Chiefs Have Needs As Trade Rumor Buzz Continues To Grow

The Kansas City Chiefs have some important needs to address with the trade deadline approaching, and the speculation is starting to grow and expand. The obvious needs are at receiver and in the offensive line, and some intriguing names are being added to the list. 

Nate Taylor, Dan Graziano and Seth Walder of ESPN summed up the deadline approach with a series of questions and answers, starting with Taylor’s thought that the need for a receiver became even clearer after the Chiefs’ tough loss to the Denver Broncos. 

Rashee Rice gave the Chiefs a good game, but the secondary receivers came up small again. They had just six catches for 37 yards, which was almost identical to what they put up agains the Seattle Seahawks. And while this was against tough competition, that level of production isn’t going to cut it going forward. 

The new receiver that Walder mentioned was Chris Godwin Jr., who was described as “a veteran player who is past his prime” who’s averaging just 1.2 yards per route run this season. 

That doesn’t sound good, but Godwin would fit with what the Chiefs have done in the past as they’ve shown a strong tendency to gamble on fading veterans rather than give up draft capital to get a good-to-great receiver in his prime. 

The financials certainly work. Per Walder, Godwin is playing on a fully guaranteed $22 million salary, so this trade would involve the Bucs converting almost all of Godwin's remaining money into a signing bonus before dealing him in exchange for a draft pick. The Bucs are currently stuck at 3-5 in the NFC South, but even with that record they’re still just a game out, which adds another wrinkle to this would-be move. 

It’s a problematic solution, but that hasn’t stopped the Chiefs from trying it before. The best bet is that they try it again given the cost of getting one of the better names. 

Graziano’s contribution was about a player who could be on the move, and his choice was cornerback Kristian Fulton. It’s an interesting choice that comes with both potential and downsides. 

The potential is about Fulton being in trouble since last season, so moving on from him wouldn’t be all that surprising. And as Graziano noted, Fulton mades $10 million this year, and trading him could free up some of that money to address the offense. 

It would also subtract some depth, though, and with cornerback Mansoor Delane now reportedly recovering from what we know to be a hairline fracture of his scapula, that could leave the Chiefs very exposed on the back end.