Chiefs Rumors: Chris Jones trade suitor, Vikings trade proposal, Buechele’s last stand
- Shane Buechele's final push for the backup QB job
- Proposed trade with the Vikings could work wonders
- A Chris Jones trade suitor has emerged for the Chiefs
Chiefs Rumors: Trade proposal with Vikings would send CEH to Minnesota
One of the sneakiest decisions in terms of difficulty for Brett Veach and the Chiefs front office at cutdown day is what to do with the running back depth chart.
Isiah Pacheco, the second-year standout who emerged as a seventh-round rookie a season ago, appears to be the starter. Jerick McKinnon, who the team re-signed in free agency this offseason, is a change-of-pace option who is likely a lock for the 53-man roster. Beyond that, however, it gets tricky.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire has been a bust since he was a first-round pick in the 2020 draft, Deneric Prince has been a training camp darling, La'Mical Perine has shown out in preseason games, and Jerrion Ealy is a young back with plenty of talent. That's a lot of different factors vying for a spot at the end of the depth chart -- but the Chiefs might be able to make their decision at least marginally easier.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report recently proposed one trade that every NFL team should make. For the Chiefs, it was sending Edwards-Helaire to the Minnesota Vikings.
CEH has been a massive disappointment in Kansas City, but the fact of the matter is that he still has the talent that made him a first-round pick. For the Vikings, they've moved on from Dalvin Cook this offseason and, while Alexander Mattison appears to be the clear starter, the depth behind him is anything but proven. A move for Edwards-Helaire could solve that in a big way.
Not only would the Chiefs free up just over $2 million with this trade, but they could recoup some late-round draft capital for the former first-rounder as well while making their lives easier on cut day. It's not a foregone conclusion, but it's one that would make sense for both Kansas City and Minnesota.