The Kansas City Chiefs have reportedly reached an agreement on a contract with recently released cornerback Stanford Routt of the Oakland Raiders, making the Chiefs the first team to reach a deal with any free agent of note this offseason. Then again, the main free agent market isn’t open yet. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Routt has chosen Kansas City above several other interested teams.
The Chiefs have a major decision to make with Brandon Carr and it’s clear that Carr is likely going to leave given that the team would not make a major financial commitment to Routt along with Brandon Flowers, who received a big extension just last September.
Routt was one of the best corners on the free agent market this winter, but he also was the only one who could negotiate now. His buying power gave him some leverage before the open season began, but the Chiefs also realized that if they were going to lose Carr, they could act now.
Last year, Routt had 49 tackles and 4 interceptions.