The big news of the NFL offseason has been how aggressive the teams in the AFC West have been. In an effort to catch up to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos have all made major additions. The Chiefs have won the division for six straight years and have decided to refrain from adding any big names this offseason.
However, that doesn’t mean they are avoiding making big moves. Another bombshell was dropped on the NFL when it was revealed that Kansas City traded star wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for a 2022 first-round pick (No. 29), a second-round pick (No. 50) and a fourth-round pick, plus fourth and sixth-round picks in the 2023 draft. Hill has been one of the faces of the Chiefs for years and there weren’t many warning signs that this could happen.
Kansas City’s loss is the Raiders’ gain. Hill has dominated the silver and black over his six years with the Chiefs. In 11 games he has 54 receptions for 794 yards and six receptions touchdowns, not to mention two rushing touchdowns and a punt return touchdown. Derek Carr and Maxx Crosby were in disbelief that the Chiefs actually traded Hill.
Both Crosby and Carr have spent the majority of their careers competing against Hill twice a year so 2022 games against the Chiefs will have a different feel to them.
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Raiders Now Easily Have Best WR in AFC West
It can’t be understated how important Hill was to the Chiefs. His elite speed and quickness aren’t easily replicable. He’s one of the greatest deep threats the NFL has ever seen, which paired up perfectly with Patrick Mahomes‘ cannon arm. While the Chiefs are getting a treasure trove of draft picks in return and don’t have to pay Hill a massive contract, the team won’t be able to replace him.
Hill is one of the few wide receivers in the NFL that could be considered in the same sentence as Davante Adams. The Raiders now definitively have the best wide receiver in the AFC West and No. 2 isn’t close.
What This Trade Means for Raiders & AFC West
Obviously, it’s far too early to suggest that the Chiefs’ run at the top is over. They have lots of draft picks and opened up some cap space to make a big move if they want. It’s possible they add a guy like Jarvis Landry and then draft Chris Olave out of Ohio State and their wide receiver situation actually looks decent. However, this will be the first time in a long time that the Raiders will enter their Chiefs matchups with better offensive weapons. Travis Kelce is a tad better than Darren Waller at tight end but Hunter Renfrow is a better slot receiver than JuJu Smith-Schuster and the Raiders will have the best No. 1 wide receiver in Adams. Also, Josh Jacobs is a better running back than Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
For the first time in years, the Chiefs look mortal. The rest of the AFC West is stocking up while Kansas City hopes that running it back is the answer. They’ll still be the favorites to win the division until somebody takes it from them but there’s no doubt that they have a worse team without Hill on the roster.
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Raiders’ Derek Carr, Maxx Crosby React to Blockbuster Tyreek Hill Trade