Chiefs Get Great Grade for 2024 Offseason Moves: Hollywood Brown, Chris Jones, L'Jarius Sneed Earn Headlines

The Chiefs made plenty of major moves ahead of the 2024 season, and a new set of grades gives KC one of the top marks in the league.

Jan 7, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) is blocked by Los Angeles Chargers guard Jordan McFadden (71) during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs made plenty of moves to reload ahead of the 2024 NFL season, but did they do enough to become the league's first-ever back-to-back-to-back champions?

Seth Walder of ESPN graded the offseason moves of all 32 NFL teams, and he gave the Chiefs an A-minus, tied for the second-best mark in the league. (Walder gave out a handful of A-minuses but only one A, which he gave to the Philadelphia Eagles.)

In addition to his grades and analysis, Walder highlighted moves he liked and disliked from each team. His favorite move from KC? Signing wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown for $7 million. His least favorite? "The rolling guarantee in DT Chris Jones' contract." He also highlighted the Chiefs' trade of cornerback L'Jarius Sneed as KC's "biggest move."

Here's what else Walder had to say about the Chiefs' offseason:

• The Chiefs won the Super Bowl with a major weakness at wide receiver but were smart enough to not try to repeat such a thing. They added Brown -- not a superstar but certainly a major upgrade -- in free agency on a one-year, $7 million deal. And while I normally criticize draft-day trade-ups, the Chiefs' move for Xavier Worthy was worthwhile because it was a cheap move and Worthy brings a level of speed the Chiefs need.
• The team recommitted to Jones with a new five-year, $158.75 million contract. Jones has certainly earned it -- he finished first or second in pass rush win rate among defensive tackles in each of the past four seasons -- but this was a huge contract for a player who turns 30 in July. While it starts with $60 million fully guaranteed, $35 million more is guaranteed for 2026 if he is on the roster in 2025, per ESPN Roster Management.
• Kansas City dealt Sneed for a third-round pick rather than pay him on the franchise tag or sign him to an extension. While the compensation was a bit less than I'd have expected, I don't fault the Chiefs for making the move. They have to decide where to put their resources, and they have another very good corner in Trent McDuffie and at least received some compensation for Sneed.

What to make of this Chiefs offseason grade

Walder's note about the value of the Worthy trade-up is nice to see, as it's the underrated reason that move was such a win for KC, as we wrote about on draft night. His concern with Jones's contract is also fair; there's no doubt about if Jones earned that contract or if he'll produce in 2024. The long-term guarantees were always the biggest hurdle in Jones's years-long contract negotiations. I can't disagree much on the L'Jarius Sneed front either — it was a disappointing end to Sneed's stupendous play in KC, but I understand the Chiefs' logic and Sneed's market.

Overall, I found Walder's grade and analysis to be spot-on. As he noted later in his story, the Chiefs still need a resolution at left tackle, but rookie second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia and 2023 third-round pick Wanya Morris should produce a worthy starter if they perform well in training camp. Walder also praised KC's signing of new backup quarterback Carson Wentz, a move that has earned praise from various outlets.

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