3 trades Brett Veach should have made and 2 we are glad he didn't
By Jacob Milham
Veach should have bought low on Donovan Peoples-Jones.
The trade:
Detroit Lions receive WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
Cleveland Browns receive 2025 sixth-round pick
The Chiefs' issues at wide receiver stem from a lack of outside production. The depth chart is filled with players who fit best in the slot or as gadget players. Marquez Valdes-Scantling can only do so much on the outside and still works best when stretching the field. If Kansas City were exploring more wide receiver options, they would need to prioritize bigger-bodied, durable receivers. A budget option should have been Donovan Peoples-Jones.
With the clock ticking ahead of Tuesday's deadline, the Cleveland Browns sent the 24-year-old to Detroit in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick. Peoples-Jones, a sixth-round draft pick in 2020, had spent his entire NFL career with Cleveland. He had a career year last season, with 61 catches for 839 yards and three touchdowns. He steadily saw more and more opportunities in the Browns offense until he inexplicably fell out of the game plan.
Peoples-Jones doesn't fit the high-round reclamation project mold that Veach covets, but he does fit a productive player who just needs more of an opportunity. Advertised at 6 feet 2 inches and 204 pounds, Peoples-Jones would also add more size to Kansas City's wide receiver room.
Let's run down a rabbit hole real quick. One of the arguments I heard against trading for a wide receiver midseason was that Andy Reid's offense was too complex for a new acquisition. How could a receiver come in and expect to make an impact on the system? If the offense is so difficult for many wide receivers to grasp, then maybe the Chiefs have a coaching problem rather than a personnel problem. Food for thought.