More FA / trade deadline fapping:
The Kansas City Chiefs have holes to address before they can call themselves Super Bowl Contenders. Here’s some trade deadline ideas.
Target: Geno Atkins DT
Specs: 31 years old, 10 year NFL vet, 6’1, 300 lb., 7-time Pro Bowler, one-time 1st Team All Pro
The Why: Atkins is not the 2015 First Team All-Pro player that he once was, but he is significantly more capable of holding down the middle of the defensive line than any of the current active bodies along the Chiefs’ front. In addition, a eventual combination of Jones/Atkins would be a monster duo for Kansas City to deploy in January.
The How: This would represent a significant financial investment for the team and that would need to be balanced in any trade offer. Kansas City likely cuts bait after this season, but would take on $15m in dead cap over the next three years to do so. Maybe they could turn around and re-trade him after the season to avoid some of that hit. At any rate, it seems like the Bengals would be wise to be sellers. They would probably want a 2nd round pick for Atkins, but at his age and with his cap hit over the next several seasons, Veach should push to make the move for a 3rd round selection instead.
Target: Preston Brown MLB
Specs: 26 years old, 5 year NFL vet, 6’1, 250 lb, nearly 600 career tackles in 5+ seasons, injuries limited 2018 but has started all six games for Cincinnati this year.
The Why: Brown is a run stuffing inside linebacker who is fair in pass coverage but excels playing at the line of scrimmage. He’s averaging nearly 7 tackles per game over the course of this season and his career. He hasn’t been asked to do much pass coverage this year, but also would not be asked to do much of that in K.C. He would instantly upgrade the run defense for Steve Spagnuolo’s defense and even if he gave only average play, would have an impact.
The How: Brown has a modest cap hit each season topping out around $5.8m in the 2021 season, which makes him an attractive option for a Chiefs team who will soon be up against the cap. And, if it doesn’t work the team can get out of the duration of the contract (2 years) for only $2.5m in dead cap space. The Bengals may be hesitant to let go of Brown, but the team should take any and all offers for any players who are unlikely to be a part of any significant turnaround, and with his ability to hit free agency after the 2021 season, Brown will likely want to move on before he hits 30.
Target: Kenyon Drake RB
Specs: 25 years old, 3 year NFL vet, 6’1, 211 lb, who has averaged 4.6 yards/carry for his career (including a dismal 3.7 to start 2019)
The Why: Give me a downhill, power running back with a history of a 5.0 ypc average (prior to this season) on an expiring contract who is owed less than $1.5m the rest of this season. Drake has never been given an opportunity to be a feature back in Miami. In addition, obviously, Miami has already started to cash in on all trade-able assets this season, and Drake should be no different. Its clear at this point the team does not see him as a feature back and it seems highly unlikely that he’ll be resigning with the Dolphins.
The How: An expiring contract for a running back averaging only 3.7 ypc this season on a team who is in the midsts of a fire sale? Drake can be had for a 5th round pick and Kansas City has made it clear that they do not believe any of their current RBs can be a feature, ground-and-pound kind of back. This move is difficult for the Chiefs from a roster construction standpoint, but cutting bait with a superfluous player like DAT for a downhill power running like Drake should be a no-brainer.
Target: Charles Clay TE
Specs: 30 years old, 8 year NFL veteran, 6’3″, 246 lb, with a 10+ yards/catch average for his career
The Why: Kansas City has a depth issue both in terms of blocking and pass catching at the tight end level. If we have learned anything from the first third of the Chiefs’ season, depth can make or break a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Kansas City has essentially no tight end depth behind All Pro Travis Kelce; and even with him playing, they could stand to have a veteran blocker with, reliable hands as a second option. This would not only help to keep Patrick Mahomes upright, but could also help to further exploit how defenses are trying to play them (man coverage). Additionally, Arizona has essentially decided not to use Clay in any meaningful way in their new offense.
The How: Given the state of their roster and position in their division (miles behind the Seahawks and the 49ers), Arizona should be looking to move on from older players who are not part of the game plan. Clay certainly fits that bill. Compounding that is the fact that he’s on an expiring contract and we don’t see the Cardinals bringing him back with the younger, stronger Ricky Seals-Jones on the roster. Arizona will take the first 6th round pick that walks through the door and the Chiefs should be happy to give it.
Target: Patrick Peterson CB
Specs: 29 years old, 8 year NFL vet, 8 time Pro Bowler, and three time All-Pro; was suspended the first six games of 2019 so has not played this year.
The Why: Not only is Peterson one of the best corners in football, he also fits seamlessly in the Chiefs defensive scheme. The Cardinals are going nowhere this year, but certainly could in the next 2-3 years with Kyler Murray at the helm. Kansas City has a seemingly improved secondary from a year ago (though that’s not saying much), but would definitively benefit from adding a corner with Peterson’s talent to the roster.
The How: This trade makes sense for Arizona because they’re going to get a first round pick in return. It will be tough for Kansas City fans to stomach forking over another first round pick, but this team has a chance to compete for a Super Bowl now, and should not sit back and wait. The draft is just too risky. The Chiefs will want to negotiate an extension upon completing the trade, but that should allow them to front load the contract, get out of it late as Peterson ages, and save cap space for the pending Jones/Mahomes extensions.
https://arrowheadaddict.com/2019/10/16/nfl-trade-deadline-ideas-kansas-city-chiefs-brett-veach-patrick-peterson/6/