinson. Smith should be an instant upgrade at quarterback, while Robinson will bring experience to a defensive backfield that struggled last season. The team also resigned wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, tackle Branden Albert and punter Dustin Colquitt. To clear up cap space for these signings, the team released tackle Eric Winston, tight end Kevin Boss and wide receiver Steve Breaston.

Kansas City has already done a good job of addressing some glaring needs, but the team still has several holes to fill. The Chiefs could use some help at wide receiver, especially after letting Breaston go. Former first-round pick Jonathan Baldwin has been a bust so far in the NFL, and the team will need to find another target to pair with Bowe for Smith to throw to. Losing Boss makes the tight end position thin as well, and the team could use some insurance behind Tony Moeaki, who has struggled with injuries in his career.

Defensively, the Chiefs could use more depth in the secondary and will have to find a capable starting inside linebacker next to Pro Bowler Derrick Johnson. Despite spending several early draft picks on defensive lineman over the past several years, the team could also still use an upgrade there.

New general manager John Dorsey could have a lot of flexibility in how he will build the Chiefs’ roster, as the team has several unrestricted free agents. Dorsey will need to figure out which players to bring back first, and then start finding free agents that can address some glaring needs on the roster, particularly at wide receiver, tight end and linebacker.

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Chiefs Sign Free Agents

New Chiefs general manager John Dorsey has hit the ground running in his new role, signing two free agents recently. Kansas City has acquired defensive tackle Daniel Muir and offensive tackle Steven Baker.

Muir began his career with the Green Bay Packers – where Dorsey spent the last 21 seasons – as an undrafted free agent. He is best known for his time in Indianapolis, where he played for four seasons with the Colts and started for them in Super Bowl XLIV. Muir spent last season with the New York Jets, where he failed to gain any significant playing time. In his six year career, Muir has appeared in 46 games while making 26 starts.

Kansas City also signed offensive tackle Steven Baker, who was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent last season but was released just before the regular season began. Baker played his college ball at East Carolina, and spent last season on Arizona’s practice squad.

The signing of both players, especially Muir, seems like an attempt to add some depth and competition. It is unlikely that either player will become a significant contributor for Kanas City next season. New Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton was a defensive assistant for the Jets last season, so it is possible that he saw something in Muir that made him worth pursuing. At the very least, Sutton will have an experienced player who knows his scheme and can help bring the other defensive lineman up to speed.

Many expect the Chiefs to begin addressing several other positions of need via free agency, including wide receiver, cornerback and possibly quarterback. The players the team signs in free agency may also provide Chiefs fans with a more clear picture in regards to who the Chiefs will target in the 2013 NFL draft.

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Chiefs Alex Tanney Trick QB, Complete 90 Man Roster

The Chiefs’ 90 man roster is complete, as Kansas City signed former Monmouth College quarterback Alex Tanney. The 6’4, 220 lb. Tanney is the final player the Chiefs signed, after he impressed the coaching staff during Kansas City’s organized team activity workouts.

Tanney is best known for his foray of trick throws and arm strength, which he displayed in a YouTube video that became extremely popular before the 2012 NFL draft. Despite his talent, Tanney was not highly regarded by most pro teams, and appears to be a long shot to ever see the field.

The rookie did put up big numbers in college, setting NCAA Division III records in career passing yards and touchdowns. While it remains to be seen if Tanney has what it takes to make an NFL roster, Kansas City fans can at least try to coax some more highlight-worthy throws out of the YouTube sensation.

Chiefs Alex Tanney Trick QB Youtube Video



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Chiefs Sign WR Steve Breaston

Heading into this year's crazy free agency period, the Chiefs knew that WR was an area that still needed to be addressed. Kansas City added some much needed help to its wideout corps today by signing former Arizona Cardinal WR Steve Breaston to a five year deal.

This deal makes a lot of sense for both Kansas City and Breaston. The Chiefs needed a player who has some experience, but still has a fairly long career ahead of them. Breaston has been in the league for only four years, but has been productive. He was slowed by injuries last season, but still managed to post 47 receptions for 718 yards (despite having Derek Anderson as his quarterback). Breaston's best season came in 2008, when he snagged 77 receptions for 1,006 yards.

Breaston also finds himself in a much better situation in Kansas City. He has played for Todd Haley before and knows the coach's offense. Better yet, he is going to a team that has a lot of offensive firepower and an established quarterback.

Now that Kansas City has addressed its biggest need on offense, the team can focus on giving its defense a boost. Expect the Chiefs to make a run at a nose tackle or linebacker sometime over the next couple of days.

Who Will The Chiefs Target In Free Agency?

Now that the NFL lockout is officially over, the Kansas City Chiefs can focus on the 2011 season. Today marks the beginning of what will likely be the wildest free agency period in the history of the league. Kansas City has money to spend and some glaring holes on the roster, which means the Chiefs will likely be a big player in this year's free agency period.

Kansas City enjoyed a remarkable turnaround on defense last season, and the team's new 3-4 scheme under Romeo Crennel proved to be a success. At the heart of every good 3-4 defense is a top-notch nose tackle, and Kansas City is still in search of someone who fits this bill. One name floating around is San Francisco's Aubrayo Franklin, who has proven to be a top NT and should be affordable. The Chiefs could also use some help at inside linebacker, and the team may try to sign someone to team up with the playmaking Derrick Johnson. There have been rumors that Kansas City is trying to aquire former pro bowl linebacker Nick Barnett, who has lost his spot in Green Bay. Barnett has battled injuries over the past several seasons and is getting older, but the veteran could give the Chiefs' young defense a boost.

Offensively, the team still needs some help at receiver. Despite drafting Jonathan Baldwin in the first round, Kansas City is still dangerously thin at WR and could use a speedster to help open up the offense. There are several wide receivers on the market that Kansas City could take a look at, although it appears unlikely that the team will take a chance on one of the more high-profile players available.

Overall, expect Kansas City to address NT, which is the most pressing position of need this offseason. The Chiefs have money to spend and there is a lot of talent on the market, and the team knows it is still a few players short of being a consistent winner.