Ranking Brett Veach’s player trades as Kansas City Chiefs GM
By Jacob Milham
4. The Reggie Ragland trade
Chiefs receive: LB Reggie Ragland
Bills receive: Conditional 2019 fourth-round pick
The Chiefs’ linebacker room was very fluid entering the 2017 season when Veach decided to move on from veteran Josh Mauga and replace him with Reggie Ragland via trade.
Ragland was still an unknown, yet to make his NFL debut after the Buffalo Bills selected him in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Ragland had an unsettling medical report, between a heart condition discovered in the pre-draft process and the fact that he tore his ACL during training camp. He missed his rookie season recovering from the injury, and Buffalo was still unsure of where Ragland fit.
He would have been a high-profile cut, but Bills coach Sean McDermott explicitly said Ragland was fighting for a roster spot. Veach saw a cost-controllable, high-upside addition to the team’s linebacking corps and made the trade happen. The Chiefs sent a pick back, likely highly protected if Ragland succumbed to injury again or just wasn’t the same player.
The trade was a smart one for Kansas City, as Ragland played in 42 games over three seasons for the Chiefs. He had 32 starts in total, with 15 starts in 2018. Ragland still played a part in the 2019 championship season but saw a greatly reduced role in defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme. The Chiefs let him walk after that season, and Ragland has played on one-year contracts for the Detroit Lions and New York Giants since.
On the flip side, the Bills’ compensation turned into the 131st overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, a longshot by any means. Buffalo packaged that selection and 112th pick in a trade, moving up to select tight end Dawson Knox. The Chiefs pick turned into offensive lineman Wes Martin, a depth player at best.
All in all, Veach turned a pick with minimal value into significant starts and okay play from Ragland. Not a barn-burner trade, but still a win.