3 Biggest Offseason Priorities for the Kansas City Chiefs

1 –Wide Receiver

The Kansas City Chiefs, more than anything else, need another wide receiver to put a lot more pressure on opposing defenses. Kansas City’s offense clearly improved over the course of the 2013 season. In the first half of the season, the Chiefs won with their defense, but in the second half, quarterback Alex Smith made some considerable forward strides. He looked capable of being the man who can lead this team to the Super Bowl in the future. He was able to perform well on a sustained basis, enough to keep the Chiefs competitive with the Denver Broncos on Dec. 1 in a game that exposed the limitations of Kansas City’s defense. Smith then led Kansas City to a 38-10 lead in the AFC wild card round against the Indianapolis Colts, only to see his defense falter and his offense get ravaged by injuries. Smith is no longer the liability many people thought he was before this season began. With Jamaal Charles in the backfield and Dwayne Bowe at receiver, most of the pieces are in place for this offense to be legitimately good in 2014.

What’s the missing piece? A second quality wideout. The Chiefs had too many players (think of Donnie Avery) drop passes over the course of the season in big games. Another stud is needed to help Bowe on the perimeter and give Smith a target he can depend on in a pressure-packed situation. If the Chiefs get a physically gifted receiver, they’ll be able to play the Broncos on more even terms and maybe cash in as a quality play at Northbet.

2 –Pass Rushers

The Chiefs’ defense was assembled well in 2013, but as soon as Tamba Hali and Justin Houston got injured, the pass rush evaporated. Kansas City has to get some reinforcements in this aspect of football. Whether at the defensive end spot or the outside linebacker position, the Chiefs need more edge rushers who can harass Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers. Without an additional pass rushing specialist, Kansas City will probably be outgunned a few times in the AFC West in 2014. The organization needs to deal with this weakness sooner rather than later. That’s why their NFL futures are so low at Northbet.

3 –Cornerback

The tenor of the Chiefs’ season changed on Dec. 1 in a 35-28 loss at home to Denver, the team that just won the AFC championship. The Chiefs lost their shot at the division title and home-field advantage in the playoffs when they lost that game, and it was in that contest that rookie cornerback Marcus Cooper got eviscerated by Peyton Manning, who picked on him all evening long. The Chiefs’ secondary then got blitzed by Indianapolis’ passing game in the AFC playoffs, enough to turn a 38-10 lead into a 45-44 loss. Eric Berry is a great safety, but the Chiefs’ corners are weak. This has to be a priority in the draft or free agency.