Getty Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill is among the top five KC season grades after the bye.
The Kansas City Chiefs shook the NFL landscape on March 23 when they traded wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a 2022 first-round pick, second-round pick, and fourth-round pick, as well as a 2023 fourth-round pick and sixth-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Chiefs are trading six-time Pro-Bowl WR Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks: a 2022 1st-round pick (No. 29), a 2nd-round pick (No. 50) and a 4th-round pick, as well as 4th- and 6th-round picks in the 2023 draft, sources tell ESPN.
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On March 16, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that Hill and the Chiefs were “deep in talks” regarding a contract extension that could pay the veteran wideout upwards of $20 million per year on a “shorter deal”. However, Rapoport then reported earlier in the day on March 23 that extension talks between Hill and Kansas City had stalled, and the Chiefs gave Hill permission to seek a trade.
The Dolphins now give third-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa another weapon to throw to, while also giving Hill a four-year, $120 million extension, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. Kansas City gets several draft picks in return, which they could potentially use to replace Hill.
The reason that Miami was likely the winner of the Hill sweepstakes might have to do with the team’s assistant general manager, Marvin Allen. Allen was the director of college scouting from 2013-17 in Kansas City, which is the same timeframe in which the Chiefs drafted Hill (’16).
The Dolphins also have two first-round picks in 2023, with the extra pick coming from the trade that helped the San Francisco 49ers move up in the 2021 NFL Draft so they could select quarterback Trey Lance. So Miami could potentially use one of those picks to move back into the first round this year.
Since being selected as fifth-round pick by the Chiefs, Hill has been a six-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, and has had four 1,000-yard seasons. Overall, he has accumulated 479 receptions, 6,630 yards, and 56 touchdowns during his six-year career, according to Pro Football Reference.
Chiefs Players React to Hill Trade
Current and former Chiefs players reacted to Hill being traded to the Dolphins.
“10 imma just go grab dat jersey u said I can have .. I aint lying boy! It was privilege to be able to play alongside yu big bro! Not only that having real convos with you, helped me thru alot! Godspeed…literally,” running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire wrote.
10 imma just go grab dat jersey u said I can have .. I aint lying boy! It was privilege to be able to play alongside yu big bro! Not only that having real convos with you, helped me thru alot! Godspeed…literally 🤞🏾🖤 @cheetah
“This one is hurting my feeling like how do you trade @cheetah,” former Kansas City defensive end Tamba Hali wrote.
This one is hurting my feeling like how do you trade @cheetah
“Damn 10 TF going on!!!” former Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward wrote.
Damn 10 TF going on!!!
“This don’t even feel real,” Kansas City wide receiver Daurice Fountain wrote.
What’s Next for Chiefs?
With Hill being traded, Kansas City’s depth chart at wide receiver now includes JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, Josh Gordon, Daurice Fountain, Gehrig Dieter, Cornell Powell, Justin Watson, Chris Finke, Gary Jennings, Matthew Sexton, and Omar Bayless.
Smith-Schuster will likely be thrust into the No. 1 wide receiver role now that Hill is no longer in Kansas City. However, if the Chiefs opt to use one of their two first-round picks this year on a wide receiver, that player could compete with Smith-Schuster for the top spot on the depth chart.
Trading away Hill frees up $18.035 million in cap space for the Chiefs, according to Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest. This puts the Chiefs at roughly $19.8 million in cap space based on the NFLPA’s salary cap report as of March 23. Will ample spending the money, Kansas City could sign another veteran pass-catcher that is a free agent.
Some of the notable wide receivers that are still free agents are Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., Cole Beasley, Will Fuller, and Julio Jones.
With some money to spend now, here are potential options for the #Chiefs among the remaining free agent wide receivers:
– Jarvis Landry
– Odell Beckham Jr.
– Cole Beasley
– Will Fuller
– Julio Jones