Breaking: Nick Bolton’s Replacement Found: Chiefs Set to Land $8 Million Colts’ Star
When you win Super Bowls, other NFL teams look to pilfer your top talents.
The Kansas City Chiefs are used to it at this point, having won three of the last five Super Bowls and watched several key players leave in free agency. Whether they win their third ring in a row this February or not, there could be several new departures this spring.
The top free agent on the Chiefs’ defense is linebacker Nick Bolton, who is having a sensational season. Kansas City would surely like to keep Bolton, but his price projects to be high, while there are other extension candidates like guard Trey Smith who might take priority.
On Monday, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine predicted that the Chiefs would land E.J. Speed, the Indianapolis Colts’ third-leading tackler this season, to spell Bolton in Kansas City’s defense.
“The Chiefs should be prepared to move on without Nick Bolton next season,” Ballentine said. “Maybe they are able to re-sign him, but they are already shelling out cash for multiple stars and Trey Smith is a pending free agent.”
“They should be looking at cheap veteran linebackers who could be a fallback plan. E.J. Speed would be ideal. The 29-year-old has been reliable in the middle of the Colts defense and he may be hungry to play on a contender.”
Speed, 29, has 134 combined tackles this season, 13th most of any NFL defensive player. He also picked up the first interception of his career in a November loss to the Buffalo Bills, and has 27 career tackles for loss.
Though Speed might not have some of Bolton’s game-wrecking potential, he’s a steady tackler and a veteran presence who should come cheap. He is finishing up a two-year, $8 million deal in Indianapolis, and should cost something similar this time around.
