Chiefs HC Andy Reid holds no illusions about the challenges of implementing a midseason trade acquisition
As the Kansas City Chiefs await news on the fate of injured WR Rashee Rice, there have been plenty of discussions throughout the Chiefs Kingdom about potential trade options. The Chiefs should be prepared better than any team to make a trade for a wide receiver and get them up to speed quickly. Why? Because they've traded to […]
As the Kansas City Chiefs await news on the fate of injured WR Rashee Rice, there have been plenty of discussions throughout the Chiefs Kingdom about potential trade options.
The Chiefs should be prepared better than any team to make a trade for a wide receiver and get them up to speed quickly. Why? Because they've traded to acquire wide receivers at the deadline in each of the past two seasons. In 2022, they traded with the New York Giants to acquire WR Kadarius Toney. In 2023, they traded with the New York Jets to acquire WR Mecole Hardman.
On both occasions, the two wide receivers acquired would make big plays in the Super Bowl for Kansas City. They were never high-volume targets in the offense post-trade, though. Toney never caught more than five passes in a single game with the Chiefs and Hardman had six receptions in the team's Week 18 game last year.
Getting Players up to speed quickly has its challenges, according to Chiefs HC Andy Reid.
"Depending on who the guy is, that's the obvious," Reid said. "If he's got experience in the offense it's not too bad. But it takes somebody a little time to get himself involved and get the terminology down."
While understanding the offensive scheme and terminology presents challenges, Reid thinks joining midseason is easier for players than being around for training camp. That's because they've got much less volume to learn with condensed preparation for individual game weeks.
"It's a lot easier now, than it is during training camp when they have to learn a gazillion plays here," Reid said. "They just have the game week to learn."
What is actually difficult is creating chemistry on the fly with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. That has proven challenging for both Toney and Hardman, at least until they each got to the big game.
"Getting on the same page with the quarterback and the timing and all that," Reid said, in conclusion. "That's a bigger issue, normally."
Given the results of the past two wide receiver trades, I wouldn't get my hopes up on the results being any different this time. I also wouldn't be shocked if Brett Veach and Andy Reid were a little hesitant to pull the trigger on a trade unless it were a player they viewed as a true game-changer.
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