For the second time in as many years, the Kansas City Chiefs used one of their early draft picks to address the interior of the defensive line. Taking Peter Woods so early may have been a bit of a reach, but they clearly liked his fit in Steve Spagnuolo's system, and that cannot be overlooked.
This comes one year after they took Omarr Norman-Lott in the second round, and he was starting to trend up before his season-ending ACL injury. The Chiefs also signed Khyiris Tonga early in the offseason, so they're clearly not satisfied with that unit.
Should the Chiefs Consider Trading Chris Jones?
Trading Chris Jones would sound crazy or unrealistic years ago. He's been the pillar to their defense, a fan favorite, and a future Hall of Famer. However, Father Time is ruthless, and he hasn't been as impactful in recent years. Moreover, he used to be great because of his head-hunting instincts, but when he's not getting to the quarterback, he's just freelancing and leaving major gaps in the middle of the defense.
There's also the financial aspect of moving him. According to Over The Cap, trading him before June 1 would be financial suicide, given that the Chiefs would have to take a $29.25 million dead cap hit. A post-June 1 move, on the other hand, would save the Chiefs a whopping $35.1 million in cap space.
That, plus his age and somewhat disappointing production after his big contract, might raise doubts about whether Jones will stay in Kansas City. If anything, they seem to be bracing for life without him.
Chiefs general manager Brett Veach rarely makes decisions based on emotion, and he's quick to turn around players when they get older. That won't necessarily be the case with Jones, but they finally have some options.
Negotiations between the Chiefs and Jones turned sour when he got his contract extension. He's said all the right things since, but he hasn't lived up to that big contract. And with two younger replacements, the Chiefs might consider moving on from him at some point in the campaign.
Of course, finding someone willing to take his massive contract might be a tall order. That said, there's always a market for big-name players, and even if the Chiefs seem ready to move on from him, someone will gladly give him a chance.
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