The Chiefs Need to Find a Way to Sign Jimmy Smith After Losing Kendall Fuller to the Redskins

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith / Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs were bracing for several members of the 2019 championship team to leave town in search of more lucrative contracts, and cornerback Kendall Fuller did just that when he bolted for the Washington Redskins.

Kansas City could look to replace him in the draft, but Brett Veach needs to make a legitimate push to sign former Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith, who could be priced out of a return to Baltimore.

Smith, a former first-round pick out of Colorado, has spent the first nine years of his career in Baltimore. While he hasn't played 16 games in a season since 2015, he remains one of the stickiest man-coverage cornerbacks in the AFC when he's on the field.

With plus speed, versatility, and a knack for causing turnovers, it's almost like Smith was constructed specifically to play cornerback in Steve Spagnuolo's defense. While he will likely won't be as cheap as the Chiefs hope, perhaps they can convince him to take a bit less to play for the Super Bowl champs.

Losing Fuller is a blow given his age and how exceptional he was in the playoffs, but signing a battle-tested veteran like Smith could help the Kansas City defense continue to roll merrily along without too much change.