After a busy Friday in the NFL, we’re finally starting to get some Chiefs-related news.
The trade market for Kansas City outside linebacker Dee Ford is heating up ahead of the start of the new league year, according to a new report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Packers and the 49ers have both expressed the desire to trade for Ford. It’s unclear if these two teams are interested in getting in a bidding war to acquire Ford, but right now it appears they’re the only ones interested.
Ford was given the non-exclusive franchise tag by the Chiefs. They’re able to trade him outright to anyone, or teams can sign him to an offer sheet and forfeit two first-round picks if Kansas City doesn’t match the offer. It appears at least for now that the market to acquire Ford is much more active than the market for Chiefs OLB Justin Houston.
The Packers make a ton of sense as a destination for Ford. They hired former Chiefs outside linebackers coach Mike Smith this offseason. They also lost the Khalil Mack sweepstakes to their rival Chicago Bears in 2018. Now they could possibly even the playing field by trading for Ford and signing him to an extension.
The Chiefs want to receive at minimum two picks in the top 100 for Ford in trade. They can hang on to him for another season under the franchise tag and get a third-round compensatory pick for him in 2021. If the Chiefs don’t get what they’re asking for Ford, they won’t be inclined to trade him.
