CHARLOTTE, NC – NOVEMBER 04: Justin Evans #21 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stops Christian McCaffrey #22 of the Carolina Panthers short of the goal line during the first half of their game at Bank of America Stadium on November 4, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
What dream trades could the Chiefs pursue to take their team to up a level?
The Kansas City Chiefs return 20 of 22 Super Bowl starters and are the betting favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions. However, their general manager has mastered the art of trading would-be roster cuts for useful tools late in the offseason. What moves could the team make this year that fans should only dream about?
These trades are proposed with two understandings. First, Brett Veach needs to retain draft picks due to the teams impending massive extensions to Chris Jones and Patrick Mahomes, plus a likely mass exodus of free agents in 2021. Second, Chiefs made some choices this offseason which indicate some players may be on the move.
So, what are the dream trades for Kansas City?
Chiefs Get
Safety Justin Evans
Conditional 5th Round Pick
Buccaneers Get
Running Back Damien Williams
The Chiefs made a splash at the bottom of the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft by selecting game-breaking running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire from LSU. All indications are he’ll quickly be integrated, meaning a decreased work load for Damien Williams. The Chiefs may prefer to keep Williams, but he is a potential roster cut as we move through the postseason.
Kansas City also needs a fourth safety in their defensive back group. Currently, underwhelming Armani Watts mans the position. That position is going to be very important for the Chiefs for two reasons.
First, the team called on Tyrann Mathieu to play corner on almost 40 percent of snaps down the stretch last year, and with the potential for Bashaud Breeland to miss time, and Juan Thornhill to not yet be fully recovered from his late season ACL tear, having another capable veteran could be crucial.
Justin Evans has been disappointing in Tampa Bay, and an injury-ended 2019 season coupled with the selection of Antoine Winfield, Jr. in the second round of the draft, makes him a candidate to be cut from the roster.
Here, the teams trade potential roster cuts for players who could benefit both clubs.