KC Chiefs Urged by Senior NFL Reporter to Make Another WR Trade

Despite Kansas City just having added Mecole Hardman, some believe that move alone isn't enough.

The Kansas City Chiefs' offense is beginning to establish a hierarchy, with tight end Travis Kelce leading the way for all pass catchers and rookie Rashee Rice serving as the top wide receiver in the room. Veteran Justin Watson will likely assume a top-three role once he returns from injury, leaving quite a few supporting pieces behind him.

Mecole Hardman, who played 11 snaps in his first game back in Kansas City last week, is one of those complementary players. Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore also find themselves in that bucket. Even with Rice's emergence in year No. 1 and Hardman recently being acquired via trade, however, many believe that the Chiefs still need more out of their wide receiver room.

Dan Graziano of ESPN is one of those people. In a combination column with Jeremy Fowler, the senior NFL reporter dove into the latest trade buzz and more as the NFL's trade deadline is less than a full week away. When asked about which teams have to make a move before it's too late, Graziano led off with Kansas City. Here's what he had to say: 

While I trust Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes to figure it out even if they do nothing, I do think the Chiefs still could stand to add a veteran wide receiver. Hardman coming back is nice, but the Chiefs know better than anyone that Hardman isn't a guy you can count on for consistent health or production. I can't see the Broncos dealing one of their guys to a division rival, and the same goes for the Raiders and Davante Adams.

So how about someone like Arizona's Marquise Brown, who's making $13.4 million this year and is eligible for free agency when the season is over? I don't know that Arizona is looking to move Brown, but it hasn't extended him yet, and for a future-focused team looking to amass draft picks, it might make sense to see what's out there. The fifth-year speedster would bring some experience to a relatively young Chiefs' wide receiver room.

There are several high-profile wideouts whose names have been floated in trade conversations this fall. Many of them — Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy and Davante Adams — reside in the AFC West, though. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are on a team currently chasing a playoff spot, leaving DeAndre Hopkins as one of the more suitable names for a franchise like Kansas City. Marquise Brown is also an intriguing name, although the salary cap ramifications (both now and later) of acquiring him make things tricky. Donnie Druin of All Cardinals recently joined me here on Arrowhead Report and gave his take on what capital Arizona could look for in return:

Aim high and negotiate down, right? The Cardinals sent a first-round pick for Brown but they have to be realistic in terms of what they could get back. Any team trading for him would have to pay him, and Brown hasn't quite shaken the injury bug. I think the Cardinals would ask for a second-round pick but likely end up settling for a third-rounder with maybe a late-round swap as well.

If you're asking this writer, it doesn't seem likely that the Chiefs make another move at wide receiver prior to the deadline. There are already enough cooks in the kitchen as it is, and there doesn't appear to be significant enough trade value within the room to do a legitimate player-for-player swap. If the asking price for a player like Hopkins comes in lower than expected or Arizona is indeed willing to eat a lot of Brown's salary, perhaps things change. With just a handful of days until the league cutoff, however, it seems more and more likely that general manager Brett Veach stands pat despite the reasons Graziano outlined.

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