Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach is up to his old tricks again.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chiefs have sent running back Carlos Hyde to the Texans in exchange for offensive lineman Martinas Rankin. The writing was on the wall for Hyde, who tumbled down the Chiefs’ depth chart as the preseason progressed.
The Texans had an obvious need at the RB position after losing Lamar Miller for the season to a knee injury. The Chiefs have more use for interior offensive line depth right now than they do for an extra RB with Damien Williams, Darwin Thompson and Darrel Williams operating as their main trio in the backfield.
Trading Hyde will also save the Chiefs from having to eat some $1.8 million in dead cap space were they to cut him. Instead, they’ll save $1.2 million in cap space on the deal, with Rankin still on his rookie contract.
Rankin, a former third-round pick by the Texans in the 2018 NFL draft, has started games at both tackle and guard for the Texans. He struggled at times, but injury and circumstance thrust him into action early in Houston. The Chiefs will likely be able to bring him along much more slowly.
One thing that Veach has found some success in is acquiring former top-100 draft picks and betting on his coaching staff. The Chiefs should be able to coach up Rankin into a solid contributor compared to what he was with the Texans.
