Pro Football Focus will be providing analysis for every major NFL signing and trade during the 2015 free-agency period, accounting primarily for the quality of the player and his fit with his new team, and focusing less on the financial terms of the deal.
Here is a grade for the Chiefs' reported agreement with former Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin, which cannot become official until Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
Link to grade articles on every major deal
Kansas City Chiefs: B-plus
In desperate need of a wide receiver, the Chiefs made the move for Maclin, reuniting him with his former head coach with the Eagles, Andy Reid. Maclin is coming off a career year that saw him catch 85 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns, good for a PFF receiving grade of plus-9.0 that ranked 14th among wide receivers. He was also the NFL's most sure-handed receiver in 2014; he had only one drop on the entire season.
If Kansas City is looking for a deep threat, Maclin is capable, though quarterback Alex Smith attempted only 5.2 percent of his passes beyond 20 yards, by far the lowest mark in the league. Even with Maclin in the mix, Smith may not even take advantage of Maclin's deep speed.
While Maclin caught nine deep passes for 356 yards and five touchdowns, his real value in Kansas City's offense will be his ability to create yards after the catch in their short passing game. His 511 YAC ranked seventh among wide receivers last season, so his playmaking ability after the catch on screens and shallow crossing routes will be the key to making this a worthwhile move for the Chiefs.
Maclin isn't a game-changer for the Chiefs, but he is a major upgrade at a position of need and should make this passing game better.