Kansas City Chiefs: Top 3 Free Agents To Target This Offseason

What in the world is taking the Kansas City Chiefs so long to lock up Justin Houston to a long term deal?

The linebacker went into the final game of the season with 18 sacks and used the San Diego backfield as his own personal playground, taking Philip Rivers down four times.

Even if the stud pass rushers finished the season without a sack in the final game, he certainly had enough leverage to work a new deal with the team after completing his rookie contract. Now, he plays a waiting game and expects to get plenty of attention from teams in need of a dominant edge rusher (Pittsburgh, Jacksonville).

The thought is the Chiefs want to play Houston on one side and Dee Ford on the other of the defensive line, possibly meaning Tamba Hali would be traded in the off season.

According to profootballtalk.com, with the negotiating gap between the team and player now likely to get even bigger and with the injury risk gone until next September, look for the Chiefs to use the franchise tag on Houston.

That is only one of the team’s issues this off season.

Kansas City finished the season without throwing a touchdown to a wide receiver. That is unheard of and hard to believe over a 16-game schedule. The Chiefs’ receiving corps does nothing to scare any secondary in the league, so finding quality pass catchers has become paramount in free agency and the NFL Draft.

And if there is some question about the quarterback position, where Alex Smith had a good season (3,265 yards and 18 touchdowns), there is a belief he may need to be pushed in camp. Maybe the Chiefs find the signal caller of the future.

In any event, here are three free agents the team may target this summer.