The Kansas City Chiefs made waves in free agency with some bold offensive moves, but it's their losses in the secondary that have fans buzzing. Trading cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Rams and watching Jaylen Watson follow him there, along with Bryan Cook heading to the Cincinnati Bengals, has left the Chiefs' secondary looking pretty thin.
Bryan Cook's departure is particularly notable. His three-year, $40 million deal with the Bengals highlights his value, as he was ranked third among safeties and 37th overall in free agency by The Athletic. This move might have been overshadowed by the Chiefs signing running back Kenneth Walker III and re-signing tight end Travis Kelce, but make no mistake-losing Cook is a significant hit.
For Cook, it's a homecoming of sorts. A Cincinnati native, he played college ball at the University of Cincinnati and attended Mt.
Healthy High School. His time with the Chiefs was marked by consistent excellence, contributing to two Super Bowl teams and excelling both deep and in the box.
Notably, he missed only 11 tackles over the last two seasons, ranking seventh in the league for missed tackle rate among safeties.
Joining the Bengals, Cook is poised to make an immediate impact. Cincinnati's defense struggled last year, particularly with missed tackles in the secondary. Cook's presence is expected to bring much-needed stability and cohesion to a unit that often seemed out of sync.
While the Chiefs were prepared for Cook's exit, the near-total overhaul of their secondary is surprising. Kansas City has a few depth players who showed promise late last season, but it's likely they'll look to strengthen their secondary further, either through the draft or additional free agency moves.