Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach hasn’t been shy about acquiring players via trade. Since taking over as general manager following the 2017 NFL draft, he’s traded to acquire seven different players.
The offseason program is underway in Kansas City and Veach has assembled his 90-man roster, but is he finished making additions to the team via trade? Veach could potentially still have a few tricks up his sleeve, so let’s take a look at the possibility of some more trade action and when those potential trades might occur.
Pursuit of the big fish
At this point, it’s pretty unlikely that the Chiefs find themselves in a situation where they could trade for an elite player. It’s not that they’ll have salary cap limitations as they currently have just over $15 million in cap space to use in 2019. They’ll have over $20 million as of June 1, when Eric Berry’s contract no longer counts against the salary cap.
There are really two barriers that the Chiefs face in landing a big fish in trade. First, you’ll find the Chiefs have depleted their late-round draft capital in 2020. They’ve traded away a to-be-determined second-round pick, a sixth-round pick and a seventh-round pick in 2020. The team is projected to earn an extra fourth-round compensatory pick, but that won’t be confirmed until after the 2019 season. The Chiefs are currently sitting on five draft picks in 2020 and I suspect they want to hold onto those. Yes, they can trade away draft capital beyond 2020, but it isn’t good business to keep trading away your future like that.
Next up is availability. At this point, there just aren’t many elite players that will be made available to the Chiefs in trade. Arizona Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson was suspended for six games following a PED violation. It didn’t appear the Cardinals were willing to trade him regardless of his suspension. Jacksonville Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey has seen his name mentioned in trade rumors multiple times this offseason, but there has been no indication that the Jags are willing to move him. A player like Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph would certainly reinforce the Chiefs’ depth at the position, but the Vikings recently freed up some money that would allow them to keep him.
Availability can change very quickly, and with offseason workouts in full swing, teams now have to worry about injuries. At this point in the offseason, acquiring an elite talent will mostly be left up to chance.
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Minor transactions
Veach has been masterful at acquiring players for minimal draft capital or a player swap. These types of trade typically come ahead of August 31 roster cuts, after teams make decisions on their final rosters.
In 2017, the Chiefs traded for Bills LB Reggie Ragland on the 28th of August. Two days later, they called up the Browns and acquired OL Cameron Erving. Both of those moves have worked out pretty well for the Chiefs thus far.
In 2018, the Chiefs traded for Cowboys CB Charvarius Ward on the Aug. 30, which was a risky move given that teams rarely trade for undrafted players. It paid off for the Chiefs in a big way later in the season when they decided to bench Orlando Scandrick. One day later, Veach acquired S Jordan Lucas in a trade with the Dolphins. Lucas is still competing for a roster spot and proved to be valuable depth in 2018.
Don’t be shocked to see Veach trade for some players late in August ahead of final roster cuts. Those players might not make the roster of the team they’re coming from, but low waiver wire priority means the Chiefs will need to make a trade to ensure they land a particular player.
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Trade deadline
Last season the NFL’s trade deadline fell on October 30. You can expect the 2019 trade deadline to fall right around the same time.
The Chiefs were active around the 2018 trade deadline, specifically in their pursuit of Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas. They were working to orchestrate a deal that would land Thomas in Kansas City when he suffered a broken leg that ended his season. It was unfortunate luck on the part of both Thomas and the Seahawks.
If the Chiefs are pushing for another postseason run, expect Veach to consider all possible options to improve this team at the trade deadline. There will likely be adequate remaining cap space, plus with the reality of a potential Super Bowl appearance, you can throw out any restrictions on future draft assets.
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