KC Chiefs: Five moves Brett Veach deserves more credit for

The Dee Ford trade

On March 12, 2019, the Chiefs traded pass rusher Dee Ford to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a second-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft. Due to the 49ers making the super bowl the ensuing season (where they of course lost to the Chiefs), the Chiefs ended up getting the 63rd overall pick in the 2020 draft in this trade. Soon after, Ford signed an $87.5 million contract with the 49ers.

After moving on from Kansas City, it is reasonable to say that Ford has not lived up to his contract in San Francisco. Across three seasons, he’s only played a total of 474 defensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus ($), primarily due to injuries. He has only racked up 9.5 sacks in his time with the Niners and has only appeared in 21 total games.

We’ve established that the Niners haven’t liked their end of the trade but why was this trade a great move for Brett Veach? Yes, it wasn’t a difficult choice to trade Ford since he always struggled with injuries and consistency in Kansas City, but the net return of the trade was very favorable for the Chiefs. Who did the Chiefs get with the selection acquired from San Francisco? Linebacker Willie Gay.

It’s always risky trading established veterans for draft picks, which are more or less ‘magic beans’, but the Chiefs used the pick on a player that many Kansas City fans view as a building for the middle of the defense for the foreseeable future. Willie Gay isn’t fully established but he has played well enough to say it is accurate to say that the Chiefs’ defense was better with him on the field last year. In the 2021-22 playoffs, Gay earned an “elite” 90.2 PFF overall defensive grade ($), including an 88.0 coverage grade in the playoffs.

Although not many Chiefs fans will associate Willie Gay with the Dee Ford trade, this trade was undoubtedly a success for Brett Veach and the Kansas City front office.