KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The cash-strapped Kansas City Chiefs were quiet on the first day of NFL free agency with their biggest move Wednesday a restructuring of defensive end Frank Clark’s contract in an effort to alleviate some of their financial misery.
Similar moves could be made in the coming days, potentially for wide receiver Sammy Watkins and offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif as the Super Bowl champions try to free up the resources to bolster their defense in free agency and sign star quarterback Patrick Mahomes to what could be a record-setting extension.
The Chiefs also have to decide what to do with Chris Jones, who was given the franchise tag earlier this week and would need to be offered a one-year deal worth at least $16,126,000. The problem is that number is almost untenable for Kansas City, which means general manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid have to decide whether to reach a long-term deal with him — something they failed to do last offseason — or attempt to trade him to a team with more cap space.