Getty Detroit Lions edge rusher Charles Harris strips Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields on October 3, 2021.
We are less than 12 days away from the 2021 NFL trade deadline and the fever has already spread all across the league.
The Kansas City Chiefs are 3-3 heading into a pivotal Week 7 matchup with the Tennessee Titans but no matter the result, the back-to-back AFC championships are expected to be buyers on November 2.
According to our very own Heavy on Chiefs fanbase, Kansas City could use a few different positions this year and most of them are on the defensive side. Linebacker, cornerback, defensive end and D-line, in general, were all frequent suggestions on our page and ESPN writer Bill Barnwell agreed with a couple of these suggestions in a recent article predicting 10 NFL trade proposals.
The Chiefs made Barnwell’s list twice and we have all the details below.
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Player Swap With Rams
The first of Barnwell’s two suggestions was a smaller move that would send the Los Angeles Rams a cornerback while acquiring a linebacker in his place.
- Chiefs get LB Travin Howard.
- Rams get CB Deandre Baker.
On paper, trading a former first-round pick for a former seventh-rounder doesn’t sound too appealing but when you factor in that Kansas City didn’t spend their first on Baker it makes things a little better. GM Brett Veach took a flyer on the CB and while he’s kept his nose out of trouble since joining the Chiefs, he’s still fifth or sixth on the depth chart when everyone’s healthy.
Barnwell wrote: “The Rams need help at cornerback after Darious Williams went on injured reserve… The Chiefs have lots of cornerbacks they prefer to Baker, but one of the many other things they could use is a linebacker. Their linebackers have been shredded in coverage this season, and Anthony Hitchens hyperextended his elbow in Sunday’s win over Washington. Howard, a converted safety, was in line to compete for linebacker snaps in 2020 before tearing his meniscus. He has only played 10 defensive snaps this season, all of which came in garbage time last week against the Giants.”
While this deal may not move the needle too much, it would probably help KC. Veach just signed Shilique Calhoun to the practice squad on October 19 so you know they’re looking to add linebacker depth. Howard could help in this regard as more of a coverage backer that’s currently buried on the Rams.
Travin Howard (#48) is good at this coverage thing.
“Chances are that this deal wouldn’t change either team’s season dramatically, but these are two young players who could see more playing time with a change of scenery,” Barnwell concluded.
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Chiefs Trade for Former First-Round Pick
Here’s the one fans have been waiting for. In this move from Barnwell, Kansas City would acquire former first-round edge rusher, Charles Harris.
- Chiefs get DE Charles Harris.
- Lions get 2022 sixth-round pick, 2023 sixth-round pick.
Harris is currently having a breakout campaign for the Detroit Lions, although he was a relative bust with the franchise that drafted him (Miami Dolphins). The pass-rusher only totaled 3.5 sacks over three seasons with the Fins but he’s accumulated 7.0 sacks since in only 19 games with the Atlanta Falcons and Lions.
“You’ve heard about teams taking the best available player during the NFL draft,” the ESPN writer began, “the Chiefs need to add the best available player on defense.” Apparently, that’s Harris according to Barnwell.
He continued: “The secondary has been a problem, but Kansas City could also use another edge rusher to supplement Frank Clark and Chris Jones. Harris has bounced around the league since disappointing as a first-round pick with the Dolphins in 2017, but he has picked up sacks in four consecutive games as a regular for the 0-6 Lions. He isn’t going to singlehandedly turn around the Chiefs, but he could at least be part of a functional edge-rushing rotation. He’ll also cost the Chiefs less than $1 million over the remainder of the season.”
Cheap and effective could be music to the ears of Veach, a general manager who’s had to work around large contracts that he’s dished out to players like Patrick Mahomes, Tyrann Mathieu and the aforementioned Jones and Clark.
Harris could be the bargain grab that KC needs and it shouldn’t cost much to get him. Barnwell has the Chiefs sending two sixth-round picks for the defensive end, which is very little in the grand scheme of things.
Not only could Harris help get to the quarterback (12 pressures in six 2021 games), he could allow Jones to move back inside to defensive tackle where some believe he belongs. It’s certainly a win-win for Kansas City!