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With the Kansas City Chiefs sitting at 3-4 on the season and playing well under expectations, there’s been plenty of chatter regarding what kind of moves they should make prior to the NFL’s November 2 trade deadline.
Because of issues on both sides of the football, there are cases being made that the defending AFC champions should try and give more weapons to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, or give one of the league’s worst defenses another piece to try and turn them into a middle-of-the-pack unit.
Due to the Chiefs only having an estimated $2.3 million in available cap space, according to Spotrac, there is really only room for one move to be made prior to the trade deadline, as long as the player they are acquiring is cheap enough. However, the possibility of Kansas City trading away a player is also in the realm of possibility, which would free up more cap space.
Let’s take a look at some of the players being linked to the Chiefs in trade proposals prior to the trade deadline, and what the realistic expectations should be of that player winding up in a Kansas City uniform.
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Offensive Players: Jones, Cooks
Let’s start off on the offensive side of the football, where turnovers and sloppy play have caused a Chiefs team that can typically win games despite poor defensive play to get buried early on in games especially.
Jaguars WR Marvin Jones Jr.
Jones, 31, has been a pivotal piece of the Jaguars offense this season, tallying 28 catches for 343 yards and three touchdowns through seven games, per Pro Football Reference. However, Jacksonville could very well be sellers at the trade deadline due to their 1-5 record, which is in part due to a rebuilding roster. That makes Jones, who has a $1.075 million base salary in 2021, per Spotrac, but would be owed less to a team that traded for him now, a viable trade asset. That’s why ClutchPoints’ Jon Conahan tabbed Jones as a trade option for the Chiefs.
While giving Mahomes another target like Jones would be beneficial, it doesn’t seem necessary. Josh Gordon is due more playing time, and Mecole Hardman and Byron Pringle have been playing well outside of a couple of fumbles from Hardman. Because of that, it would seem wise for Kansas City to go with a player that’s potentially younger or a defender as the option to use the limited cap space on.
Texans WR Brandin Cooks
Houston recently shipped running back Mark Ingram back to the New Orleans Saints, per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, and could be up for selling more of their assets as they sit at 1-6 on the season. Now, outlets are tabbing Cooks as the next player to be shipped out before November 2.
Cooks is only due $1.2 million for the remainder of the season, according to FanNation’s Connor Christopherson, who linked Kansas City as a trade candidate for Cooks in exchange for a 2022 second-round pick. The veteran receiver has 502 yards this season, which is sixth-best among receivers. However, as mentioned before, it would make more sense for the defending AFC champions to spend their money on a defender, especially when Cooks, 28, will have a $15 million cap hit in 2022 as part of the final year of his five-year, $81 million deal, per Spotrac.
Defensive Players: Ogbah, Flowers
Now we look at the defensive side of the football, where Kansas City is ranked as the second-worst defense in the league by PFF.
Dolphins DE Emmanuel Ogbah
Ogbah is a familiar name to Chiefs Kingdom. The edge rusher was acquired by Kansas City in 2019 via trade with the Cleveland Browns. During his lone season with the Chiefs, Ogbah recorded 11 QB hits, six tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks, per Pro Football Reference. Since then he’s been with the Dolphins and has played well enough to earn an 89.5 overall grade by PFF for his play during the 2021 season thus far.
Ogbah, who was also tabbed by Christopherson as a potential trade candidate for the Chiefs in exchange for 2022 and 2023 fourth-round picks, would be a difficult player to trade for. Because he is still due about $5 million per Christopherson, Kansas City would have to convince Ogbah to agree to a contract extension that would lower his cap number in 2021, allowing him to fit under their limited cap space for this season. With that being said — it’s doable.
Ogbah, 27, is a talented pass rusher that could provide a tremendous boost to the Chiefs’ struggling defense.
Lions DE Trey Flowers
Flowers, despite inking a five-year, $90 million deal with the Lions in 2019, hasn’t lived up to expectations in Detroit. Through three seasons with the Lions, Flowers has racked up just 11 sacks, and this season he’s earned an underwhelming 63.1 overall grade from PFF. This is why Flowers, who is on an 0-6 Detroit team, is tabbed as a potential trade target for Kansas City by CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, who has the Chiefs trading a conditional fifth-round pick in exchange for the veteran pass rusher.
Again, just like Ogbah, finances are what make this maneuver difficult for Kansas City. Although Flowers is owed only a portion of his $16 million base salary to whichever team would trade for him, even a smaller piece of that salary is still too much for the Chiefs to take on. So, the defending AFC champions would have to get Flowers — who has two years left on his contract — to agree to a restructure and/or an extension in order to lower his 2021 cap hit. It’s not out of the realm of possibility, but nevertheless a difficult maneuver for general manager Brett Veach to pull off.
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