The Chiefs add speedy receiver Marquise Brown to improve the passing game

The Chiefs add speedy receiver Marquise Brown to improve the passing game

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By Nate Taylor, Diana Russini, Randy Mueller and Doug Haller

Kansas City Chiefs fans and NFL watchers have been waiting all week for the team to make a move to improve their offense. The Chiefs agreed to terms on a one-year deal with free agent wide receiver Marquise Brown Thursday night worth up to $11 million, a league source said Athletic.

In acquiring Brown, the Chiefs addressed one of their biggest roster needs. Brown’s starting salary, according to a league source, is expected to be $7 million. He could earn another $4 million in incentives.

The 5-foot-9, 180-pound Brown was rated the 79th best free agent available this offseason by At Athletic Randy Mueller.

“Brown remains very quick and productive for stretches, but has also battled nagging injuries and caught just half of his targets in 2023,” Mueller wrote. “He’s very thin and gets thrown off routes easily, an issue that can be difficult for offensive coordinators to think about.”

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How it suits him

Coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veitch have always valued speedy receivers, and Brown has enough speed to be a viable option for the Chiefs. Brown should be effective in the middle and deep areas of the field for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs were desperate to add a veteran receiver who could be as reliable as they were explosive, along with tight end Travis Kelce and second-year receiver Rashee Rice.

With the Arizona Cardinals over the past two years, Brown has posted 1,283 yards on 118 carries in 24 games. The last time the Chiefs had a receiver this productive over the course of two years was Tyreek Hill, who they traded to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks two years ago.

Brown joining the Chiefs delighted Mahomes, who used his X (formerly Twitter) account to post a beaming face and smiling eyes emoji.

“Blessed beyond measure,” Brown wrote on his X account Thursday night. “ChiefsKingdom Let’s Rock.”

2024 impact

In many ways, the 26-year-old Brown will step into the role of Marquez Valdez-Scantling, who had the worst season of his six-year tenure last season, producing just 21 receptions for 315 yards and one touchdown in the regular season. The Chiefs released Valdez-Scantling late last month. This created $12 million in cap space with only $2 million in dead money.

Brown’s skill and talent should ease the burden on younger players at the position, such as Kadarius Towney and Skye Moore, both of whom struggled last season. The Chiefs will be thrilled if Brown can generate 1,000 yards in 2024. Brown’s most productive season came in 2021, when he recorded 91 receptions for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns with the Ravens.

History

Brown was a first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2019 draft and he spent his first three seasons with the franchise before being traded to the Cardinals in late April 2022. The Florida native played his college ball at Oklahoma.

Draft prospect

At the NFL combine last month, the Chiefs learned as much as they could about the second tier of receiver prospects. Reid and Veach hope this year’s deep receiver class will allow the team to acquire another one for Mahomes, perhaps as early as the first round. The Chiefs interviewed several receivers during the combine, most notably Brian Thomas Jr. (LSU), Troy Franklin (Oregon) and Xavier Worthy (Texas).

Update on Capt

Entering Thursday, the Chiefs projected to have $15.3 million in salary cap space, according to Over the Cap . With the Brown deal, the Chiefs should still have about $8 million in cap space. The team could also create cap space by trading cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who is under the team’s franchise tag at $19.8 million.

Outlook

The Chiefs knew they needed more viable, reliable receivers, especially a veteran to help the team’s offense regain its great player status. Of course, the AFC arms race will only intensify this offseason. The Chiefs should counter by acquiring better receivers for Mahomes. Brown is the first of these acquisitions.

Reid serves as Brown’s closer in the Chiefs’ recruiting field.

“Hollywood, think red today, KC red with diamonds!!!,” Reed wrote to Brown in a text message Thursday afternoon, including a winking face emoji.

Brown quickly replied to Reid, “Yes, sir. I love the sound of that. Think Hollywood Brown, Lights, Camera, Action.’

Mueller on Brown’s attack in Kansas City

It’s another attempt to land the speedy receiver the Chiefs were hoping to get when they traded for Toney in 2022. Brown can take the edge off defenses even if they don’t throw him the ball. It’s more about adding speed than who the speed comes from.

Brown was productive in spurts, but his slight frame and lack of physicality on contested catches limited his effectiveness somewhat. When allowed to run free, he can be very dangerous. Playing with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, you know the opportunities will come. The rest is up to Brown. This can be a win-win. — Randy Mueller, NFL staff writer

View from Arizona

Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon was asked at the combine if he wanted Brown back. He said absolutely, but added that an economic part must also be taken into account. This pretty much signals that Brown’s days in the wilderness are coming to an end.

Brown wasn’t disappointing in Arizona — he was the team’s best wide receiver last season — but he rarely provided the explosiveness he was known for. (Since QB Kyler Murray missed half of last season recovering from ACL surgery, it wasn’t entirely his fault.) After the Cardinals parted ways with DeAndre Hopkins, Brown became the offense’s No. 1 receiver, though he’s more soon no. 2. In the right situation, it will flourish.

Without Brown and Rondale Moore, who was traded to Atlanta, the Cardinals need playmakers. Last year, their wide receiver production was among the worst in the league. With the No. 4 pick in April’s draft, they can fix that quickly with Marvin Harrison, Jr. — Doug Haller, Arizona Senior Writer

Required reading

(Photo: Tony Ding/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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