A surprising trade proposal sends Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Rams. Could this bolster Kansas City's draft capital amid offseason uncertainty?
As superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes recovers from surgery due to a torn ACL, the Kansas City Chiefs enter a pivotal offseason.
Does tight end Travis Kelce hang up his cleats and retire after a Hall of Fame career? Does Mahomes come back in time for the start of the 2026 season?
Do the Chiefs finally add a young running back to their roster who can be a three-down threat? There are a lot of questions, and there are some moves that could be made.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report predicted some trades this offseason. One of them was the Chiefs moving on from cornerback Trent McDuffie, sending him to the Los Angeles Rams for a first-round pick in this year's draft.
"We know that general manager Les Snead is not one to sit on his hands to address a need. Snead has a long track record of trading picks for star players. They also happen to have two first-round picks, which could pave the way for the Rams to deal their late first and use the 13th pick they got from the Falcons," Ballentine wrote.
Chiefs GM Brett Veach is known to be aggressive, and since the Chiefs and McDuffie couldn't agree on the terms of a new deal, moving the star cornerback for a draft pick would be a smart choice in the long run.
As for the Rams, they have plenty of cap space this offseason and can absorb McDuffie's contract while adding other pieces to the fold.
"McDuffie is an ideal defensive back to anchor a secondary. His ability to play press-man coverage, combined with his positional versatility, is relatively unique. The Rams have $81.5 million in cap space, meaning they could make the trade for McDuffie, then sign him to a deal that would reset the cornerback market."
This move would be a big boost for the Rams and give the Chiefs another first-rounder in an offseason where they face plenty of questions about the future of several players.
Matt Nagy and Steve Spagnuolo's names surfaced again in the coaching cycle, and the Chiefs brought back Eric Bieniemy to be the OC once again in a big move.
The front office has a lot to think about this time after missing the playoffs for the first tie in a decade, and maybe moving on from McDuffie and being able to add a first-round pick is the way to go.