Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs' secondary is the bargain of the NFL right now

Published Jan. 27, 2016 11:25 p.m. ET

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The Kansas City Chiefs are paying a low, low rate for their AFC-leading group of defensive backs.

After leading the conference in interceptions (22), they're currently 28th in the league in salary cap space allocated to safeties, according to ESPN's Adam Teicher. And they're 31st in cap space doled out to cornerbacks.

Two factors explain the shift away from pricey DBs. First, K.C.'s contract numbers are managable in their secondary thanks to Marcus Peters' pro-rated rookie deal and a low cap hit for safety Ron Parker.

Second, deals for Eric Berry, Sean Smith, Tyvon Branch, and Husain Abdullah come off the books this offseason. It leaves the team paying about $3.2 million at safety and $4.3 million at cornerback, per Teicher's numbers.

It all adds up to some major cap room to maneuver come free agency. K.C. might need to reinvest in its suddenly-stripped defensive backfield for another playoff push.

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