By Trading Tyreek Hill, Did the Chiefs Help Preserve Their Dynasty?
The Chiefs lost in the AFC Championship this past season, preventing them from making their third straight Super Bowl. With most assuming Kansas City would return a similar core to that of last season, the Chiefs made some moves that shocked the NFL world. First and foremost, they traded All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a multitude of draft selections. A move that many questioned at the time, it boiled down to Kansas City not willing to give Hill the contract extension he was looking for.
When you build a contender, it’s hard to manage cap and keep all your stars intact. That was also the case for All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu, who recently inked a deal with the New Orleans Saints after KC decided not to re-sign him. Now with two of their core pieces off the roster, how possibly could this Chiefs team be a threat to win another Super Bowl? Let’s break it down. Starting with free agency, the Chiefs made some vital signings to add to the depth of this roster.
Offensively they added JuJu-Smith Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Ronald Jones to their skill positions. All players who have immense potential at their respective
positions, they should all provide valuable production for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Defensively, the only notable signing was the Mathieu replacement in Justin Reid. A young safety who spent his first three seasons in Houston, Reid will bring his ball-hawking skills to Kansas City. Despite seeing a dip in production since his rookie season, the Chiefs should be able to tap into that potential and make him a high-caliber player. In terms of the draft, the Chiefs made some noteworthy selections.
Four of their draft picks should project to be quality starters, with potential to blossom into long-term options for them. The Chiefs’ first selection was Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie, who is an aggressive corner who has been compared to the likes of Jaire Alexander.
Their second selection was Purdue edge rusher George Karlaftis, who was a great value pick at the end of the first round. He will slot in as a day-one starter opposite of Frank Clark and fill that void for KC. The other two players are wide receiver Sky Moore and linebacker Leo Chanel. Both are definitely talented players, but might take a few weeks to solidify starting roles.
So will the Chiefs miss Hill and Mathieu? 100%. Replacing All-Pro production doesn’t come easy. However, they were able to add a new core of talent on some team-friendly deals. In addition, their rookies will be locked on long term deals that should allow for the Chiefs to continue to add talent via free agency.
The wide receiver room is deeper now, as Smith-Schuster not long ago was a high-caliber receiving threat who had 1,400 yards in 2018. Valdes-Scantling has elite speed, who will serve as a big play threat in the Chiefs offense. At the end of the day, building a dynasty involves taking risks and making moves that may not make sense at first. Overall, don’t be surprised if the Chiefs are as good or even better next season with this re-tooled roster.
