With a record of 5-0, the Kansas City Chiefs are once again leading the NFL. Despite their overall strong offensive performance against the New Orleans Saints, they were unable to convert in the red zone, and with Rashee Rice and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown out with injury, there are still concerns about their wide receiver depth. Now is the ideal moment for general manager Brett Veach to pursue a wide receiver since the Chiefs are about to go into their bye week.
Both the regular season and the postseason will be missed by Rashee Rice. Despite Juju Smith-Schuster’s impressive performance against the Saints, this club will need another reliable wide receiver if they hope to be a real contender to achieve the NFL’s first “three-peat.
After Rashee Rice’s injury just over a week ago, I listed ten potential wide receiver trade possibilities. The image of which targets are most likely has gotten clearer as the NFL rumour mill has churned and the circumstances of some of the teams those receivers are on have improved or continued to degrade.
If Brett Veach decides to make a move, I think there are now three alternatives that seem to be the obvious favourites to land in Kansas City.
1. Cleveland Browns player Amari Cooper
At thirty years old, Amari Cooper has established himself as the NFL’s top wide receiver. Even though he may not be at his best anymore, he still managed over 1,200 yards in the last campaign and would be KC’s greatest receiver as soon as he took the field. Although it would take him some time to adjust to the offensive, his background in various systems and on many teams should make it easy for him to catch up in time for a postseason push.
Why he’s become the clear favourite
The Cleveland Browns’ record slipped to 1-4 for the season, giving the impression that they have already given up on the season. Deshaun Watson appears to be psychologically checked out of football, and his position seems to be growing worse every week.
Cooper appears to be quite irritated with the current state of affairs and ought to use the opportunity to join the Chiefs. The majority of his pay was converted by the Browns into a signing bonus, which he would not be able to take with him should Cleveland decide to move him.
2. Panthers star Diontae Johnson
28-year-old Diontae Johnson is currently with the Carolina Panthers for a one-year contract. Between 2020 and 2022, he had three seasons with 80 or more receptions for the Pittsburgh Steelers; however, poor quarterback play in Pittsburgh during the previous season reduced his output. He is currently in a less than ideal circumstance in Carolina.
Although Johnson isn’t the archetypal #1 wideout, he has shown that he is a superb short- to intermediate-range possession target who can find openings on a regular basis. The Chiefs would now find Johnson’s cap charge to be a little too high, but they have options to make room or they could negotiate a new contract as part of the trade.
Why he’s become the clear favourite
I noted that Carolina might be reluctant to move Johnson because he had been their best wide receiver for so long when I created my initial list of ten wide receiver trade targets. If they want to play Bryce Young once more, they could want him back. But Xavier Legette and Jonathan Mingo, two young wideouts who the Panthers already had seeing action, were joined last week by undrafted rookie Jalen Coker. In fact, Coker had the most receptions and yards for the squad during their Week 5 match.
The Panthers might definitely be sellers after falling to 1-4 and having the worst point differential in the NFL after five weeks. They might be willing to deal with Johnson if they believe they have three young wideouts to base their lineup around.
3. The New York Giants’ Darius Slayton
Darius Slayton is the best of the “second tier” alternatives for the Chiefs if they want a seasoned player but don’t want to forfeit the draft money needed to get a bigger name like Amari Cooper or Diontae Johnson. For the Giants, the 27-year-old has been a reliable scorer despite his really poor quarterback performance. In four of his five seasons in New York, he has accumulated more than 700 yards, and this season he is expected to surpass that total. Although his cap amount is slightly higher than K.C.’s available space, I’m sure they could figure out a way to balance the numbers.
Why he’s become the clear favourite
The Giants had the opportunity to highlight prospective purchasers Slayton’s upside this past week. After Malik Nabers, the team’s rookie star, entered the concussion protocol, Slayton took over and finished with eight receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown. Despite their 3–2 record, the Giants don’t appear to be a strong playoff candidate this year. In addition, they could employ Nabers, Wan’dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt as their top three wideout options if he is sold.
Slayton would undoubtedly be the least expensive choice in terms of what the Chiefs would have to give up in order to get him, as he is a lesser-known player with an expiring contract. That may make Slayton, an underappreciated alternative, a good fit for the Chiefs.
There you have it, Chiefs supporters: should KC want to pursue a wideout during their bye week, those three players are the front-runners. Which of these three choices do you prefer over the others? Is there anyone else you think ought to be on this list?
After the Chiefs’ performance against the Saints, do you still believe the team needs to trade for a wideout? Please share your opinions in the comments section below.