The Kansas City Chiefs are currently focused on their upcoming matchup against the Miami Dolphins this weekend. However, regardless of the outcome in the 2024 NFL Playoffs, it is widely acknowledged that the Chiefs need to enhance their wide receiver position during the upcoming spring.
On January 10, Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department proposed two potential strategies for the Chiefs to address this need. The first option involves a significant financial investment in a highly consistent veteran, specifically pointing to Tampa Bay Buccaneers impending free agent Mike Evans.
Bleacher Report justified this suggestion by expressing reservations about the Chiefs’ wide receiver group’s performance in the past season, aside from Rashee Rice. The report noted issues such as frequent costly drops and a lack of notable contributions from other promising prospects, emphasizing the need for a substantial upgrade.
The site continued to highlight that Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes form a solid foundation for the Chiefs’ passing attack, but it argued that signing a veteran like Mike Evans could potentially restore the Chiefs’ offense to its previous level of success.
Notably, this isn’t the first time the Chiefs have been linked to Evans, a star player who played a crucial role in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Super Bowl victory over the Chiefs in 2020. However, in 2024, Evans is expected to become an unrestricted free agent, which opens up the possibility for Kansas City to pursue him in the upcoming offseason.
Financially, the Chiefs seem to have the means to afford Mike Evans in 2024. According to Over the Cap, Kansas City is projected to have a little over $34.8 million in available cap space in the next spring, although decisions like the one involving Chris Jones will influence the final amount.
If Chris Jones opts to leave the Chiefs in pursuit of a higher salary than Kansas City is willing to offer, the team might explore making a significant acquisition elsewhere, with Mike Evans being a prime candidate.
The Bleacher Report emphasized Evans’s remarkable consistency, noting that he has achieved at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of his initial ten seasons. The report further highlighted Evans’s impressive earnings, surpassing $95 million (including incentives) following an $82.5 million extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to Over the Cap (OTC), this represented a contract percentage earned of 116%.
Achieving the level of return on investment that Mike Evans has demonstrated is relatively uncommon in the NFL. Evans’s consistency, production, and financial efficiency make him stand out in the league.
Beyond his financial value, Evans also brings playoff experience to the table, providing an additional asset for any team considering his acquisition. His stature at 6-foot-5 aligns with the Kansas City Chiefs’ need for an outside wide receiver.
The potential to save $10 million by releasing WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling in 2024, coupled with the available cap space of $34.8 million, creates a financial scenario where the Chiefs could feasibly afford Mike Evans in the 2024 free agency period. The suggestion is that the Chiefs, under the management of general manager Brett Veach, should consider making a significant investment in this position to enhance the support for Patrick Mahomes.
Bleacher Report concluded their article by suggesting that if Mike Evans expresses interest in leaving Tampa, the Chiefs should actively pursue him. This recommendation is likely to resonate with many Kansas City fans.
The second option proposed by Bleacher Report involves the Chiefs continuing their strategy of spending premium draft picks on wide receivers. The report specifically highlights the need for the team to find a true X receiver capable of making downfield plays. It points to the potential fit of 6’4″, 215-pound Keon Coleman in this role, as assessed by Bleacher Report’s draft scout Derrik Klassen. This alternative suggests focusing on the NFL Draft to address the team’s requirements at the wide receiver position.
Keon Coleman, a two-year starter who transferred from Michigan State to Florida State in 2023, is currently projected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick in the upcoming draft. This projection suggests that acquiring him would require another premium selection spent on the wide receiver position for the Kansas City Chiefs.
General Manager Brett Veach has previously invested in wide receiver prospects in the draft, including Skyy Moore and Rashee Rice in the second round, as well as trading draft capital for Kadarius Toney. If the Chiefs choose to target Coleman in the 2024 draft, they will continue to prioritize youthful talent at the wide receiver position.
The unpredictability of draft picks and their ability to meet expectations is acknowledged. However, Derrik Klassen, in his scouting report, described Coleman as fitting the criteria for teams seeking a top target outside the numbers. Klassen highlighted Coleman’s physicality, ball skills, high floor, and potential to make a significant impact down the field and with the ball in his hands.
