The Chiefs are planning to meet with free agent cornerback Darqueze Dennard this weekend, reports Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Dennard, a first-round pick of the Bengals in 2014, has experienced an extremely quiet market despite other slot corners receiving deals around the NFL. In fact, his trek to Kansas City will mark the first known interest Dennard has drawn this offseason. Cincinnati, for its part, had been willing to re-sign Dennard at around $8.5MM annually, but the club’s stance may have changed after it signed fellow slot defender B.W. Webb on Thursday.
The Bengals are often reticent to field young players during the early portions of their respective careers, and that was never more evident that in Dennard’s case, as the former Michigan State Spartan played fewer than 600 defensive snaps in his first three pro seasons.
Dennard became Cincinnati’s full-time slot corner in 2017, and saw action on roughly three-quarters of the Bengals’ snaps in each of the past two years. Football Outsiders ranked Dennard 29th among 85 qualifiers in yards allowed per pass attempt in 2018 but just 49th in success rate, while Pro Football Focus graded Dennard as the league’s No. 52 CB.
Kansas City is searching for defensive back help after losing starter Steven Nelson to the Steelers earlier this week. The Chiefs met with Ronald Darby during the opening hours of the free agent period, but he’s since returned to Philadelphia on a one-year deal.
You can have him. Another dud bengal disappointing cb.
Darqueze Dennard would be nice on the Chiefs
any word on if the Chief’s signed him