It is blatantly obvious that the Kansas City Chiefs need another wide receiver, as not even Patrick Mahomes can manage with such a pedestrian supply of weapons.
The issue is that the Chiefs are not going to have a whole lot of cap room this offseason, so finding legitimate answers on the free-agent market may be difficult.
However, there should be some intriguing affordable options available, and Ian Valentino of The 33rd Team envisions Kansas City landing a very reliable veteran: Keenan Allen.
“After Allen had spent 11 seasons facing Kansas City, the Chiefs could look to swap out one older receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, with another in Allen,” Valentino wrote. “Hopkins was a bust of an acquisition, and the uncertain future of Hollywood Brown and instability with Rashee Rice means the Chiefs need another body who can win from the slot at a reasonable price. Reliability at the catch point and comfort finding soft spots in the defense is an especially attractive part of Allen’s fit with Kansas City. This would likely be a short-term deal that helps the Chiefs look to reload in the wake of their Super Bowl defeat.”
While going down the risky path of bringing in another aging receiver may sound like the same old story for the Chiefs, Allen may be a different case.
The 32-year-old caught 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns with the Chicago Bears this past season, and Allen is two years removed from hauling in 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven scores with the Los Angeles Chargers. He made his sixth trip to the Pro Bowl that season.
Allen spent the first 11 years of his career with the Chargers, posting six 1,000-yard campaigns. He topped out at 1,393 yards back in 2017.
Is the University of California still that same guy? No, but he is a better option than most of what Kansas City currently has, and we at least know that he is a dependable target.
The Chiefs should also look to add more weaponry in the NFL Draft, but as far as realistic options go, Allen may be one of the best-case scenarios for Kansas City.