Chiefs smart to add Morris Claiborne to secondary

The Kansas City Chiefs quietly signed Morris Claiborne on Thursday afternoon. It’s a wise move.

Kansas City is one of the odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl come February. If there are any potential pitfalls in its wake, the secondary seems to loom the largest. Kansas spent the summer revamping the safeties by drafting Juan Thornhill in the second round and signing former All-Pro Tyrann Mathieu. After that, the Chiefs still have ample questions at corner. Now, general manager Brett Veach signs Morris Claiborne to a one-year deal. His contract is worth up to $3 million with incentives, the team has more reason for optimism.

Claiborne, 29, has remained a free agent to this point for a variety of reasons. For starters, it was announced last week the veteran has been suspended the first four games of the season due to a violation of the NFL’s performance enhancing drug policy. Claiborne will be eligible to play in Week 5 when the Chiefs host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football.

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Additionally, Claiborne has always been susceptible to the injury bug. In his seven NFL seasons, the former first-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys has never played a full 16-games regular season. Over his last two campaigns with the New York Jets, the one-time LSU star played in 15 games each campaign.

So why does this move matter then, considering he’s out for September and a significant injury risk? Because the Chiefs are currently rolling out a nickel package that includes Kendall Fuller in the slot, with Bashaud Breeland and Charvarius Ward on the boundaries. In short, there are more questions than answers with that trio. As a result, the concerns only intensify once you delve into the depth chart.

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Claiborne isn’t going to turn the cornerbacks into a strength for Kansas City, but he has the talent to make them solid. The Chiefs aren’t worried about September nearly as much as December, January and February, making the suspension somewhat of a lesser issue for them. Also, the Chiefs don’t see much in the way of great offenses in their first four games, drawing the Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions.

For Veach and Kansas City, it’s a worthwhile gamble. If Claiborne doesn’t play well or simply doesn’t make much impact, the contract is short-term and light on the salary cap. If he’s good, it helps the Chiefs potentially get to their first Super Bowl in 50 years.

For the latter reason alone, it’s a gamble Veach had to make.