Let’s talk about Deebo Samuel and the KC Chiefs as a trade destination
Deebo Samuel is available, maybe, or at least he wants the San Francisco 49ers to make him available, and that naturally prompts our favorite game in Kansas City:
Man, wouldn’t that guy look really good in a Chiefs uniform?
The short answer is yes. Of course the most versatile offensive player in football would add another dimension to an offense that rates as one of the league’s best but lost its star wide receiver a month ago. You don’t need me to figure that out.
But the long answer is part of a larger conversation, and the Chiefs have been answering this question all offseason, if you’re paying attention.
No thanks. We’ll pass.
There’s no rule against altering your course on the eve of the NFL Draft, especially if a player you never expected to be available suddenly becomes available. But know this: a trade for Samuel, however enticing, would run counter to everything the Chiefs have built this offseason.
Draft capital.
Salary cap space.
The Chiefs have shrewdly, not accidentally, set themselves up to extend their championship window beyond a handful of years, even if they had to swallow a short-term setback in the process — like, for example, trading No. 1 wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Now isn’t the time to drift off course.
It’s the time for a reminder of why you’re here.
This isn’t only about Samuel, but since he’s the latest example, let’s travel down this hypothetical path.
Samuel is a rare type of talent — he’s one of five players in NFL history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards and 300 rushing yards in the same season, per Pro Football Reference. He comes with an injury history, but when healthy, he doesn’t just help the Chiefs’ offense. He would help any offense. He’s on a short list of offensive weapons who would most help the Chiefs’ offense.
The question confronting the Chiefs — or any interested party — is whether he changes things so enormously that it’s worth sacrificing draft capital and the money he’s seeking, which could hover around $25 million to $30 million per season.
If it’s either/or? Then maybe? You can make the case, I guess.
The combination, however, is a pretty tough sell.
Particularly here.
Sure, the Chiefs have leftover funds from the Hill trade. They had planned to pay Hill, after all — just not the amount he sought. Not the amount the Dolphins were willing to pay, anyway. But in this hypothetical, the Chiefs would not only need to pay Samuel somewhere near that same neighborhood; they’d need to give up a load of draft picks just for the right to do it. And oh by the way, one year later, they would be in the same tough spot they were with Hill this offseason — wanting to pay him but needing to find the space to make it all fit.
Then, suddenly, the two most critical drivers of their future — draft picks and salary cap space — would be gone.
Is Samuel the guy for whom they should throw all of that away?
Is anyone?
The Chiefs’ roster has been top-heavy for awhile. Six players will occupy 54% of their cap space next season, and that’s even after they traded Hill to Miami. (By comparison, for what it’s worth, the Broncos’ top six players control 45% of the cap; the Chargers are at 44% and the Raiders 34%.)
That’s the path the Chiefs are departing, in favor of one that offers a little more wiggle room.
Stay on the new path.
If you want to add an impact weapon, you’ve got 12 draft picks next week to do it.
This story was originally published April 21, 2022 at 5:00 AM.