NFL Rumors: 3 more trades Chiefs can make to keep upgrading WR room

After that troubling opening night loss to the Detroit Lions way back when, the Kansas City Chiefs have reeled off five straight wins to emerge as comfortable frontrunners in the AFC West. Patrick Mahomes is still the best player in the NFL, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are dating, and Chris Jones is back to his old ways anchoring the defense.

Good vibes all around.

There is every reason to believe the Chiefs can contend for another Super Bowl. It starts with Mahomes, of course, and there's no discounting the inherent coaching edge provided by Andy Reid. But, the rest of the roster tends to carry its weight too. Kelce dominates with his athletic route-running, Isiah Pacheco is a dynamic weapon atop the backfield, and the defense is on solid ground — with a tantalizing Frank Clark reunion in the cards, to boot.

Of course, every team has a weakness. If there's one hole to poke in the Chiefs' high-flying offense, it's the surprising lack of established talent in the WR room. A trade for Mecole Hardman addressed Kansas City's playmaking limitations to a certain degree, but Hardman was hardly part of the game plan in New York.

Between Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, there's not much to feel good about in the Chiefs WR room. Rookie Rashee Rice has popped lately, but it's fair to wonder how much the Chiefs want to rely on a rookie deep into the postseason. With the trade deadline looming in less than two weeks, perhaps another deal is in order.

Here are a few realistic trades to bolster the Chiefs' WR group.

3. Terrace Marshall II

The Carolina Panthers have granted permission to third-year WR Terrace Marshall to seek a trade, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Marshall has struggled to carve out a consistent role in the Panthers' offense.

With an uneven rookie QB at the commands in Bryce Young, Carolina's offense has been a slog. Plenty of blame has been placed on the shoddy WR room, but Marshall and Jonathan Mingo are second-round picks with ample athletic talent. Is it really their fault that Young only feels comfortable with the Adam Thielen safety blanket?

If the Chiefs sweeten the pot with a late-round pick swap, it shouldn't be hard to take a flier on Marshall. He's 6-foot-2 with enough speed and vertical aptitude to thrive in an offense centered on the powerful arm of Patrick Mahomes. He would need to work his way up the depth chart, but frankly, it wouldn't take much for Marshall to make a name for himself compared to Kansas City's current collection of receivers.

In five appearances (two starts) this season, Marshall has caught 16 of 27 targets for 114 yards. He recorded zero receptions in the Panthers' Week 6 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He's a low-cost, middle-reward option for the Chiefs.