The Kansas City Chiefs added Kristian Fulton to the cornerback mix with a two-year contract last offseason. He missed half of the campaign with an injury, but he was more than decent when he was healthy enough to suit up.
The Chiefs revamped their secondary in the offseason, moving on from Jaylen Watson, Bryan Cook, and Trent McDuffie. To replenish, they brought back veteran L'Jarius Sneed, drafted Mansoor Delane sixth overall in the draft and boosted Nohl Williams to a starting role.
Over four games, the Chiefs' youngsters have looked the part, and that, plus Fulton's expiring deal, should put his future with the organization in peril. The Nov. 10 trade deadline is zooming in, and he might be as good as gone.
Trading Kristian Fulton makes too much sense for him and the Chiefs
According to Over The Cap, the Chiefs are sitting at roughly $3.5 million in cap space. They're reportedly in talks to bring back Tyreek Hill, and they can free up $10 million by trading Fulton before the deadline.
The Chiefs, in return, would also receive an early Day 3 pick for a veteran who's more serviceable than most realize. He'd get to play more snaps and even potentially start elsewhere, so even he should be pushing to find a new home.
Fulton saw increased snaps in Weeks 1 and 2 this season, and he actually did an amazing job. He's held quarterbacks to a 50.0 percent completion percentage, giving up just four catches for 19 total yards and no scores. He also has one pick and is limiting signal-callers to a 16.7 passer rating, drawing the 10th-highest Pro Football Focus grade among 103 eligible cornerbacks.
That said, the Chiefs are extremely high on their young cornerback, and rightfully so. And with Nohl Williams also looking like a star in the making on the opposite boundary, there is a fair argument that the Chiefs could survive just fine without him.
Notably, moving on from Fulton might also carry risks. Delane has already missed time in training camp and the regular season, so the Chiefs could also take a cautious approach and keep the veteran in town as insurance, even if that means letting him walk in free agency.
Then again, they can always move Sneed back to the outside and have Jadon Canady handle things at nickel if Delane or Williams have to miss time, though that probably isn't the most ideal scenario. Whatever the case, they have options.
Fulton and the Chiefs don't need each other, and Kansas City could use the financial relief. There's always a strong market for plug-and-play cornerbacks, and it feels like the writing is already on the wall.
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