The NFL trade deadline is quickly approaching and fans are clamoring to see what reinforcements the Kansas City Chiefs acquire before the season's second half. The Chiefs remain on top of the AFC West, but an embarrassing loss to the Denver Broncos shows that the reigning Super Bowl champions are, in fact, mortal.
The Chiefs still have some positions they could strengthen via trade this season. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has not been too shy about a midseason move in recent years. Will he be the same this season? The Chiefs already traded for Mecole Hardman, reuniting Patrick Mahomes with a deep threat and shoring up the punt return game in the process. The Chiefs field a top-five offense and, at least, a top-10 defense to boot this season. The Chiefs could likely not make another move at the deadline and would be fine down the stretch.
But why should they take that chance?
Whether it be a major move or a cap-relief move, Veach is no stranger to making a midseason trade. Let's look at the four such trades he has made as general manager and glean what we can from the respective trend.
1. The LDT trade (2011)
Chiefs receive: TE Daniel Brown
New York Jets receive: OL Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
This trade was a minor move, but it still hurt to see Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff go. A Super Bowl champion with the team in 2019, Duvernay-Tardiff became an NFL fan favorite during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was the first NFL player to opt out of the 2020 season and worked at a long-term healthcare facility in Quebec while out. But when he came back, Trey Smith had replaced him as the team's starting right guard.
LDT's last game in a Chiefs uniform was that aforementioned Super Bowl. He was a healthy scratch for all seven games of the 2021 season before the Chiefs traded him to New York. He played in eight games for New York that season, with seven starts.
Daniel Brown never suited up for the Chiefs and was waived 18 days after the trade. The move benefited the Jets on the field but served as cap relief for the Chiefs. Both players were pending free agents after the season, but shedding LDT's salary helped Veach make another trade ahead of the 2021 deadline.
2. The Ingram import (2021)
Chiefs receive: OLB Melvin Ingram
Pittsburgh Steelers receive: 2022 sixth-round pick
It is easy to forget how impactful this trade was in 2021. The Chiefs' pass rush was abysmal, between Christ Jones attempting to move outside full-time and Frank Clark struggling with an injury. The Chiefs were days removed from an embarrassing 27-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans, dropping to 3-4 on the season.
I am not saying that Melvin Ingram turned the season around for Kansas City. But, the defense looked revitalized upon his arrival. The Cheifs went on a 9-14 run, while the defense allowed more than 20 points on only three occasions. Ingram brought new life to the unit and impacted the game much more than his lone sack shows.
The former AFC West rival did not win a ring or have a Super Bowl appearance with the Chiefs, but his time in Kansas City will be remembered fondly.
3. The Fenton flyer (2022)
Chiefs receive: Conditional 2023 seventh-round pick (not conveyed)
Atlanta Falcons receive: CB Rashad Fenton
I remember fans being mad about this trade at the time, but a year has made many forget Fenton was even a Chief. The Chiefs drafted Fenton 201st overall in the 2019 draft and he served as a dependable depth piece in his Chiefs tenure. He had a decent 2021 campaign and had five starts for Kansas City in 2022.
But those starts likely only came in the absence of rookie Trent McDuffie's injury. Once McDuffie was ready for a return, Kansas City traded Fenton to the Falcons, where he only played in two games. He is currently on the IR with the Arizona Cardinals.
4. The Toney Try (2022)
Chiefs receive: WR Kadarius Toney
New York Giants receive: 2023 third-round compensatory pick and 2023 sixth-round pick
The big one. The biggest midseason swing Veach has taken to this point. The New York Giants selected Kadarius Toney in the first round of the 2021 draft, but he did little to live up to that billing. Injuries limited Toney to only 12 games with the Giants and head coach Brian Daboll was limiting Toney's workload, saying "it was for the best of the team." Toney was on the outs in New York, and a change of scenery was necessary.
Enter Veach. He had traded future Hall of Fame wide receiver Tyreek Hill ahead of that year's draft and still sought a dynamic wide receiver for Mahomes. Toney came to Kansas City still hampered by injury but made a good first impression. He scored his first three career touchdowns and looked like the dynamic player New York drafted him to be.
Those two picks turned out to be the 100th overall and 209th overall selections in this year's draft. New York traded the third-round pick to Las Vegas for tight end Darren Waller and that pick turned into wide receiver Tre Tucker. The Giants used the sixth-round selection to draft defensive back Tre Hawkins, Neither have had stellar performances in the league, but remain on NFL rosters at least.
Trade Deadline Takeaways
The only long-term impact move out of these four was trading for Toney. His full value in Kansas City is yet to be decided, but it is not trending in the right direction. Veach mentioned Toney in the WR1 discussion this offseason but Toney has not been an explosive threat downfield. He is averaging only 15 yards per game this season, despite having the second-most targets and receptions amongst Chiefs wide receivers.
The other three moves were minor, either clearing up the depth chart or some cap space.
The biggest takeaway from Veach's track record is not what moves were made, but when he made them. Veach took over as Kansas City's general manager in 2017. Four trade deadlines passed before he made his first trade. Those were years when the Chiefs had massive issues to address, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
But, after making that first trade in 2021, he hasn't looked back. Trading for Toney was his biggest move to date, while the Ingram trade the year before was the most impactful. Veach has a good track record of these midseason trades. Will he take it to another level this week, with a high-risk, high-reward move? We can only wait and see.