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Brace yourselves — the Kansas City Chiefs takes are starting to get a bit wild with NFL free agency just around the corner.
During a February 20 edition of ESPN’s Get Up, NFL reporter Jeff Darlington stated that he “would rather [wide receiver] Mike Evans on [the Chiefs] offense than Chris Jones on [their] defense.”
“This is a team that redefined themselves from one year to the next, right?” Darlington explained. “We saw them flip-flop. They were an offensive team that won the Super Bowl two years ago, they were a defensive team that won it this year.”
“I also recognize that they did it without Tyreek Hill,” he added, concluding: “They’ve got to put weapons around [Patrick] Mahomes. They can’t fall into this trap where they believe that they can just win Super Bowls year after year without weapons.”
Jeff Darlington Walks Back Chiefs Comments Involving Mike Evans & Chris Jones Slightly on X
After ESPN Get Up posted the video clip on X, Darlington responded — walking back his comments slightly.
“I was baited by Mike [Tannenbaum]! 😂,” he clarified. “The Chiefs should sign BOTH players — and they can find a way. But I do believe wide receiver should remain the number one priority this off-season, especially if they can’t get a long-term deal done with Jones.”
Even that is a stretch. No disrespect to one of the most consistent pass-catchers in football, but Jones is a three-time Super Bowl champion who is quite possibly the most important piece of the Chiefs’ defensive side of the roster.
Kansas City has already proven they can win without an elite big-name wide receiver twice because of Mahomes, Travis Kelce and head coach Andy Reid, among others. Can the same be said about Jones?
Remember, there’s no Mahomes or Kelce to help fill the void on defense without the integral game-wrecker — which makes retaining him potentially more important than any offensive addition.
On the February 19 edition of ESPN’s Get Up, NFL insider Dan Graziano countered that Jones should be second only to Mahomes as far as the Chiefs are concerned.
“I think he’s their second most important player, honestly, after the quarterback,” Graziano said of Jones, noting that he doesn’t see a three-peat happening without the defensive lineman in the mix.
“I just don’t know how you can watch what they did in the Super Bowl and not understand the significance and the impact he had,” the insider added. Continuing: “I don’t think it’s understating it to say he is their pass rush.”
Graziano also voiced that cornerback L’Jarius Sneed is more easily replaceable than Jones because of younger CBs like Trent McDuffie, Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson and more that are already developing nicely inside the organization.
Mike Evans Would Be Phenomenal Fit for Chiefs Alongside Patrick Mahomes
Now, let’s say Jones is already extended, few Chiefs fans are arguing against signing Evans as a supplemental piece.
Over the Cap currently estimates that Kansas City has a little over $15 million in available cap space with the ability to free up more. And who wouldn’t want to pair a 10-time 1,000-yard WR with Mahomes if the front office can afford to do so?
A formula to sign Evans would likely involve releasing Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson — freeing up a combined $13.97 million — restructuring Mahomes’ contract (another potential $37 million freed) and letting Sneed walk in free agency.
All of that could create the necessary space to sign both Jones and Evans to new lucrative contracts — assuming the Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar hits the open market.
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