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FIve trade deadline deals the Kansas City Chiefs should pursue

By Kelly Thompson

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 27: Outside linebacker Haason Reddick #43 of the Arizona Cardinals lines up against offensive tackle Tyrell Crosby #65 of the Detroit Lions in the NFL game at State Farm Stadium on September 27, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. The Lions defeated the Cardinals 26-23. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 27: Outside linebacker Haason Reddick #43 of the Arizona Cardinals lines up against offensive tackle Tyrell Crosby #65 of the Detroit Lions in the NFL game at State Farm Stadium on September 27, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. The Lions defeated the Cardinals 26-23. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Prior to the season beginning, I’m not sure there was a writer more vocal about eliminating center Austin Reiter from the roster than this one. Reiter was buoyed by better guard play in 2019 and with a diminished capacity around him, it’s now blatantly obvious that he is not an NFL caliber center. Cutting him now would save the Chiefs nearly $2 million in 2020 salary.

And that leaves the obvious question, who starts at center the rest of the way for Kansas City. While it would not bother me to see the Chiefs roll with either rookie Darryl Williams or second year man Nick Allegretti, another option would be to trade for one.

And if you’re going to trade for one, why not make it one of the better centers in all of football. Enter the Atlanta Falcons and center Alex Mack.

The Atlanta Falcons are an incredible mess thus far in the season and should be sellers at the trade deadline. If they do make that decision, their star center will be at the top of the list to move. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the season, and is unlikely to be part of a rebuild for the Dirty Birds. As such, it makes sense for the Falcons to attempt to get something in return.

The problem for Atlanta, and for Kansas City, is the contract is foreboding. He’s due $5.25 million the rest of the season and that is no small amount change for a team with just over $6 million in available cap space. Cutting Reiter gets the hit for Mack around $3.35m. The team could absorb that without making another move, or they could cut/trade another salary to clear up some more space.

The other option would be to renegotiate Mack. Perhaps Veach could compel Mack to take a one year extension to reduce his 2020 cap hit and then the team could either trade him in the offseason or spread out the cap hit over multiple years. The Chiefs don’t currently have a 6th round pick in the 2021 draft, having traded it to move into the 7th in 2020, but they could acquire one (see below) if they wanted/needed to.

The Chiefs are going to struggle to win the Super Bowl this season with the offensive line they currently have assembled. They must improve to repeat.

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