Aftermath of Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill deal: analysis, trade grades from national NFL media
Even by the typically wild NFL offseason standards, this has been a crazy month.
There have been blockbuster trades, massive contracts hand out and surprising free-agent signings.
The latest stunner was the Chiefs trading star wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday for five draft picks. The deal has generated a lot of talk among NFL writers and broadcasters.
Here is alook at what’s being said.
Jeffri Chadiha of the NFL Network picked winners and losers from the trade. The Chiefs had two in both categories. One of the winners was Chiefs general manager Brett Veach.
“Kansas City’s general manager knew this day was coming eventually,” Chadiha wrote. “If the Chiefs wanted to keep contending for championships, they were going to have to part ways with popular players who’d become too expensive. Not just aging veterans like former Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu, who wasn’t re-signed and is still a free agent. Stars like Tyreek Hill. Give Veach credit for recognizing the danger in trying to make Hill the highest-paid receiver in the game. If the Chiefs had capitulated to those demands, they’d be courting the kind of salary cap hell that has ruined many teams. Veach already has one difficult negotiation to contend with — left tackle Orlando Brown wants to be the highest-paid player at his position — and the Chiefs have other needs to address.”
Bryan D’Ardo of CBS Sports gave the Chiefs a B-minus grade for the trade. Here is part of what he wrote: “Patrick Mahomes probably wasn’t a happy camper upon hearing the news of Hill’s trade. The quarterback and receiver enjoyed a highly successful partnership that included over 40 touchdowns over the past four years. Mahomes still has Travis Kelce, but he will need to develop more strong connections with the rest of the Chiefs’ receiving corps, a unit that recently lost Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle in free agency.”
NFL writer Warren Sharp believes the Hill deal will benefit the Chiefs in the long run.
ESPN’s Adam Teicher wrote a story with the headline, “Without Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs ‘lose the ability to instill fear.’”
Here is an excerpt: “(T)here’s no disputing that they made their job more difficult by trading wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins.
“’When you move Tyreek Hill from that offense, you lose the ability to instill fear into the opposing defense,’ said ESPN NFL analyst and former defensive back Matt Bowen. ‘When Tyreek Hill is on the field, the defense is consistently threatened at all three levels because he can catch a shallow (pass) and go for six, he can catch a deep in and go for six and he can run right past you deep whenever he wants.’”
NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks thinks the Chiefs will be fine, thanks to coach Andy Reid.
Sheil Kapadia of the Athletic gave the Chiefs a B for the deal. Here is part of the reason for the grade: “Kansas City still has Mahomes and Reid. They still have one of the NFL’s best offensive lines. And they still have Travis Kelce. They also have six picks in the first three rounds of the draft, including two first-rounders and three top-50 selections. There are no guarantees that they’ll find a No. 1 wide receiver with those picks. But if they do, they’ll be paying that guy a fraction of what Hill is making.”
ESPN’s Mike Tannenbaum said this was a “Bill Belichick type of trade.”
The Sporting News’ Jacob Camenker gave the Chiefs a D-plus grade.
Here is part of what he wrote: “Mahomes will have the ability to elevate the play of some of his receivers, but make no mistake: The Chiefs got worse by trading Hill. Maybe he won’t live up to the contract that the Dolphins paid him, but losing him creates a big hole on the Chiefs’ offense. That could hinder their chances of reaching the Super Bowl, given the loaded nature of both the AFC and their division, the AFC West.”
USA Today’s Cole Huff wrote a story with the headline, “As Tyreek Hill leaves town, history suggests the Chiefs will struggle to find their next WR1.”
Here is a passage from his story: “(I)t looks as though there may be a stopgap or temporary ‘solution’ in the receiver room while the Chiefs develop in the draft. But if that’s the plan, KC could be in some trouble.
“Developing in the draft would require hitting on the picks, which is something the Chiefs have failed to do when it comes to pass-catchers.”
Fox Sports’ Geoff Schwartz wrote a story with the headline, “Tyreek Hill trade puts Chiefs at clear crossroads.”
Here is a snippet of that story: “It should be made clear: The Chiefs had enough money to keep Hill with Mahomes’ current contract. However, K.C. chose to not pay Hill more than it felt comfortable with. In a vacuum, I agree with this roster-building philosophy. By paying Hill, the Chiefs most likely would have needed to restructure contracts, so they chose draft picks instead.“
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 1:16 PM.
