Why KC Chiefs should trade for Saints TE Nick Vannett

With the NFL less than one week away from the August 30 deadline to reduce rosters to a maximum of 53 players, fans should expect to see a flurry of cuts and trades after the conclusion of each team’s final preseason game. Trades are common around this time since teams aim to acquire young depth and talent but some teams don’t want to have to go through waivers and instead opt to trade low-value draft picks or even other depth players. The Kansas City Chiefs will possibly make another trade this year and should consider acquiring another tight end. One name to watch out for is Nick Vannett of the New Orleans Saints.

The Chiefs have shown a willingness to make these types of trades in the past as they traded offensive lineman Parker Ehinger in August of 2018 to the Dallas Cowboys and got future starting cornerback Charvarius Ward in return. They also sent lineman Yasir Durant to New England for a seventh-round draft pick last year.

Trading for Vannett makes a lot of sense for both the Chiefs and Saints for a multitude of reasons. The first of which is that Kansas City is in need of an established blocking tight end since veteran Blake Bell went down with a hip injury and his timetable to return is currently unclear. If Bell is out a significant amount of time (i.e. 8+ weeks), it would make sense for Kansas City to place him on injured reserve and bring in a temporary replacement.

After losing Blake Bell to an injury, the KC Chiefs should consider trading for New Orleans Saints tight end Nick Vannett.

Travis Kelce can block but he’s not a fan favorite because of his road-grading ability. Jody Fortson showed promise as a blocker, but like Kelce, he’ll be more of a receiving weapon than a blocker. Noah Gray played very well in a blocking role but I’m not sure if Andy Reid and Co. quite trust him yet as the primary blocking tight end. Vannett would help fill the hole of losing Bell as he’s logged over 1,200 blocking snaps in six NFL seasons with Seattle, Pittsburgh, Denver, and New Orleans. In those snaps, he’s shown that he can be an effective blocker in the running game and a capable protector in the passing game. It also makes sense for Kansas City as Vannett will likely not cost too much to acquire and likely won’t have a problem waiving him in case of a Blake Bell return.

Trading for Vannett also makes sense for the Saints because they currently have a crowded TE room. As Doug Kyed of PFF wrote, Vannett “is mired in a positional battle with Adam Trautman, Taysom Hill, Juwan Johnson, J.P. Holtz, and Lucas Krull for snaps and roster spots”, so it would make sense for New Orleans to want to move on from the veteran.

In terms of compensation, what would the Kansas City Chiefs potentially have to give up for Vannett? It’s tough to say since most trades around cut-down day aren’t blockbusters and usually only involve late-round draft picks and other depth players. The Chiefs could offer New Orleans a 2023 or 2024 seventh-round selection straight up for the tight end or even a sixth-round pick if the Saints are willing to package Vannett with a seventh-round pick. The two teams could also work out a trade that involved playing time conditions in which the Chiefs could give up nothing if Vannett plays under a certain amount of snaps.

It should also be noted that the Chiefs have been projected to receive compensatory picks in rounds three and seven of the 2023 NFL Draft, which could make it easier for the Chiefs to part with a day three pick. They also have extra picks in the fourth and sixth rounds in 2023 due to the Tyreek Hill trade.

If the Chiefs are willing to get a little creative, they could offer a player-for-player swap to New Orleans. Some players that the Chiefs could send the Saints are offensive linemen Prince Tega Wanogho, Austin Reiter, and Nick Allegretti. If New Orleans is looking for depth at another position, the Chiefs and Saints could surely find a deal that makes sense.

In the end, how long Blake Bell is out will determine what the Chiefs decide to do in terms of replacing him. If he’s out only a short period of time, they could ride with Kelce, Fortson, and Gray until he’s ready. If he’s out for a longer period of time, they could decide to put their faith in Gray as a blocker and move on with three guys. In case of a long absence, and they are willing to carry a fourth tight end, Kansas City may decide instead to bring a veteran like Nick Vannett to help steer the ship.