If the Kansas City Chiefs are going to become the first team in NFL history to win three consecutive Super Bowls, the reigning champs may need to rely on the top players already in place on the roster.

While finding a left tackle to keep Patrick Mahomes upright should be a top priority, few moves matter more than keeping All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones in place. Both of those signings would take up significant chunks of the Chiefs‘ cap space.

On just about every free agent list, Jones is listed as the top player available this offseason, which is certain to drive up his market price if the Kansas City Chiefs can’t strike a deal before the new league year begins.

ESPN suggests that Kansas City Chiefs fans temper their expectations for free agency, which gets underway in earnest on March 13.

“The Chiefs have three key free agents in Jones, OT Donovan Smith and LB Willie Gay, and they have Sneed on the tag. Almost all of their resources will go toward re-signing these players, and they probably can’t retain all four. So I expect them to be quiet in terms of acquiring new players and making splashes in free agency.”

Fortunately, the Kansas City Chiefs field one of the most explosive rosters in the league, led by a two-time MVP-winning quarterback, in Mahomes, that adding marquee free agents may not make or break the franchise’s outlook.

How much Cap Space do the Kansas City Chiefs have?
Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach is going to have his work cut out for him.

Between ensuring Chris Jones returns, which should be Kansas City’s top offseason priority, keeping Gay in the fold, and perhaps finding a trade partner for All-Pro cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, this is going to be a seminal offseason for the Chiefs.

As free agency nears, Veach and the Kansas City Chiefs are projected to have only $9.6 million in cap space, which could make buttressing the roster with free agents a difficult proposition.