Kansas City Chiefs shouldn’t make a move at 2019 trade deadline

By Chris Clark | Oct 29, 2019

Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach before the game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018 at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. (John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images) /

With the NFL trade deadline hours away, the contenders are reinforcing their rosters and the lesser teams are starting to plan for the future. While the Kansas City Chiefs could look to make moves, they should stand pat before the deadline.

The Kansas City Chiefs are in an odd position leading up to the trade deadline.

Through an injury-plagued eight weeks, they stand with five wins and three losses. That’s not a bad record considering that at least half a dozen of the team’s top talent has missed significant game time. Fortunately, these players are on the mend and will be returning in the coming weeks. Because of this, a trade may not be the best option right now.

While it’d be nice to bolster the offensive line or defensive secondary, giving away draft picks and spending money on contracts could have major implications for the future. Sure, it’d be quite the luxury to have Washington’s Trent Williams to protect Patrick Mahomes when he returns from injury.

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But who plays left tackle once Eric Fisher is healthy? And what might Williams’ contract do to the salary cap that is being saved for Mahomes’ massive upcoming contract? Acquiring a player of Williams’ age also has a certain disadvantage when looking at the future of the team.

There’s also been continued speculation that the Chiefs are interested in the Cardinals’ cornerback, Patrick Peterson. He’d certainly be an upgrade at the position, but could disrupt the continuity that the Chiefs’ secondary is starting to find halfway through the season.

And again, what might it cost the team in draft capital and salary to acquire the aging veteran? While the Cardinals may not make the playoffs this year, they don’t yet look like a team willing to just give away players (they actually just acquired Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake) and would likely keep Peterson’s price at a premium.

It’s also apparent that Arizona is adamant in holding on to the All-Pro cornerback.

Ultimately, the Chiefs are in a unique position where starters will be returning from injury and the defense looks to be starting to gel. Even though they gave up a lot of points to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers on Sunday night, the defense was able to sack him five times. It might be taking some time, but it looks like Steve Spagnuolo’s system is beginning to take shape, even with injuries to significant players.

If the Chiefs can get Mahomes and the guys protecting him back soon, the offense will certainly return to form. Just imagine if the defense begins to match what the offense can do down the stretch.

Currently, the Chiefs have a backup quarterback who looks confident in Mahomes’ absence and a defense that’s starting to show some aggression. If they can hold this together and get healthy by Thanksgiving, these returning players should be well-rested for the most intense part of the season.

There’s reason to believe that the offense really becomes alive again and that the defense becomes staunch when it matters most. Getting hot in the last four to five games of the season could prove to be too much for other teams who may begin to struggle with fatigue down the stretch.

This is all to say that there may not be a need to upgrade via trade before the deadline. If Brett Veach can hold tight with what he has, he may still have a very successful finish to the season and keep the needed draft capital and salary cap headed into the offseason.

Chiefs Kingdom need not worry if a trade isn’t made in the coming hours. That would indicate that Kansas City has the players that they need to be successful and/or that they’re approaching the rest of the season without giving away the farm.

There’s a lot of good football left this season and the Kansas City Chiefs can certainly be successful without striking a deal before Tuesday’s deadline.

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