The Kansas City Chiefs’ decisions in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft have impacted their ability to land top free agents following the draft.
Fans were taken aback when Melvin Ingram opted to sign with the Miami Dolphins over returning to the Chiefs. The same reaction happened on Wednesday when James Bradberry agreed to terms with the Philadelphia Eagles. Kansas City had been linked to both players over the course of the offseason, but why didn’t either end up with the team? It can simply be boiled down to opportunity.
Bradberry signed with the Eagles and instantly landed atop their depth chart. That wouldn’t have happened had he signed in Kansas City. He would’ve been competing for playing time with a rookie first-round pick like Trent McDuffie at the bare minimum. Never mind that the team also has Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson and even Lonnie Johnson in the mix. Oh and then there are established veterans like L’Jarius Sneed and Rashad Fenton. Even if the Chiefs had matched a pricey one-year deal for Bradberry, why would he opt for such a competitive situation?
