Chiefs not expected to be active at NFL Trade Deadline but pundits see possible moves
Chiefs fans may not see anything quite as frightening on Halloween as they did Sunday.
Few would argue that the Chiefs looked dreadful in a 24-9 loss to the Broncos in Denver, and many fans pointed the blame at the team’s wide receivers.
Quite a few NFL pundits also think the Chiefs need an upgrade at that position, and Halloween might be the perfect time to do it. That’s because Tuesday is the NFL Trade Deadline, and teams can make deals up until 3 p.m.
But Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer believes the Chiefs won’t be active before the deadline.
“It sounds like the Chiefs are planning to stand pat at the deadline, which follows their pattern in recent years to keep draft capital intact — knowing they’ll need cheap labor to fill out the roster around their more expensive stars,” Breer wrote Monday. “And, yes, the receiver position has come up for them. But for now, the plan is to bank on recent second-rounders Skyy Moore and Rashee Rice developing.”
However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler thinks the Chiefs could make a trade ... but not to acquire a receiver.
“The Chiefs and WR Richie James are exploring trade possibilities, per source. James — who’s on IR but would be healthy for a new team — appears the odd man out after Mecole Hardman trade,” Fowler wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “James had 50 catches for 569 yards and four touchdowns for the Giants in 2022.”
Chiefs’ cap space
A caveat for any potential trade is if a player’s paycheck would fit under the Chiefs’ salary cap.
The NFLPA’s public salary cap report shows the Chiefs have $3,202,691 of available space.
Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti shared a look at the salaries of some wide receivers who could be traded.
Pundit suggestions
There are plenty of NFL writers who think the Chiefs could find help at receiver via a trade. Here are some of the suggestions that pundits have made for the Chiefs.
Bears’ Darnell Mooney: Bleacher Report looked at each team’s needs and proposed the Chiefs look to make a deal with the Bears for receiver Darnell Mooney.
“Adding another veteran like Darnell Mooney would help the Chiefs be more consistent,” Bleacher Report wrote. “He’s struggled to produce in the Bears offense this season, but he already has a 1,000-yard season on his resume. Andy Reid would find ways to take advantage of his deep speed.”
JuJu Smith-Schuster: The Ringer’s Steven Ruiz also broke down the needs for all 32 NFL teams, and he thinks a reunion with Smith-Schuster would work.
This is from Ruiz’s story: “JuJu Smith-Schuster emerged as the go-to guy when defenses sold out to stop Travis Kelce last season, and Kansas City has been unable to find a replacement for him. If the Chiefs look to make a deadline deal for a receiver, they don’t need to sell out to land a star. They just need to find a chain-mover — maybe even Smith-Schuster himself, who might be available after he got off to a slow start in New England. That should be more than enough to get this offense where it needs to go.”
Marquise Brown: Pro Football Network’s Tony Catalina noted Brown is in the final year of his rookie deal, which could prompt the Arizona Cardinals to make a move.
Here is a snippet from Catalina’s story: “’Hollywood’ Brown is an exciting speed option that could thrive in the Chiefs offense with (Patrick) Mahomes. Adding another WR option that can stretch the field and be a deep target for Mahomes and this offense could work wonders for this already potent offensive attack, and the Cardinals, who are rebuilding and already moving players, may play ball to make it happen.”
DeAndre Hopkins: Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger listed 10 trades teams should make. No. 1 on the list: the Chiefs acquiring Hopkins from the Titans for a Day 2 draft pick.
This is a passage from Spielberger’s story: “Chiefs wide receivers have a 7.3% drop rate this season, the fifth-worst mark in the NFL. Lastly, Hopkins’ 1.95 yards per route run since 2021 ranks 21st among qualifying wide receivers, so while he may not be at his peak, he’s still a very good player.
“Tennessee will not have to convert Hopkins’ salary into a bonus to facilitate this deal, but they should effectively view any potential trade return as if they did. The Titans paid Hopkins a $9.815 million signing bonus this offseason and his 2023 salary is the veteran minimum. So, for all intents and purposes, they are providing this benefit to an acquiring team, and Kansas City was one of a few contending teams that refused to meet Hopkins’ contractual demands before the season.”
This story was originally published October 31, 2023 at 9:29 AM.
