Six Potential Trades the Chiefs Could Make Before the Trade Deadline
It is pretty apparent that the Kansas City Chiefs need to add to the team before the NFL's trade deadline this year.
There have been glaring holes on the Chiefs' roster through the team's first six games. A severe lack of pass rush and inconsistent receiving options outside of Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce have been the most pressing concerns. With the NFL trade deadline two weeks away, it's time to look at not only who the Chiefs could trade for, but how they could pull it off.
How the Chiefs could make it work
(For a crash course on NFL deals and salary cap maneuvering, read my previous series on NFL contracts.)
For a team like the Chiefs, who are only $2.8 million under the salary cap, finding solutions to fit potential trade candidates under the salary cap is a must before any move can be made. So, what could the Chiefs do to alleviate this problem?
The biggest salary cap-saving moves are ones that the Chiefs will probably not exercise for obvious reasons.
Frank Clark’s contract would be primed to be restructured with $12.2 million in base salary left on his contract for this year, but the Chiefs have not touched his contract for an obvious reason; they likely want to cut him after this season. Any restructure would make Clark less cuttable next year. The same, but to a lesser extent, can be said about Anthony Hitchens and his contract.
Two other large salary cap hits on the roster this year are Tyrann Mathieu at $13 million and Tyreek Hill at $10.5 million. Restructures are unlikely for them as they are near the end of their contracts (or in Mathieu’s case, in the last year). A new contract would free up salary cap room but new contracts during the year are very rare.
Where does that leave the Chiefs?
There are still levers to pull, but the levers are not as impactful as they were at the beginning of the year. For any contract restructure now, six weeks into the season, there is less base salary to convert to a signing bonus as the check has already been paid out. Base salaries are split into 18 checks that are paid over the 18 regular season weeks and six of those checks have already been cashed.
The Chiefs could still revisit Travis Kelce’s contract. With over $3 million in base salary still on his contract this year, the Chiefs could restructure some of that money. A $3 million restructure, for example, would give the Chiefs $2.4 million in salary cap room. The same type of restructuring, to a lesser extent, can be done with Harrison Butker which would create $1.5 million in salary cap room.
After Kelce and Butker’s restructures, the Chiefs are about out of options. If the Chiefs were going to make salary cap room outside restructures it would have to be through cutting or trading a player. A popular trade candidate is guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, but he would not even make substantial salary cap room if traded, only freeing up $500k that would be filled in by any player who is signed.
Cornerback Mike Hughes is probably the best candidate to be cut, with the Chiefs gaining around $700k in salary cap room if he is released. These types of cuts seem unlikely, though.
Assuming the Chiefs restructure Kelce and Butker’s deal and ship off Duvernay-Tardif in any trade they make, the Chiefs would have around $7 million in salary cap space to work with.
Who could the Chiefs target?
For the Chiefs, defensive end and wide receiver seem to be the top priority. If they are wavering on Josh Gordon after the last two weeks, wide receiver is definitely in play. Defensive end is already obviously a need, especially with the Chiefs' rumored interest in Whitney Mercilus.
In any trade, the Chiefs would be replacing a player already on their starting 53-man roster. This means the true salary cap charge for the player traded for would be how much the trade for player costs minus the player's salary who was cut or traded. In general, this would probably be a player making the minimum salary this year ($660k, which is now $435k because we are six weeks into the year).
Here are six players who could be plausible additions, with attention paid to their salary cap ramifications and what it may cost for the Chiefs to acquire them.
Chiefs receive: Wide receiver Brandin Cooks
Texans receive: Chiefs' 2022 second-round pick
A second-round pick is a lot to give up, but for good reason. Cooks is a legitimate receiving threat, pairing speed with quality route-running. For a rebuilding team like the Texans, a second-round pick is juicy draft capital for a 28-year-old wide receiver.
Why a second-rounder? Because Cooks would not be a one-year rental. He actually has this year and next year left on his contract and would only count against the Chiefs salary cap to the tune of around $1.2 million this year. Cooks' salary cap hit shoots up to $14 million next year, but Cooks is a good enough wide receiver to justify that price tag. His minimal 2021 cap hit also means the Chiefs need to do very little to make room for him in a trade.
Chiefs receive: Defensive end Derek Barnett
Eagles receive: Chiefs' 2022 fourth-round pick
Barnett is in the last year of his contract with the Eagles and has not quite lived up to the hype that surrounded him a few years ago. This, however, does not mean he isn’t a quality player. Per Pro Football Focus, Barnett’s 14 pressures so far this year would be second on the Chiefs, only trailing Chris Jones. That solid production (with good run defense and only $660k left on his contract this year) leave Barnett as a quality option for the Chiefs at defensive end.
Chiefs receive: Defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah
Dolphins receive: Chiefs' 2022 and 2023 fourth-round picks
An old friend is an intriguing target for the Chiefs this year. After Ogbah left the team following the 2019 season, he has been nothing short of impressive with the Dolphins, posting a 10-sack season last year and is well on his way to another great season this year. The Dolphins are a team in flux and they could be motivated to trade Ogbah, as he is playing in the final year of his contract. The only real issue with a trade for Ogbah is his contract, which is sitting at around $5 million currently. A restructure of his contract to include some void years could be in play if the Chiefs do make this move, adding a huge boon to the defensive end room.
Chiefs receive: Wide receiver Marvin Jones
Jaguars receive: Chiefs' 2022 fourth-round pick
Marvin Jones is a wide receiver I personally clamored for the Chiefs to sign this offseason, and so far with Jacksonville, he has proven why he is an excellent complementary piece. It is hard to say how willing the Jaguars would be to move Jones, who was just signed to a two-year contract this offseason, but a solid offer for the still-building Jags could make it happen. His salary cap hit of around $600k this year (after all salary cap math involved) is also easy to fit for Kansas City.
Chiefs receive: Defensive end Charles Harris
Lions receive: Chiefs' 2022 fifth-round pick
Former first-round disappointment Charles Harris has carved out a role with the Lions and is performing very well as a pass rusher this season. He has already accumulated four sacks and 18 pressures according to Pro Football Focus. Considering the Lions are 0-6 and heading towards a top-three pick, there should be zero attachment to Harris. His salary cap hit would only be around $750k for any team acquiring him and he would fit in very nicely with the Chiefs’ financials. He has not been a name mentioned very much as a potential trade target, but for the Chiefs, it makes a ton of sense.
Chiefs receive: Running back Marlon Mack
Colts receive: Chiefs' 2022 sixth-round pick
While I personally do not think this trade is a needle-mover, it is worth going over as the Chiefs have reportedly expressed interest in Mack over the past few weeks. Mack was a quality running back for the Colts during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, running for around 1,000 yards each year. Last year, however, Mack tore his Achilles very early in the year and Jonathan Taylor assumed the role of lead back. In a limited run this year, Mack has looked fine, but with Taylor as the clear No. 1, his services aren’t really needed. Mack would only cost an extra $250k against the Chiefs' salary cap if he was acquired, so he is not breaking the bank. If the Chiefs feel the need to sort out their running back depth, then Mack is a quality candidate to do so.
Will the Chiefs make a move?
There are plenty of realistic trades out there for the Chiefs to look into if they wish to make moves at the trade deadline. While players like Allen Robinson, Trey Flowers and other big-name players could be moved, the reality of the trade deadline is that very few recognizable players are actually traded.
That does not mean the Chiefs cannot improve the team, however. The group of defensive ends is especially appealing. The Chiefs should be able to acquire someone if they are aggressive enough, but that is the key. Their internal scouting and optimism about the defensive end and wide receiver rooms will ultimately lead to if they trade for someone.
If the Chiefs do feel that they need a player, general manager Brett Veach has shown before that he is an aggressive trader. Chiefs fans should definitely stay tuned over the next two weeks.
