Brett Veach’s history shows a Chiefs trade is likely

Knowing Brett Veach’s character, the biggest surprise would be if the Chiefs arrive at the 3pm Saturday deadline without making any trades.

By 3pm on Saturday, general manager Brett Veach must pare down the Kansas City Chiefs roster from 90 to 53 players. You can see a full explanation of their weekend processes here. With just 24 hours before the deadline, there is obviously a lot of work to be done.

For starters, there are question marks on the back end of the offensive line. There are also concerns about the depth at tight end. And it’s likely the team will fortify one or both of those positions with a waiver claim. It’s also no secret that the most glaring need on this team is at cornerback.

Waiting on other teams’ leftovers is not exactly a recipe for success, and that is exacerbated by another problem. With the Chiefs’ top-4 finish in 2018, they are at the very bottom of the league’s waiver claim list. Which leads us to another method of roster-building that Veach has the proven moxie to pursue: the trade.

Veach has made the major splash with Frank Clark-caliber deals. He’s acquired fringe starters by using a future pick to acquire the likes of linebacker Darron Lee, and he’s also traded player for player (e.g. Eric Murray for Emmanuel Ogbah). He’s also plucked bottom-of-the-roster guys like Charvarius Ward from the Dallas Cowboys, Austin Reiter from the Cleveland Browns, and Jordan Lucas from the Miami Dolphins all at the eleventh hour last offseason.

The biggest problem in the Chiefs’ cornerback room is that the team is lacking that high-end player at the top of the depth chart. There are experienced veterans in Kendall Fuller, Bashaud Breeland, and Morris Claiborne, but the fanbase has a rumble in its tummy for the type of corner that will match up with an elite receiver.

Veach rarely sits on his hands and lets the cards fall where they will. Being at the bottom of the waiver pile gives him an unquenchable itch. Knowing the GM’s character, the biggest surprise would be if the team arrives at its 3pm Saturday deadline without making any trades at all.