Kevin Byard would have made the Chiefs defense better but at too steep a cost.
The trade:
Philadelphia Eagles receive S Kevin Byard
Tennessee Titans receive S Terrell Edmunds, 2024 fifth-round pick, and 2024 sixth-round pick
The Chiefs' defense has been a pleasant surprise this season and has made up for many offensive miscues as well. Their opponents' drives only end in a score of 26.5% of the time, good for second in the NFL. Also, they only allow 4.7 yards per play, which is tied for second with the vaunted Browns defense. I did not have Kansas City having a top-five defense on my 2023 bingo card, but here we are.
Nothing can be too good in the NFL, though, and that is how the Philadelphia Eagles felt when they added Kevin Byard to their defensive back room. The former All-Pro selection was the veteran leader of the Tennessee Titans' defensive backfield but became a financial albatross on a floundering team. The Eagles will gladly accept his services as they prepare for the second-half push.
The Chiefs could have put together a similar package, but would the trade be worth a headache later down the road? Probably not. The Chiefs have been using a lot of their safety room lately, as Mike Edwards played in a season-high 68% of the snaps against Denver. All of Edwards, Justin Reid, and Mike Edwards played in at least 50% of Kansas City's defensive snaps, in fact. Steve Spagnuolo loves to use his safeties, and adding Byard to the mix would be an interesting dynamic.
But, unlike Street and Williams, Byard has another year remaining on his current contract. His 2024 cap hit is $14,277,750, with a $9,600,000 base salary. The Chiefs have to face many roster decisions this upcoming offseason to have Byard's financials cause issues. If Veach made this move, this would be a problematic trade addressing a position that does not desperately need attention.