Chiefs can realistically afford to acquire any of these 8 receivers in trade following Rashee Rice's injury
The Kansas City Chiefs still await definitive news on WR Rashee Rice's injury and how long he'll be out of the picture. No matter what, there is an expectation that Rice will miss some time and as a result, trade speculation has run rampant. The Chiefs have a ton of recent experience acquiring receivers in trade at the […]
The Kansas City Chiefs still await definitive news on WR Rashee Rice's injury and how long he'll be out of the picture.
No matter what, there is an expectation that Rice will miss some time and as a result, trade speculation has run rampant. The Chiefs have a ton of recent experience acquiring receivers in trade at the midseason mark, as they've done so twice in the past two seasons. While it's fun to imagine Kansas City acquiring a player like Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill, Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins, or Tennessee Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins at the trade deadline, they're simply unrealistic projections from a salary cap perspective.
Yes, the NFL's salary cap is malleable and can be manipulated to an extent, but it's a lot tougher to move funds around and acquire an impactful player during the season. The Chiefs do have a few players where they could restructure their contract and kick the can down the road to create cap space, but it's not something this team has been known to do in the middle of the season.
The Chiefs currently have $4.9 million in available salary cap space according to the NFLPA's public salary cap report. They'll need a portion of that money just to be able to do ordinary business for the remainder of the 2024 NFL season like promoting players from the practice squad. That doesn't mean they're completely sunk in the trade market, though. Several players have contracts that won't break the bank to acquire and they only get cheaper as we get closer to the trade deadline.
Here's a look at eight players and how much it will cost to acquire them.
| Player | 2024 Stats | Cost |
|---|---|---|
Browns WR Amari Cooper | 16-148-2 | $941,111 |
Rams WR Demarcus Robinson | 9-161-0 | $1,944,444 |
Titans WR Tyler Boyd | 10-108-0 | $1,510,000 |
Patriots WR K.J. Osborn | 5-31-0 | $1,437,778 |
Cardinals WR Zay Jones | Suspended | $1,356,667 |
Dolphins WR Odell Beckham Jr. | Reserve/PUP | $941,111 |
Rams WR Tyler Johnson | 10-119-0 | $820,556 |
Rams WR Tutu Atwell | 11-223-0 | $1,140,013 |
Amari Cooper is the best fit from a contract and production standpoint
If the Chiefs are looking to add a difference-maker, Cooper is the surest bet from a production and contract perspective. He had this touchdown called back against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4.
He doesn't come without concerns, though. A to Z Sports' Brandon Little tells me Cooper hasn't had a good attitude this season and has been a little checked out amidst the Browns' struggles. There's also the fact that he's leading the NFL in dropped passes (6) through four weeks to start the 2024 NFL season.
Don't sleep on a deal with the Los Angeles Rams
It won't be Cooper Kupp or Puka Nakua, but the Chiefs could certainly get a deal done with the Rams for some of their tertiary players. Kansas City is most familiar with Demarcus Robinson, but I actually might be more intrigued by Tyler Johnson as a direct replacement for Rashee Rice's role. Rice currently ranks second in the NFL in yards after the catch while Johnson ranks fourth on less than half of Rice's receptions.
Chiefs HC Andy Reid weighs in on rookie sensation Carson Steele’s fumbling problem
Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke about Carson Steele, who has run into a bit of a fumbling problem.
