Getty Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Justin Watson remains unsigned in NFL free agency.
Kansas City Chiefs insider Nate Taylor (The Athletic) dropped a deep dive on the KC wide receiver room and the front office’s efforts to strengthen it heading towards the NFL Draft on March 27.
Within it was a smart but intriguing note from discussions with head coach Andy Reid at the NFL League Meeting in Arizona. “Reid also shared that the Chiefs are optimistic they will be able to re-sign receiver Justin Watson to another one-year deal to help the offense and special teams units,” Taylor reported. “Watson, a [five]-year veteran, posted more receiving yards last season (315) than [Mecole] Hardman (297).”
After losing JuJu Smith-Schuster and Hardman in free agency, quarterback Patrick Mahomes II would probably prefer as many reunions at the wide receiver position as possible. Watson does know the offense — outperforming his reserve role at times — and he also earned solid reviews throughout the year on special teams as a new member of Dave Toub’s 2022 unit.
Taylor did add that “the Chiefs also could use one of their top draft picks to select a receiver, as prospects such as Jalin Hyatt (Tennessee), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State), Quentin Johnston (TCU), Zay Flowers (Boston College) and A.T. Perry (Wake Forest) are all intriguing.”
It’s Odell Beckham Jr. or No New Additions in Free Agency, Says Taylor
The Chiefs could re-sign Watson, but while reporting the latest on Odell Beckham Jr. and the free agency front, Taylor revealed that “OBJ” appears to be the only new veteran addition on KC’s radar at wide receiver.
“The Chiefs will continue to pursue a deal with Odell Beckham Jr., the talented veteran receiver they’ve coveted for almost two years,” Taylor relayed. “But at the same time, the team doesn’t believe it desperately needs to add another receiver to its roster if Beckham elects to sign with another contender.”
This piece of information might concern any KC fans that believe general manager Brett Veach has been too laid back at the position this offseason, but all signs point to Taylor’s intel being factual.
Others around the league have reported that the Chiefs are no longer pursuing superstar WR DeAndre Hopkins via trade, and the links to veteran pass-catchers in free agency have been few and far between. Plus, Kansas City allowed both Smith-Schuster and Hardman to walk in a depressed free agency market without much resistance.
“I know we’re comfortable with the guys we have,” Reid told Taylor at the League Meeting.
During the 2023 NFL Combine, Veach also admitted that Mahomes’ 2022 MVP campaign “kind of validates our approach.”
“I think last year was a good turning point for our team,” the GM explained. “We saw a lot of different coverages and teams forced us to play patient. When we looked at that trade last year, I think, in our mindset, we knew [we] were not going to find another Tyreek Hill. The cool thing and the advantage we had is that Pat can play any style of football. He can work with bigger receivers and play the small game if we have to. Speed and athleticism, versatility will always be at the top of our list. But really, we just wanted to collect good players.”
Chiefs Have High Expectations for WR Kadarius Toney
One more thing that was clear from Taylor’s conversation with Reid was that the Chiefs have very high expectations for Kadarius Toney in 2023.
“Really, KT [Toney] for the most part was a rookie [last year] — new offense, he missed a few games his first year and he missed a few games the second year,” Big Red reasoned. “I think just being familiar with what we’re doing will help.”
No one doubts the former first-round pick’s talent. It’s his injury history that’s a bit concerning when talking about him as a WR1.
Toney has appeared in 19 games over his first two seasons, with three additional playoff appearances in winter of 2023. Over that span — and often being utilized in a limited capacity — the Florida product has averaged 31.1 yards per game with a catch rate of 71.4%.
It’s a major leap of faith from Reid and Veach heading into the 2023 campaign, but then again, a leap of faith led to another Chiefs Super Bowl title a season ago.