Kansas City Chiefs: Knile Davis Traded To Green Bay

The Kansas City Chiefs finally made the much anticipated move of trading running back Knile Davis.  The Chiefs finalized a deal for the running back with the Green Bay Packers.

It was no secret that the Kansas City Chiefs intended to trade running back Knile Davis.  The early expectation was that the Chiefs would make a move in the preseason.  However, no worthwhile deals materialized and the team moved into the start of the regular season with Davis on the roster.  That changed today when a deal was completed with the Green Bay Packers.

We have known a trade was likely for some time.  Despite being a talented player, there just wasn’t any room left for him on the roster.  At running back, the Chiefs found a pair of young studs in Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West.  At kick returner, where Davis had excelled, KC has added Tyreek Hill.  So a trade was expected to take place.

Early on, it seemed as though the Dolphins were going to be the likely trading partner.  Rumors were leaked about possible trade discussions.  Of course, nothing materialized from that and the Dolphins would eventually sign Arian Foster to apparently sit in the trainer’s room all year.  There was other speculation, but nothing solid ever showed up.

What Did The Chiefs Get?

Of course, with any trade you have to consider what the team got in return.  Honestly there was no deal the Chiefs could make here that would be considered “bad”.  Knile Davis was set to become a free agent this offseason, and he clearly wasn’t going to be used any more this year.  So even the low price of a conditional late round pick is well worth moving Davis.

While a conditional late round pick is nothing to scream about, it is an added piece to the big picture.  John Dorsey seems to be collecting a lot of these late round picks.  That could mean he’s adding ammunition to be aggressive on draft day in making trades.  In fact, I would be surprised if that wasn’t the case.  The Chiefs have shown a willingness to be draft day movers.

Another angle of this is that the Chiefs have opened up a roster spot and cleared a small chunk of cap space by moving Davis.  The open roster spot is actually very interesting when you consider that Justin Houston is now eligible to return from the PUP List.  The cap space isn’t huge, but it is just that much more available.  Never anything wrong with that.

A Good Move

Unless you are just a die hard Knile Davis fan, there really isn’t anything to not like about this.  The Chiefs made a move that they really needed to make, and got something in return.  That’s what good GMs do.  Knile Davis was pretty much done in Kansas City at this point.  At best he offered some value in the compensatory pick equation, but likely not much.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs didn’t get any weaker for not having Davis on the roster.  KC is still stacked at running back, and the kick return game appears in very good hands with Tyreek Hill.  So there is nothing lost.  Again, that is what good GMs do.  This move is a complete net positive for the Chiefs in every single way.

Next: Kansas City Chiefs: Top 5 Trade Partners For Knile Davis

This won’t be remembered as a huge move for John Dorsey, but it is the sign of a GM who gets it.  The Chiefs have added an asset without giving up anything on their end.  Had Knile Davis not been traded, there is a good chance that he would have been cut anyways.  At the very least he would have left in Free Agency in 2017.  So all around, this is a good move by the Chiefs.