Kansas City Chiefs trade deadline targets to improve the defense
By Scott Loring
Ryan Kerrigan
Defensive end Ryan Kerrigan is another edge rusher who could be traded before Tuesday’s deadline. The 33-year-old Kerrigan is a depth piece for the Philadelphia Eagles, but he made a name for himself during his ten-year stint in Washington.
The jury is still out on whether Kerrigan still has enough gas in the tank, but the Chiefs have gotten a little glimpse of the former Purdue Boilermaker All-American during the Chiefs’ Week 4 win in Philly. Kerrigan’s snap count has quite literally declined in every single game over the course of 2021, and at 2-5, the Eagles are probably looking ahead to 2022. The franchise may trade Kerrigan out of respect for the 6’4″ 270-lb. pass rusher.
In his Washington career, Kerrigan started the first 139 games of his professional career until he sustained a concussion in 2019. When the Football Team hired Jack Del Rio to be their new defensive coordinator in 2020, Kerrigan moved from 3-4 outside linebacker to 4-3 defensive end. But Washington also had one of the deepest and most talented defensive lines in the NFL in 2020, and Kerrigan futilely requested to be traded just before the deadline. After a season in which he started just one game, Kerrigan signed with Philadelphia in May of 2021.
The scheme fit could be problematic, but Kerrigan is a bright and underrated pass rusher who could provide the Chiefs with some quality reps and veteran leadership on the defensive line. His best days are behind him, but Washington’s all-time leading sack artist isn’t finished yet.
Projected Compensation
Kerrigan could probably be had for a minimal fee. It would probably be a trade that would swap Day 3 picks, similar to the Chiefs’ trade with Minnesota in which they traded away a 6th rounder in exchange for cornerback Mike Hughes and a 7th rounder.