The Kansas City Chiefs have effectively managed their free agent departures in 2024. If you asked a KC fan how they would have felt about Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed both being under contract on March 22, some might not have believed it was possible.
A championship roster will always experience some losses, and one Chiefs departure has been highlighted as the “best bargain signing” of free agency so far. ESPN staff writer Matt Bowen made the call on March 22, choosing Willie Gay Jr. to the New Orleans Saints as the best bargain addition in 2024.
“Saints signing LB Willie Gay to a one-year, $3 million deal (with a max value of $5 million),” Bowen answered during the ESPN discussion. “This is a value move for the Saints, adding a 26-year-old second-level defender with pursuit speed and the ability to match defenders in space.”
He added that “in Dennis Allen’s system, Gay will be put in a position to produce as an off-ball linebacker with sub-package versatility.”
Ex-Chiefs LB Willie Gay Should Get Opportunity to Play More Snaps With Saints
Bowen is right to choose Gay here. Outside of some injury history, the former second-round talent could end up being a steal at just $3-to-$5 million.
Although Gay technically started 15 games for the Chiefs in 2023, he was typically only on the field for less than 40 defensive snaps. According to Pro Football Focus, the two-time Super Bowl champion only played 40 or more snaps in six outings last year.
During the playoffs, Gay only registered snap counts of 23 (vs. Miami Dolphins), 11 (at Buffalo Bills) and 39 (Super Bowl).
Kansas City opted to keep veteran Drue Tranquill over Gay, considering Tranquill’s versatility and availability as potential reasons for letting Gay walk.
This could be a win-win departure. Gay will probably get a greater share of the snap count alongside an aging Demario Davis and Pete Werner rather than some combination of Nick Bolton, Tranquill, and Leo Chenal.
The Chiefs are particularly deep at the linebacker position, so this mutual parting of ways made a lot of sense for both parties.
Ex-NFL GM Credits Chiefs With ‘Best Bargain Signing’
In the same ESPN article, former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum chose wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown as his top “bargain” signing.
“Chiefs signing WR Marquise Brown to a one-year deal worth up to $11 million,” Tannenbaum replied for this section.
“He is 26 and has 28 career touchdowns, bringing an explosive element to the Chiefs’ offense that they were hoping to get with Marquez Valdes-Scantling,” he reasoned. “With TE Travis Kelce and WR Rashee Rice doing a lot of the underneath work, Brown should thrive as the deep threat in this offense.”
As Tannenbaum stated, Brown feels like the perfect upgrade on “MVS” — who never really produced in KC despite the team success while he was here. Early on in the offseason, this move has received high praise all around.
One ESPN colleague even called Brown to Kansas City the “best overall” addition during free agency, and maybe this is the deal that gets this Chiefs offense going again after a disappointing 2023 season.
