After the opening of the legal tampering period was not a fruitful day for the wide receiver market, things started to heat up on Tuesday morning.
Former Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers signed a three-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders worth $33 million and $21 million in guaranteed money. Former Green Bay Packers WR Allen Lazard is in talks to join the New York Jets. He’ll reportedly sign a four-year contract worth $44 million with $22 million in guaranteed money. Both were perceived to be among the top free agent receivers in this class along with Kansas City Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster.
What exactly does this market movement mean for Smith-Schuster and the Chiefs’ attempts to retain him?
Well, the deal that Meyers signed isn’t too dissimilar to what Marquez Valdes-Scantling signed with Kansas City a year ago outside of the guaranteed salary. It’s certainly far and away from the outlandish contracts that players at the position saw in free agency last season. Does a slow-moving wide receiver market without any big contracts help the Chiefs or hurt them?
Right now it looks like the Chiefs could possibly find themselves getting a deal if the market holds. Smith-Schuster’s valuation from OverTheCap put him right around $9 million per year on average in free agency. Kansas City could likely offer Smith-Schuster a similar contract to what Meyers signed without budging too much. They could also sweeten the pot and likely make him one of the higher-paid receivers in this free agent class.
The good news all around is that the wide receiver market beginning to move will help Kansas City know where they stand and when they need to pivot if a deal with Smith-Schuster isn’t going to materialize. The framework for a deal is there with Meyers and Lazard now off the board.
