The Kansas City Chiefs’ first acquisition in free agency was made to strengthen their tight end corps, as the team agreed to terms with free agent Irv Smith Jr. on a one-year deal Tuesday, a league source told The Athletic.
Although the move doesn’t address one of the team’s biggest roster needs — receiver, left tackle or defensive end — Smith should be a rotational contributor for the Chiefs offense.
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The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Smith was rated the 91st-best free agent available this offseason by The Athletic’s Randy Mueller.
“A surprise in a good way for me, Smith is a borderline starting tight end, but he’s more skilled than that, and increased usage would improve his numbers,” Mueller wrote. “He’s very capable of being an option as a move tight end or H-back. He runs well and can stretch the field, which could make him a value signing.”
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How he fits
Based on Mueller’s evaluation, Smith appears to be the ideal backup tight end for the Chiefs, a player who can help reduce the snap count for Travis Kelce, who is 34 years old.
Coach Andy Reid loves to line up his tight ends in various spots along the line of scrimmage. Smith could be used alongside Kelce and Noah Gray, a three-year veteran.
Last season, Smith played in 12 games for the Cincinnati Bengals, generating 18 receptions on 26 targets for 115 yards and a touchdown. Even with the Chiefs preferring to have three tight ends, Smith’s production could increase in 2024, as he was interested in playing with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the MVP of Super Bowl LVIII.
Irv Smith Jr. opening drive TD!
📺: #BUFvsCIN on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/T6GLEfxpQv pic.twitter.com/8Irk3KWEOQ— NFL (@NFL) November 6, 2023
2024 impact
Four years into his career, Smith, 25, is still looking to have a big season. Since the Minnesota Vikings selected him with the 50th pick in the 2019 draft, he has played in every game in a season just once — as a rookie. If Smith can stay healthy, he could be running routes next to Kelce, which should give him plenty of one-on-one opportunities. As a blocker, Smith is solid and can be used on the edge as part of a double-team block for running back Isiah Pacheco.
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“Every year, Noah has gotten better and he’s very close with Travis, but there’s not much (general manager) Brett Veach is going to miss, so he keeps his eyes on all of that,” coach Andy Reid said last month at the NFL combine. “I think if you manage Travis the right way, there’s still good production there. I would be the first one to tell him if I didn’t think there was. We have to manage him the right way. You can’t be in there every rep. I know you want to be, but you can’t — but you’re going to have a great fourth quarter.”
The arrival of Smith likely means the Chiefs will not retain Blake Bell, a nine-year veteran, and Jody Fortson, a three-year veteran who is expected to become an unrestricted free agent Wednesday when the new league year begins.
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History
Smith was a second-round pick by the Vikings in the 2019 draft and spent his first three seasons with Minnesota before signing with the Bengals last March. The Louisiana native played his college ball at Alabama.
Draft outlook
When the Chiefs left the combine, tight end appeared to be a higher priority in free agency than in the draft.
“Tight end, I don’t think, is as good as it has been (in previous years),” Veach said last month of this year’s prospects. “I think the tight end class is thin. Hopefully, Travis can play another 10 years (with laughter), but he’s amazing. He was very symbolic of our whole team. The team found another gear, another level late and that was just what Travis did.”
Here's new Chiefs tight end Irv Smith Jr.'s write up from the 2019 (!!!) Draft Guide. pic.twitter.com/qPJcgFpjA8
— Kent Swanson (@kent_swanson) March 12, 2024
Cap update
Smith is not expected to take up much of the Chiefs’ salary-cap sheet. It’s possible Smith agreed to a one-year “prove-it” deal to help elevate his earning potential next year in free agency by showcasing his skills on a Super Bowl contender.
The Chiefs still need to create salary-cap space. Entering Tuesday, the team was projected to be $5.65 million over the limit, according to Over the Cap. That projection is after the Chiefs re-signed pass rusher Chris Jones to a five-year, $158.75 million contract, including $60 fully guaranteed.
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The Chiefs could create cap space by trading cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who is on the team’s franchise tag, restricting him to a one-year salary of $19.8 million. They could also convert a sizable amount of the roster bonus in Mahomes’ contract into a signing bonus. The same could be done with left guard Joe Thuney’s contract.
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Outlook
By acquiring Smith, the Chiefs maintained one of the core elements of their offense: the use of multiple, versatile tight ends.
Last season, the Chiefs had 598 pass attempts with at least two tight ends on the field, which ranked fifth, according to TruMedia. The Chiefs are hopeful that Smith’s skills will allow their passer rating on such plays, 90.2 (ranked 16th), to improve next season.
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(Photo: Katie Stratman / USA Today)
