Kansas City Chiefs Make Great Move Signing Jeremy Maclin

The Kansas City Chiefs entered this off season with arguably the most obvious need at a single position in the NFL. Their hole at the wide receiver position was massive throughout the 2014 season, and the Chiefs knew that they had to address that need this off season.

In a move first reported by Chris Mortensen of ESPN, the Chiefs will sign veteran free agent receiver Jeremy Maclin, reuniting him with his former head coach Andy Reid. The 26-year-old Maclin will be joining the Chiefs after spending the first six seasons of his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles. This move is a major step in the right direction in repairing the Chiefs’ receiving core.

More from Kansas City Chiefs

Maclin tore the ACL on his right knee before the 2013 season, costing him the entire year. He bounced back with the best season of his career in 2014, hauling in 85 receptions for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns. Maclin was a dangerous deep threat for the Eagles last season bringing in 15.4 yards per reception, while also showing incredible dependability in short and intermediate routes.

Maclin is one of the best pure route runners that the NFL has to offer. He has the speed and agility to create space against man-to-man coverage, and the field awareness to find the open spots on the field when the defense is in zone coverage.

He also has some of the most reliable hands of any receiver in the NFL. With only one drop on 143 targets last season, Maclin had the league’s lowest drop rate according to Pro Football Focus. His obvious route running ability and incredibly reliable hands will certainly be a make Maclin a welcomed addition for quarterback Alex Smith.

Everybody knows the stat, the Chiefs did not complete a single touchdown pass to a wide receiver in 2014. That is a mind-blowing stat in a modern NFL where teams consistently throw the ball all over the field. Despite his lack of ideal size for the position (6’0”, 200 pounds), Maclin uses his skills very well in the red zone, and is a consistent performer near the goal line. With his big play and red zone abilities, it is a fair bet that Maclin will reach the end zone at least a handful of times with the Chiefs next season.

The signing of Maclin allows the Chiefs many options for the rest of the off season. While their less than ideal salary cap situation likely holds the team back from landing any more marquee free agents, the Chiefs are likely to have plenty of chances to make some noise in the draft.

According to overthecap.com, the Chiefs are projected to receive four compensatory picks in the 2015 NFL Draft. While these picks are not official, after losing a ton of key players to free agency last season, they are surely going to receive some draft pick compensation.

The extra picks could allow the Chiefs to be very aggressive in the draft. If there is a player they highly covet in the first round, the Chiefs are very likely to have the ammunition to be able to trade up for him.

While they will certainly still have to address the wide receiver position at some point in the draft, the acquisition of Maclin allows them more flexibility in the first round. They were constantly connected to first round wide receiver options before, but they now have the option of waiting until the middle rounds for wide receivers. A first round offensive lineman or cornerback would make a ton of sense for Kansas City.

More than anything, the addition of Maclin gives the Chiefs a much-needed dynamic weapon on the outside. He is a proven receiver who gives their passing game a legitimate number one option.

With a talented defense, and an already much improved offense, the Chiefs could quickly become contenders in the AFC once again next season.

Next: Travis Kelce Ready to Breakout in 2015?

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Kansas City Chiefs