Chiefs rumors: First post-draft free company transfer is an apparent one
The Chiefs had a stable draft weekend because the host metropolis, however their first transfer after on the free-agent market was simple to see coming.
With the NFL Draft of their yard, the Kansas City Chiefs made a pleasant exhibiting for themselves because the Tremendous Bowl champions needed to struggle an uphill battle on the subject of the draft, selecting on the finish of the primary and second rounds. So to stroll away with some actual expertise like Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Rashee Rice and Wanya Morris, amongst others, that may assist the champs immediately is sweet.
However one noticeable omission from the Chiefs draft class was a operating again. Regardless of having solely Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the latter of which has grown out of favor in Kansas Metropolis, on the roster, the franchise didn’t add one other participant to the backfield within the draft.
Clearly, that was a value-based transfer by Brett Veach and the entrance workplace, one which that they had a ready-and-waiting Plan B for if issues transpired on this manner.
On Monday, they put that into motion with phrase breaking, by way of NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport, that the Chiefs are planning to re-sign and convey again operating again Jerick McKinnon for the 2023 season.
Chiefs rumors: Jerick McKinnon returning to Kansas Metropolis
As a rusher in Kansas Metropolis final yr, McKinnon didn’t make a lot noise as he rushed simply 72 instances for 291 yards and a landing. Nonetheless, he thrived because the pass-catching possibility out of the backfield, catching 56 of his 71 targets for 512 yards and 9 touchdowns on the season.
Particularly with the underperformance of Edwards-Helaire since he was drafted within the first spherical, the Chiefs want a dependable pass-catcher out of the backfield, one thing Pacheco doesn’t essentially supply. So it was completely apparent that, after this draft, that they’d carry again a participant who was efficient in that position and accustomed to the offense.
McKinnon, furthermore, was a Tremendous Bowl hero, falling down in need of the objective line with an open lane to the tip zone within the last minutes with the intention to arrange the game-winning subject objective, an exceptionally savvy transfer that gave Mahomes and Kansas Metropolis a second Tremendous Bowl of this period.
He won’t be the long-term possibility however, to fill the roster gap, re-signing McKinnon was a simple transfer for the entrance workplace to make. And doing so instantly after the draft exhibits that was the plan all alongside relying on how the draft fell.
