Trent McDuffie is no longer a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. The team traded the star cornerback to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for four total draft picks, including the 29th overall pick. It was quite the haul and now we'll have to see what the Chiefs do with their new draft selections.
While we won't know the true winners of this trade for a few years, right now, people seem to think that the Chiefs knocked this trade out of the park. It's not hard to see why either, as K.C. added four picks to their arsenal and freed up cap space as well.
Let's take a look at what the talking heads are saying about this deal. How do they think the Chiefs did?
Early reaction suggests Chiefs aced Trent McDuffie trade
CBS Sports: B+
John Breech of CBS Sports ultimately gave Kansas City a B+ for this move (and, for what it's worth, he gave the Rams an A). Breech applauded the Chiefs for recognizing that they wouldn't be able to sign McDuffie and trading him so they can address other needs on the roster.
"The Chiefs have several needs going into free agency and the draft, including running back and receiver. They also have needs on both the offensive and defensive lines, so stockpiling picks certainly seems like a smart move."
Breech also said that Brett Veach has proven that he can work his magic in these situations and, if nothing else, the Chiefs can take a cornerback with the first-round pick they acquired from Los Angeles. Lastly, Breech pointed to the Tyreek Hill trade four years ago and why that should give fans hope that this trade works out in Kansas City's favor.
USA Today: A-
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today crowned K.C. the winners over the Rams in this trade but, again, it's way too early for us to know for sure who will reign supreme here. While Middlehurst-Schwartz initially said that this trade was likely disappointing for the fan base (he even alluded to Patrick Mahomes' one-word reaction to the deal), he ultimately loved what the Chiefs got when push came to shove.
"That general manager Brett Veach bailed on paying yet another standout cornerback should come as no surprise. Veach previously walked away from both L'Jarius Sneed and Charvarius Ward rather than pay them top-of-market contracts.
If McDuffie wasn't in Kansas City's long-term plans, offloading him before he reaches free agency might simply have been good business."
This is something that Chiefs fans have gotten used to while Veach has been the general manager. This team does not pay their top cornerbacks and McDuffie is yet another player that's fallen into that category.
The Athletic: A-
Jeff Howe of The Athletic was also a fan of what the Chiefs did in this deal, giving them an A- (better than the B grade he handed out to L.A.). What Howe liked about this trade for the Chiefs is that it's "good value" for McDuffie and he's not wrong there.
If the Chiefs knew they weren't going to be able to afford their former first-round pick, why not ship him off and get draft picks in exchange for him? This way, they can clear cap space, add draft capital, and try to build for the future. This line from Howe truly sums the trade up though: "After a rare down season, the Chiefs have a chance to reload with high-quality young players — that is a scary thought for their competition."
Again, we won't know the true victor of this trade for probably at least three years but, right now, the Chiefs appear to be the slight favorites.