5 Players the Chiefs must trade for in the 2023 NFL offseason
Take a look at the players that Chiefs should add to their roster in the 2023 off-season.
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Patrick Mahomes (Photo by Colin E Braley/AP)
The Kansas City Chiefs led by their star quarterback Patrick Mahomes just won their second Super Bowl title in the last 4 years by beating the Philadelphia Eagles. And now, they look to become the first to win back-to-back championships since 2005.
For that, there are a lot of holes that the Kansas-based football team has to fill, including their deflated receiving core, which almost entirely depends on their star tight end Travis Kelce. Moreover, three wide receivers, including the talented JuJu Smith-Schuster, are heading toward free agency in the upcoming NFL off-season. So, that department definitely needs some attention immediately.
Furthermore, many other star players, including their star left tackle Orlando Brown, punter Tommy Townsend and RB Jerick McKinnon, will all become either restricted or unrestricted free agents once the new league year begins on March 15. The Chiefs either need to replace them or resign to continue as a dominant team in the league. Apart from this, they also have some serious decisions to make about their defensive line. In this article, let’s take a look at five players that can help the Chiefs become the back-to-back champions.
1. Donovan Smith (OT)
Both starting tackles Orlando Brown Jr. and Andrew Wylie for the Chiefs will become free agents once the new league year begins. And resigning Orlando Brown Jr. would be a massive task since he’d be a well-sought-after player in the league, so they should consider letting him go and trade for the Buccaneers‘ LT Donovan Smith.
Yes, Smith did have a down in 2022, but he was a massive asset for the Bucs in 2021 and under Andy Reid’s coaching staff, he could potentially return to his best form in 2023.
It would cost much in draft capital for the Chiefs to acquire, but he has a huge contract with the Bucs, who are almost guaranteed to cut him before the new league year starts. So, the Chiefs could wait for him to get cut and then sign him for a much cheaper price.
2. Elijah Moore (WR)
As previously mentioned, the Chiefs desperately need help in the receiving core. However, Patrick Mahomes has already proven that he doesn’t need an elite wide receiver to put up monster numbers offensively. So, instead of going for an expensive wide receiver like DeAndre Hopkins or Mike Evans who would cost a lot of draft capital and money, the Chiefs should consider the Jets WR Elijah Moore, who is very talented and is still on a rookie deal. Moreover, he’s dissatisfied with the Jets and that might help the Chiefs to get him without giving up much in return.
3. Jessie Bates III (DB)
One of the most underrated units in the Chiefs Super Bowl team was their secondary unit, which was filled with players on a rookie deal and still managed to play at a high level. But adding Jessie Bates III to that secondary will only strengthen their team. Mahomes has proven that he can carry the Chiefs’ offense, so the money needs to be spent on the defensive unit.
The 2020 second-team All-Pro will cost in the range of $14 million a year in a new deal, but he would be worth every penny of it. During his five years with the Bengals, Bates has registered 479 tackles and 14 interceptions, a perfect safety who will make the Chiefs’ secondary even better immediately.
4. Jared Verse (DE)
The Chiefs defensive line got an upgrade last year, thanks to the rookie DE George Karlaftis showing up big with 6 sacks in his first NFL season. However, they need to add another young gun to that defensive line. The Chiefs should consider trading Frank Clark away, which would save a huge number in cap space and could potentially return a good draft capital.
As his replacement, the Kansas-based franchise should consider drafting the Florida State DE Jared Verse, who registered 9 sacks in the 2022 college football season and is graded 85.6% by PFF. Adding him to the defensive could be a huge game-changer for the Chiefs’ defense.
5. Jahmyr Gibbs (RB)
And finally, the Chiefs need a running game. They had an excellent running game in the back end of the season, thanks to their 7th-round draft pick Isiah Pacheco. Now they can create a two-headed monster in the backfield by adding Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the upcoming draft. The Chiefs can trade away Clyde Edwards-Helaire to make room for the explosive running back. Gibbs is projected to go in the late first round and the Chiefs are in a perfect spot to take him with their 31st pick.
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Aravind Raj
(2075 Articles Published)