Recent 'Shocking' Chiefs Trade Idea Doesn't Make Much Sense

It's possible that the Chiefs add at the left tackle spot, but doing so via trade simply doesn't appear to be likely or sensible.

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson (74) walks off the field after being ejected for fighting with Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown (95), not shown, during the fourth quarter of a regular season NFL football matchup Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars blanked the Carolina Panthers 26-0. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Unio / USA

Dating back to Orlando Brown Jr. leaving town, the Kansas City Chiefs have pieced together their left tackle picture. This past season, it was veteran Donovan Smith who got brought in on a cheap one-year deal. While then-rookie Wanya Morris filled in briefly, Smith played the majority of available snaps and helped Andy Reid's team win another Super Bowl.

With Smith hitting free agency in March, Morris entered the offseason as the favorite to start at left tackle in 2024. That could still be the case, although second-round draft pick Kingsley Suamataia is making it a healthy competition. With two cooks in the kitchen and others serving as quality depth, is another addition necessary?

If it is, Kansas City could simply pick up the phone and call Smith. He's still on the open market. A trade would likely be overkill of sorts, but one outlet is proposing an idea to shock the football world anyway.

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Gary Davenport dove into eight NFL trades to impact playoff races. The concepts are admittedly unlikely, especially considering the magnitude of some of the listed players. That didn't stop Davenport from sending Jacksonville Jaguars tackle Cam Robinson to the Chiefs, though.

In the trade hypothetical, Robinson and a 2026 fifth-round pick head to Kansas City in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round selection. The logic behind it is an investment in protecting the NFL's best player.

"There is a reason no team in the history of the NFL has won three consecutive Super Bowls," Davenport wrote. "It's impossible in the salary-cap era to hold a championship-caliber roster together. The Kansas City Chiefs are just the latest example of this—as things stand today, the two-time defending champions will enter the 2024 season with their third starting left tackle in as many years. Protecting Patrick Mahomes' blind side sounds important."

Chiefs trading for Cam Robinson wouldn't be worth it

From purely an on-field football perspective, it's possible to squint and see a world where acquiring Robinson isn't a bad idea. In a vacuum, it does work. He doesn't turn 29 until October, is in his athletic prime and posted a career-best 78.8 pass blocking grade (per Pro Football Focus) last season. His eight hurries and 13 pressures surrendered were completely manageable marks in nine starts, as were his penalty numbers. Robinson is a quality player.

Everything else must be considered, though. Robinson has a history of knee injuries, including one that saw his 2023-24 campaign get cut short. Additionally, he was suspended for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy. He also accounts for $21.9 million against Jacksonville's current-year salary cap. While his prorated signing bonus wouldn't be inherited by Kansas City, making such a huge financial move at this stage of the offseason isn't very prudent.

There's also the ongoing left tackle battle to take into account. If Robinson were traded for, the Chiefs wouldn't get a definitive answer on what Morris offers and he'd enter his junior campaign, 2025, in the same boat he's in now. Suamataia sitting on the bench for a year isn't the end of the world, but it'd put him on a track similar to Morris. The Chiefs have set themselves up to not make another splash move at left tackle.

As Davenport mentions later in the article, Kansas City could dislike what it sees in training camp and then opt to bring in more competition. Robinson shouldn't be that player, though. There are other available options that won't cost nearly as much money (or any draft capital), and that's assuming the Chiefs even reach that point.

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