It has become increasingly difficult to criticize the Kansas City Chiefs.
First, the defense wasn’t good enough to win a championship. Then just about every draft pick on that side of the ball contributed to a title. Next, Patrick Mahomes was tasked with winning a Super Bowl with perhaps the league’s worst receiving corps. He hoisted a Lombardi Trophy anyway.
Thus, it probably isn’t worth ripping Kansas City for some flaw Mahomes will end up covering.
One small improvement, though, could be winning along the margins by turning cheap free agent deals into draft compensation. With Bailey Zappe’s roster spot not guaranteed, there is room for head coach Andy Reid to identify a fourth quarterback to the room (as the team signed Gardner Minshew this spring).
The Chiefs were urged to sign 2022 third-round quarterback Desmond Ridder as depth behind Mahomes.
“Signing Ridder is about taking a bust under the wing of Andy Reid and Mahomes,” Nick Halden wrote. “For next to nothing, you can see if it is a possible reclamation project or if you’re better off retaining Zappe. The only upside of having Ridder on the roster over Zappe is the quarterback’s ability to scramble. If the Chiefs ever have a third quarterback on the active gameday roster, you could potentially use Ridder to quarterback sneak, something the Chiefs notably refuse to do with Patrick Mahomes.”
Taking on such a project makes a little more sense in a free agent class laden with toolsy passers with exciting upside. Trey Lance and Joe Milton III, for example, both found new homes in the offseason.
Still, a flyer on Ridder makes some sense. Among the free agents available, he has the best case for some miraculous development. As Halden notes, there is a path to playing time given his mobility that was frequently used with the Atlanta Falcons.
Further, Ridder spent last season with the Las Vegas Raiders, stepping in after Minshew went down. That familiarity might make a match a little more enticing.
“At worst, you’ve added a failed quarterback you can quickly pivot away from if you don’t believe there is any value there,” he continued. “At the very least, you push Zappe and give Kansas City fans an interesting wildcard to watch in camp and preseason.”
Signing Ridder shouldn’t be considered likely. It wouldn’t be a home run of a late-stage signing, either. But given the (lack of) cost and potential to either help Kansas City or turn into a trade chip, the acquisition should be welcomed if it comes to fruition.
