Four minor trades for Kansas City Chiefs to consider

THE ‘FINE, HERE’S MORE HELP AT EDGE’ TRADE

Chiefs trade: 6th round pick in 2023
Cowboys trade: DE Tarell Basham

We’ve already covered the Chiefs’ considerable needs at edge rusher, and it felt wrong to leave even a “minor trades” list with only a proposed deal for Earnest Brown IV. That gives us plenty of runway to consider Tarell Basham of the Dallas Cowboys. Basham is already on his third NFL team, which doesn’t inspire confidence, but there’s a good reason for the Chiefs to target this type of performer.

Basham came into the NFL out of the University of Ohio (read Bobcat, not Buckeye) in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft with the Indianapolis Colts. He’s always been solid at setting the edge, but the book on Basham was that he’d need time and investment to grow as a pro-level pass rusher and it just didn’t happen with the Colts. The New York Jets claimed Basham off of waivers from Indy, and Basham responded positively enough to earn a two-year deal back in 2020 from the Cowboys in free agency that next offseason.

Last year, Basham had 3.5 sacks and 23 pressures for the Cowboys in rotational duty, where he played 55 percent of snaps in 16 games. While he remains productive, the Cowboys have crowded him out of the picture with the trade for Dante Fowler Jr., the presence of Dorance Armstrong, and the drafting of Sam Williams in the second round out of Ole Miss.

From the Chiefs’ perspective, Basham is a 28-years-old defensive end with starting experience scheduled to make only $3 million next season and is currently crowded out of his own defensive line. The Cowboys would likely welcome the cap relief and low-level draft asset in return, while the Chiefs could add a fairly well-rounded player who should be in his prime. The ceiling is not great here, but the floor is not low, and given the needs at the position, Basham feels like a solid addition.