3 Hollywood Brown replacements who’ve never played for the Chiefs before

Right when it looked like the Kansas City Chiefs had finally arrived at a comfortable spot with the state of their wide receiver corps, new offseason addition Marquise "Hollywood" Brown suffered a shoulder injury in the club's preseason opener on Saturday. While not season-ending by any stretch, it's an injury that could potentially cause Brown to miss the first month of the regular season.

While the Chiefs still have options on the roster such as Rashee Rice and rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy, along with a familiar face in Mecole Hardman. However, they could still use some more proven options in the mix. Having said that, Kansas City should also aim to avoid some old habits, namely preferring familiar faces that have been in the building before and eyeing other options that can shake things up.

Looking at you, JuJu Smith-Schuster.

So which players would fit that mold for the Chiefs to find a potential solution while Hollywood Brown is out of action after this injury? There are three players who are either easily available or should be that Kansas City needs to be working to land immediately.

3. Chiefs could add veteran Michael Thomas as short-term fix without Hollywood Brown

If you wanted to be oversold on Michael Thomas as a potential option for Kansas City, I'd tell you that a former Offensive Player of the Year and two-time All-Pro receiver is still available in free agency. Of course, Thomas has not been that player for several years now, so this wouldn't be a ground-shaking type of move for the Chiefs to make.

Thomas has struggled to stay healthy over the past four seasons, playing just seven games in 2020, missing the entirety of the following season, suiting up for only three games in 2022 and then seeing the field for 10 games with the Saints a year ago. He hasn't eclipsed 450 yards in any season since 2019 when he led the league with 1,725 yards. That's just the reality of who he is at this point.

If KC believes that Thomas is healthy, though, how could it not be worth a flier with Hollywood Brown out of action? He's been an elite player at the position in this league and, while he might be a lesser version, the Chiefs have enough options in the passing game that they don't need him to catch 120+ passes. They just need another reliable option, which there's a good chance Thomas could still be.

2. Hunter Renfrow could help the Chiefs now and when Brown returns

Was the decline of former Pro Bowler Hunter Renfrow indicative of the receiver himself or of the dysfunction that's been allowed to fester with the Las Vegas Raiders in recent years? That's a question that the Chiefs could greatly benefit from examining and potentially bringing in the veteran slot weapon to do so.

Over the past two seasons and 27 games, Renfrow has managed just 61 catches on 87 targets for 585 yards and two touchdowns. But the season prior to that in 2021, he was dominant with 103 grabs on 128 targets, good for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns. This was after hitting the 600-yard mark in each of his first two seasons at well.

Still just 29 years old, Renfrow has been one of the best slot receivers in the league already in his career. My bet would be that the Raiders have been the biggest issue for him as of late, particularly with Josh McDaniels and poor quarterback play tanking the offense. The Chiefs could revive the receiver's career with a second chance in the AFC West.

1. Chiefs calling Texans about Robert Woods trade makes too much sense

If we're talking pie-in-the-sky trade options for the Chiefs, then sure, let's throw a CeeDee Lamb trade into the mix after the Cowboys wideout recently posted a picture of himself and Brown together at Oklahoma amid his contract dispute in Dallas. But more realistically, someone like veteran Robert Woods should be on the trade block and reliable for the Kansas City offense.

Put simply, it's hard to see what role Woods possibly has with the Houston Texans this season. The addition of Stefon Diggs alongside Nico Collins and Tank Dell has Woods sitting as the WR4 at best. Houston, at this juncture, would be better served garnering more draft capital for him. And it's draft capital that the Chiefs should be willing to part with, especially with it likely not taking much at all.

Woods has seen his production drop off over the past three seasons, but has still been reliable for 40+ catches and roughly 500 yards per season. Having that type of cog both with Brown out of the lineup and when he returns could be highly valuable, especially with his vast experience.