Jason La Canfora has the latest word on one of the better offensive tackles in the upcoming NFL free agent market that Levi Brown of the Arizona Cardinals is likely to come free. For a team like the Chiefs, this is big news considering that there are so few options for a position of need along the right side of the offensive front.
La Canfora writes, “It continues to look increasingly likely that Cardinals LT Levi Brown will become a free agent and hit the open market, according to a league source. Brown has one year left on his deal but will count for $17 million against the Cardinals’ salary cap. Efforts to re-negotiate his contract haven’t proved fruitful, and the team would release Brown without a new deal. Brown likely will be highly rated by other teams if he and the Cardinals don’t reach an agreement on a new deal and he becomes a free agent March 13.”
If the Chiefs are able to reach a deal with a veteran like Brown, that will free them up from being locked into a must-take situation in the first or second round of the NFL Draft. Being able to take the first player available is always the best situation, but position and value and need in the upcoming draft points to the Chiefs nearly having to take a player like Riley Reiff or Jonathan Martin if available. Brown could solve being cornered in such a way.