Chase Claypool trade seems to be up Brett Veach's alley

There's been plenty of drama surrounding the Chicago Bears organization since the start of the 2023 season. It's a franchise that's in disarray right now and getting blown out 41-10 by the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday didn't quite help either.

From controversial quotes by starting quarterback Justin Fields, to the defensive coordinator's house getting raided by the FBI, the Bears have no shortage of dysfunction or confusion. The latest turn comes on the offensive side where wide receiver Chase Claypool has become disgruntled.

The Bears traded a second-round pick for Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers less than a year ago—asd rather large investment into a player on a rookie contract that was being shopped by the team that drafted him. Now, the Bears are turning round and doing the exact same thing by shopping Claypool according to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz.

A Chase Claypool trade seems like typical KC Chiefs move.

At first glance, Chase Claypool seems like the exact type of player that Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach would trade for. A reclamation project of sorts, Claypool would be a similar move to trading for Kadarius Toney last year.

The difference this time around, however, is that the Bears are asking for a 5th or 6th round pick for Claypool. When the Chiefs traded for Toney, they gave up a top-100 pick to get him. Given that this is the second time Claypool is being shopped in less than a year, his value isn't going to be very high on the trade market. Additionally, it would be surprising if Chicago even got that much for Claypool. They're likely aware of that, too but negotiations have to start somewhere.

That said, it's reasonable to think that Kansas City could do some due diligence here by checking in on the availability of Claypool. It's obvious that his motivation has taken a dip in Chicago which some might see as a red flag, but something that Kansas City excels in is restoring motivation in players and giving a second chance.

Not long ago, Claypool had over 2,000 yards receiving in just over two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and proved to be a viable red zone target with 12 TDs. It's not like we haven't seen Claypool do it before and like he's never been a productive player in the NFL. He's still extremely young and offers plenty of upside. That's a different situation from someone like Kadarius Toney who has struggled to find his footing in the NFL even to this point. Claypool comes with a level of pedigree even if it's not much.

The versatility Claypool offers as a guy who can play wide receiver or tight end is intriguing given Kansas City lost tight end Jody Fortson before the season and Travis Kelce seems to be showing just a little bit of age to start the 2023 season. Of course, Claypool gives yet another option among the plethora of rather unproven pass-catchers.

Would Kansas City actually bring in another receiver, though? That's a question you have to ask. Claypool is also unproven in a sense just because his career has seen a sharp decline as of recently and you wonder if he can get back to the level he was at before. What Kansas City really needs is a proven pass catcher that can realistically be a No. 1 option. Claypool isn't that. There might be some concern that you're bringing in too many guys that are No. 2 or No. 3 wide receivers and the rotation becomes messy to figure out.

dnNot to mention that the team is already carrying 7 receivers. It's difficult to see how they make room for another. If Richie James' IR stintn is going to be for a while then there may be an evenue to bringing in Claypool. Maybe you can even bring in Claypool as a tight end and make room elsewhere. Either way, Claypool is a player at least worth keeping an eye on for the Chiefs.