Kansas City Chiefs have trade options at safety even after Earl Thomas injury
The Kansas City Chiefs were on the verge of dealing for Earl Thomas when he went down. Here are a few more trade options for K.C.
Kansas City Chiefs were reportedly on the verge of making a blockbuster trade for Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas, when an injury sustained in Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals derailed that idea. Thomas fractured his lower left leg, but it appears to be a clean break with no structural damage. Thomas could be available to play as early as December or January if all goes well.
Even though the door on Earl Thomas isn’t 100% closed, it’s more of an unlikely option at this point. That is kind of a wait-and-see scenario at this point. It’s possible Chiefs try to still trade for Thomas for cheaper than originally discussed.
The Chiefs have shown with the close Thomas trade that they are willing to trade at least a second round pick if not more for the right player to help our defense. After Monday night against the Broncos, it’s clear we need some help on defense. Let’s look at some other options that general manager Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid could pursue via trade.
D.J. Swearinger, Washington Redskins (27-years-old)
D.J. Swearinger is a 5’10, 205 lb safety out of South Carolina who was drafted by the Houston Texans in the 2nd round of the 2013 NFL draft. In Nay of 2015 the Texans released Swearinger after failing to be able to trade him. Swearinger was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There he played primarily on special teams, but after a foot injury that made him miss 2 weeks he was waived by the Buccaneers.
Swearinger ended up signing with the Arizona Cardinals practice squad before being elevated to active roster due to a Tyrann Mathieu injury. He then earned himself a 1 year $1.67 million contract with the Cardinals. In 2017, the Washington Redskins signed him to a 3-year deal that would expire March of 2020.
While Swearinger may not be officially be on the trade block, the Chiefs still may be able to make a run at him. Swearinger made it clear how unhappy he was when Redskins traded Kendall Fuller. Washington has put up a decent start to the season, but they aren’t heading to the Super Bowl.
Swearinger he already has some chemistry with Kendall Fuller who was acquired from Washington via the Alex Smith trade. Swearinger has made 54 career starts accumulating 12 interceptions, 6 forced fumbles, 3.5 sacks, and 248 solo tackles. He could be a an interesting option and someone who could come to K.C. and start right away. He isn’t on the same level as an Earl Thomas, but he is an upgrade over Eric Murray. Swearinger could bring an attitude too our secondary that would hopefully rub off on others.
The Finances:
Swearinger’s 2018 cap hit is actually less than Daniel Sorenson’s, coming in at $4.33 million. His 2019 cap hit would be $5.83 million which would be more than possible for the Chiefs to fit in their cap number.