3 Chiefs Players Who Could Be Traded to Free up Cap Space and Acquire Draft Picks
By Michael Luciano
The Kansas City Chiefs might be fresh off of a Super Bowl victory, but they still have plenty to sweat about when they look at their salary cap and draft board. They have barely any cap space remaining and hold just five picks in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft.
In order to stockpile more picks and ease their cap struggles, KC needs to look in to dealing these three starters to maximize return and offload sizable salaries.
3. LB Anthony Hitchens
One of the reasons the Chiefs are considered thin at linebacker is the fact that they signed Hitchens to a five-year contract in 2018, and the veteran has failed to live up to the deal. Even if he's struggled in coverage, a 27-year-old linebacker with 223 tackles over the last two seasons will command some draft assets in a trade, and being able to flip him for pick(s) frees Kansas City from the remaining three years on his contract.
2. OG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
Duvernay-Tardif is under team control for the next three seasons, and he was one of the better right guards in the AFC. Unfortunately, the Chiefs need to start planning for Patrick Mahomes' impending mega contract, and LDT might need to be sent elsewhere. Given his contract and how solid he was last year, Kansas City could get a premium pick or a proven veteran player in exchange for him while also freeing up his remaining $42 million.
1. DT Chris Jones
Chiefs fans might need to face the music with Jones, who is one of the best interior pass rushers in football. He has openly expressed his distaste for playing on the franchise tag, but paying both him and Mahomes while keeping the greater core of the roster intact seems almost impossible.. Given how his dominant postseason showed what a game-changer he can be, several teams would surrender a king's ransom to get Jones from the Chiefs and sign him to an extension. If this makes Chiefs fans angry to think about, then consider Alex Okafor next on the chopping block.