As part of their attempted reconstruction, the Kansas City Chiefs have moved their pieces. In a move prioritizing offensive power over defensive continuity, General Manager Brett Veach has announced the departure of cornerback Trent McDuffie from the Chiefs’ squad to the Los Angeles Rams.
This trading maneuver desires to make space and facilitate a run for one of the best offensive weapons in the NFL: Seattle Seahawks star Kenneth Walker III. The operation will not be easy, but the Kansas team is planning to go all-in for him.
The reasons behind the McDuffie trade
The main interest behind the trade of McDuffie, is to help the Chiefs to play more comfortably with the NFL salary cap, as they are in red light with a $301.2 million. According to NFL insider Albert Breer while he was speaking on The Herd, the financial side of it was the most important one:
“Trent McDuffie clears just under $14 million in cash and $14 million in cap space for the Chiefs. That’s about what I think Kenneth Walker is going to cost. So there’s some interesting sliding doors there
With his departure, the Chiefs acquired a package of draft picks, including the No. 29 overall selection. They also cleared the issues regarding the cap-compliant after being $8.5 million over the limit. Patrick Mahomes has also been affected by it as his contract was restructured owering his cap hit from $78.2 million to $34.65 million. Tackle Jawaan Taylor was also released.
The urgent need for Kenneth Walker
Now, the Chiefs’ backfield is very weak and isolated, with both Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt hitting free agency soon, so Mahomes’ aerial assault we could say is non-existent.
Some reports were suggesting the interest in Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love in the draft, but everything points out that he will end up going to the veteran market, as Love has other girlfriends who come before them in the picks.
That is why Kenneth Walker III is the ultimate prize. Following the refusal to use the franchise tag on him by the Seahawks, he has a projected market value between $9 million and $15 million. If the Chiefs are willing to pay, they will certainly get an element that will bring multiple solutions to a squad with a lot of needs.
However, if the bidding war for Walker III becomes astronomical, the Chiefs may have to pivot. ESPN’s Dan Graziano has suggested other options that could still bolster the roster, such as Rico Dowdle or Tyler Allgeier. They would cost less, allowing the Chiefs to retain more of their defensive depth for next season.
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