Why the Kansas City Chiefs should break the trade bank for Patrick Peterson

The Kansas City Chiefs were reportedly ready to deal for an impact defender in the secondary. Patrick Peterson gives them that chance.

Somehow the Kansas City Chiefs have been given a second chance.

If the rumors are true that Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson is, indeed, available via trade, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports explains here, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach should shatter every piggy bank, search under every couch cushion, and examine any and all expendable assets to make it happen.

It makes too much sense.

Remember less than one month ago, the kinda, sorta confirmed rumors stated that the Chiefs were looking like a likely trade partner for the Seattle Seahawks. The prize was safety Earl Thomas, a player who would cost the Chiefs a second round pick and maybe more. In return, the Chiefs were going to get an All-Pro level player who could fit right into an ailing secondary. Then the story took a catastrophic turn.

As you likely remember, the Seahawks played hardball with their best trade asset, and hoped to squeeze the most that they could out of trading Thomas (which makes sense). Unfortunately they allowed Thomas to continue to play on the field, which might have served them in a positive sense given his productivity. However it also cost him (and the team) as he is now on injured reserve with a broken left leg.

In that single moment, Thomas was rendered ineffective and so was the Chiefs’ search for an impact player in the secondary.

Game-changing talent

Now you might question that last statement, because a general manager’s search is never over when it comes to scouting new talent. But there’s a difference between trading for Earl Thomas and signing Josh Shaw. Veach will likely continue to churn over the practice squad and bottom of the roster to find the best free agent fit at a number of spots. As for a player like Thomas, his search was over—there and done—when Thomas was carted off the field.

Here’s the thing. Earl Thomas was a game-changer, the type of talent that Chiefs Kingdom is very familiar with given their ability to watch Eric Berry over the last several years. When Berry is in, the entire secondary—nay, the entire defense—plays better. Berry can single-handedly consume an All-Pro talent like Rob Gronkowski, for whom there is no equal. Berry can be used anywhere. On a chess board, he would be the queen on the field against an array of pawns.

Remember just last season, the entire Chiefs secondary was a dumpster fire. Previously productive players suddenly looked like has-beens. Players were often out of place or took poor angles. No one could tackle. Others looked like they lost a step or even took plays off. Removing Berry legitimately lowered the quality of play in every one of the teammates around him.

That is the kind of difference-maker that Earl Thomas can be and has been for the last several years with the Seattle Seahawks. He was a key cog on a Super Bowl caliber defense. If you want to reach the big game, that’s who you go and get. The fact that the Chiefs had a plan to go and get him means they knew the same. They want to get in the big game and they were acquiring the talent to do so.

That is, until the rug was pulled out. Thomas was no longer an option. That was that.

The second chance

Once the Thomas trade collapsed on itself, the Chiefs went back to business. Safety Josh Shaw was signed. Leon McQuay was shifted around and finally promoted to the active roster. An already bad situation has been made worse by further injuries. Wide receiver Marcus Kemp is being tried at safety for crying out loud—the sort of move made by a manager drowning in an extra-inning battle who is desperate for a live arm.

But then La Canfora comes out with a rumor that confirmed some suspicions that maybe, just maybe, the Cardinals would be willing to play ball in the present if they were forced to focus on the future. As their season collapses (and that is the only direction they are headed), that focus should only intensify, which means Patrick Peterson could be on the trade block.

If so, Veach needs to go all-in.

Of course there are limits. If the Cardinals said something like, “Gimme every draft pick from now through 2025,” Veach needs to back off. Let’s avoid the realm of “silly” here. But aside from that, Patrick Peterson would be worth more than what most fans might believe at least in the beginning. Why? Because he’s the sort of impact talent that rarely, if ever, becomes available. And if the Chiefs were willing to add Thomas, they should most certainly be willing to trade for Peterson—even more so.

The case for Patrick

Here’s the main difference. The rumors around the Chiefs trading a second round choice (and perhaps more) for Earl Thomas also included the note that they weren’t expected to sign him to a long-term deal. It was a partial-season rental intent on pushing the pedal all the way to the floor and letting the Chiefs really and truly go for it the gold.

How much more, then, is it worth a cornerback who is undervalued at his position and signed through the next two full seasons even beyond this one?

Imagine heading into each of the next two seasons with the best cornerback in the game anchoring the secondary at an affordable price while the offense continues to grow as Patrick Mahomes matures each year?

The Chiefs are watching their current impact players struggle in some ways. Justin Houston has struggled to stay healthy since signing his mega-deal, and Eric Berry is a major question mark at this point. If Dee Ford is rounding the corner himself to be an impact player, he’s also ready to hit free agency next year. The Chiefs hope Kendall Fuller can blossom as well as Chris Jones, but there’s arguably not a single healthy defensive anchor under contract (maybe a good case can be made for Jones) like Peterson.

If you’re new(er) to Peterson and unfamiliar, just know he’s a 7-time Pro Bowler who has been voted by his peers among the NFL’s Top 25 players every season since 2014 (last year he was No. 23). He’s building a great case for the Hall of Fame with a few more seasons at his current rate, and 2018 is shaping up to be another strong entry in the catalog.

Pro Football Focus has Peterson allowing only 11 catches on 21 targets for a total of 89 yards and 0 touchdowns to go with 1 interception. He’s an elite defender on a sinking ship of a team, trying to hold much more together than he should on a defense that’s often gassed due to offensive ineptitude.

Now just imagine him in red and gold.

The cost

If you’re averse to giving up serious picks, just think about this. If the Chiefs use a first round pick on a cornerback, the hope is that the player will not only avoid being a bust but can perform at a high level in time. Most Chiefs fans would like to see such a draft investment made at cornerback.

But how many picks have not worked out in the past. Even this year, how many rookies are making a true impact from the draft class? And how many rookie cornerbacks turn into the Phillip Gaines types over time rather than Patrick Peterson.

This is why I think Peterson is worthy of more than a first round pick—perhaps even two. The Chiefs would be acquiring a generational talent for far under market rate for a Super Bowl run this year as well as the next two seasons (and perhaps more if they wanted to extend him).

If Veach was willing to give up a second for an elite safety addition for a single season, is Peterson not worth more? And even more importantly, what about keeping Peterson from landing with, say, the Patriots or Steelers?

Peterson is the unexpected second chance, an impact player possibly available for the highest bidder. For Veach, it makes every bit of sense to back up the trucks and pay the Cardinals, both for the present and the future.