While the Chiefs will return the majority of their core, they also plugged some of the holes that were on their roster heading into the offseason. They’re strong on both sides of the ball, and they should be tough to beat again during the upcoming season.
That’s not to say Kansas City is done making moves, though, as good franchises are always looking for ways to improve their roster. Even once the free-agent market is mostly depleted, teams can use the trade market to either get better or deal from an area of depth to acquire more draft capital.With that in mind, here’s a look at some Chiefs players who could be trade candidates ahead of the start of training camp later this month
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Edwards-Helaire’s production has yet to live up to expectations. In fact, his numbers have gone down over his three-year NFL career. This past season, he rushed for a career-low 302 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games.One reason for Edwards-Helaire’s lack of production has been the several injuries he’s endured. But even when he was healthy this past season, he was often behind Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon in the backfield pecking order.
Now that Kansas City also has La’Mical Perine in the mix, it may be time to move on from Edwards-Helaire. He’s only 24, so there should be plenty of interested teams. And it would be wiser for the Chiefs to get something in exchange for him than to not utilize him.
Lucas Niang, OT
At one point earlier this offseason, it seemed probable Lucas Niang would be one of Kansas City’s two starting offensive tackles heading into the 2023 season. But the team made a pair of signings that no longer make that the case.
With Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor likely to be the Chiefs’ top two OTs, Niang seems destined for a reserve role, assuming that he’s still with Kansas City when the regular season arrives. It might be a better move by the Chiefs to shop Niang to see if they can acquire a draft pick or two in exchange for the 24-year-old.
Mike Danna, DE
Kansas City has used early draft picks to improve the ends of its defensive line in recent years. In 2022, it selected George Karlaftis in the first round. In 2023, it again picked up an edge rusher in the opening round, taking Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
Anudike-Uzomah wasn’t the only defensive end acquired by the Chiefs this offseason. They also signed Charles Omenihu in free agency, and the 25-year-old could assume one of the starting roles on their defense to open the season.
All of these moves have made it less likely that Mike Danna will get a ton of opportunities during the upcoming season. The 25-year-old had a career-high five sacks in 13 games last year, so his stock is the highest it’s been during his three-year NFL career.
