Kansas City Chiefs should sign free agent cornerback Morris Claiborne

Free agent cornerback Morris Claiborne is an obvious fit for the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Kansas City Chiefs had major issues on the defensive side of the ball last season. In fact, they allowed the second-most total yards per game last season (405.5) which led to the ninth-most total points allowed in the entire league (26.3).

Their inability to stop opposing passing attacks was a major reason for their defensive issues (second-most passing yards allowed per game with 273.4). It was also the primary reason they lost the AFC Championship Game to the New England Patriots.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense was able to score at will last season, but their defense could not consistently make stops all season long. It was the downfall of this team and the sole reason they did not compete for a Super Bowl championship.

This off season, the Chiefs have drastically changed their defensive plan of attack. New defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is bringing his 4-3 defense to Kansas City and should be more adaptable to change than former defensive coordinator Bob Sutton. Spagnuolo is an extremely well-respected defensive coach who should be able to get this unit back on track.

The Kansas City Chiefs also made many personnel changes on the defensive side of the ball. They signed Tyrann Mathieu who is a big-time playmaker in the secondary who should help the Chiefs against the run and the pass. They also made a trade for Frank Clark is one of the most gifted edge rushers in the entire NFL and will undoubtedly make an impact in Kansas City.

The Chiefs also brought in talented defenders like Alex Okafor, Emmanuel Ogbah, Jeremiah Attaochu, Darron Lee and rookie Juan Thornhill, each of who can help them on the defensive side of the ball. Losing guys like Eric Berry, Justin Houston and Dee Ford could hurt, but the Chiefs have done a nice job of replacing their aging defenders with higher upside players.

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Simply put, the Kansas City Chiefs have done a nice job of addressing their defensive issues this off season. That being said, cornerback still stands out as a major area of need for this team.

The Chiefs have not put enough resources into the cornerback position this off season. The signing of Bashaud Breeland should help, but it simply is not enough. The bulk of free agency is over, but there are still value signings to be made. At this point, bringing in Morris Claiborne would make a lot of sense for Kansas City.

Claiborne is a talented man-to-man cornerback who is a rock-solid starter on the outside. He once looked like a major NFL draft bust, but Claiborne has worked to turn his career around and became a solid starter for the New York Jets.

Claiborne is not a shut-down cornerback on the outside, but he is a guy who you can rely on in man-to-man coverage against most NFL wide receivers. The options are limited this late in free agency, but Claiborne is a good player who would undoubtedly make this unit look better.

A starting trio of Breeland, Claiborne and Kendall Fuller would be solid, and it would allow guys like Charvarius Ward and Tremon Smith to provide quality depth, as opposed to being relied on as full-time starters.

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The Kansas City Chiefs are set up to win now. Cornerback is an obvious area of need for this team and signing Claiborne would undoubtedly help their current situation. They also have the cap space to make this happen. What are they waiting for?

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