Should The Kansas City Chiefs Sign A Veteran Receiver?

Coming into the off-season the Kansas City Chiefs perceived weakness on offense was the wide receiver position. After not scoring a touchdown as a group there was a clear need for upgrades across the board. It was also obvious that Dwayne Bowe‘s time with the Chiefs was coming to a close and they needed to find a replacement for him quickly. Bowe was released before his big-time bonus kicked in and was subsequently signed by the Cleveland Browns.

The Chiefs went out and spent big money on free-agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles. Maclin was signed to a five-year, $55 million dollar deal with $22.5 million of that guaranteed.

The former University of Missouri Tiger was drafted by Andy Reid in 2009 in the first round and when healthy is one of the better receivers in the league. In his first season as the Eagles de facto number one receiver in 2014, he put up superstar numbers to the tune of 85 catches, 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Chiefs also used one of their early round draft picks on a wide receiver. Chris Conley from the University of Georgia was selected in the third round and is expected to compete for a starting position. Conley’s competition alongside Jeremy Maclin our veteran receiver Jason Avant and second-year receiver Albert Wilson. Avant is a 32 year old possession receiver and Wilson projects more as a slot receiver so if Conley is as good as the Chiefs think he should win the job opposite Maclin.

The Chiefs do not seem all that concerned about the wide receiver position after adding those two new recruits to the group. Still, if they have the chance to strengthen the position by adding a veteran receiver they should take that chance.

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Two intriguing receivers that the Chiefs should look into signing are James Jones of the Oakland Raiders and Reggie Wayne of the Indianapolis Colts. Wayne has the much better resume of the two but Jones is six years younger and is the more dynamic receiver at this point in their careers. Jones was a surprise cut by the Raiders after being the team’s leading receiver last season. His numbers do not jump off the page but he was a solid option for a rookie quarterback in what was the NFL’s worst offense.

Wayne also saw his workload greatly reduced as the Colts young receivers came to the forefront. TY Hilton took over as the number one receiver and Donte Moncrief began to emerge as a good second option. Still, Wayne put up excellent numbers as the number two/three receiver and can still be a reliable receiver (64 catches for 779 yards).

At this point in his career Wayne will likely be looking to sign with a Super Bowl contender which is a label that few have given to the Chiefs despite the upgrades to their offense. Of the two veteran players, Jones is the better option and better fit for the Chiefs offense.

The team could simply opt to roll with the players they have at the position now but the NFL is a meritocracy and if there is a better option out there then the Chiefs will certainly look into that. Even if it is not Jones or Wayne the Chiefs should bring in another receiver to further strengthen the group.

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