The Kansas City Chiefs have been the model of consistency the past few years. They're currently just one game away from winning their fourth Super Bowl since 2019 and the fifth overall in franchise history. While they owe their success to plenty of things, including the presence of Patrick Mahomes, there's something their front office has been doing that's routinely given the Chiefs an edge. The Jacksonville Jaguars should based on moves they made in recent years.
The Chiefs have no shortage of talent, and many of their players, including Mahomes, rank in the top 10 salaries at their respective positions. However, general manager Brett Veach has a methodical approach to paying and retaining players.
Veach got ahead of the curve and gave Mahomes a 10-year contract before he needed to. Similarly, he didn't hesitate to pay a premium for right tackle Jawaan Taylor in free agency. On the other hand, he has let key contributors walk. Three of the most notable examples are wide receiver Tyreek Hill, edge rusher Frank Clark, and cornerback L'Jarious Sneed.
All three were pivotal pieces for the Chiefs, but Veach knew he couldn't pay them without dealing with a cap crunch. Ultimately, he traded Hill and Sneed and let Clark walk in free agency. Even after moving on from them, Kansas City remained at the top. Could they use them? Most definitely, but instead of signing them and experiencing a precarious cap situation like the one the New Orleans Saints endure on a yearly basis, they chose to be fiscally responsible.
The one thing that makes the Chiefs approach work
Of course, the approach works because the Kansas City Chiefs are great at replenishing their roster. Sure, players like Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones are irreplaceable, that's why they're still around. But even with Jones, Brett Veach didn't cave into his salary demands in 2023 and waited for the appropriate time to give him a new contract.
Going back to the Chiefs' ability to hoard talent, Veach does a great job of finding replacements for the players who leave. Many of them aren't nearly as good but because Kansas City has a foundation to build upon, it doesn't matter. Having a head coach like Andy Reid certainly helps, but the front office deserves recognition for keeping the essential pieces in place and moving on from the ones that are expendable.
The Jaguars struggle to identify what players to pay and which ones to keep
While the Kansas City Chiefs generally do a good job of revamping their roster, the Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled with cap management. Former general manager Trent Baalke made several mistakes throughout his tenure, but he consistently looked for ways to keep the team's homegrown talent. That's something he deserves praise for and his predecessor, Dave Caldwell, failed to do.
Baalke rightly paid Trevor Lawrence two years before he was set to hit free agency. The former Clemson Tiger still has to live up to his five-year deal worth $275 million, but based on the duration and how the money is spread, the contract doesn't look that bad. It will look even better once he plays like the top-10 quarterback he is.
Similarly, Baalke paid offensive tackle Walker Little and cornerback Tyson Campbell before they were scheduled to hit the open market. Ditto Evan Engram, who's been one of the best tight ends in the league since landing in Jacksonville in 2022. Having said that, the former general manager also overpaid for several players, but homegrown and free agents, and didn't get a big return on their investment.
For instance, right guard Brandon Scherff, wide receivers Christian Kik and Zay Jones, and defensive end Josh Hines-Allen, got premium deals, and all of them have had their moments, but can you say that any of them are the top players at their respective positions? Brett Veach would never give "great player money" to good players.
To make matters worse, Baalke restructured several contracts in a way that players still have a cap hit even if they're no longer on the roster. Simply put, he got immediate relief but long-term didn't leave the team in good cap shape. That's not the main reason he got kicked to the curb, but it certainly played a role.
As of this writing, the Jaguars are in search of Trent Baalke's successor. Whoever ends up getting the job should pay close attention to what Brett Veach and the Chiefs have been doing to be perennial Super Bowl contenders.