The Kansas City Chiefs remain a juggernaut. They and their Super Bowl LVII counterparts, the Philadelphia Eagles, boast the league's best records at the moment at 6-1. The Chiefs also boast a +73 point differential, which trails only the San Francisco 49ers (+92), Buffalo Bills (+80), and the Baltimore Ravens (+74). That said, the Chiefs can still improve from a deal at the NFL trade deadline.
Unlike most iterations of the Chiefs in the Patrick Mahomes era, this year's team is getting it done on the defensive side of the ball. They currently rank sixth in EPA per play allowed this season. Only the Cleveland Browns, Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, and 49ers rank more favorably in that statistic than the Chiefs.
No one should be praying for the Chiefs' offense either. They rank fourth in EPA per play. Only the Miami Dolphins, the 49ers, and the Bills rank above Kansas City.
Still, the Chiefs could stand to add more weapons to their pass-catcher arsenal. Travis Kelce is amazing, but he shouldn't have to carry this entire pass attack. The Chiefs could stand to play rookie Rashee Rice more. He's played more than 50% of the team's offensive snaps in a game only twice this season despite ranking ninth among receivers in targets per route run and 11th in yards per route run according to playerprofiler.com.
The Chiefs did just swing a trade for Mecole Hardman to reunite him with Kansas City, but they could do more. The team should make a trade for a receiver who almost signed with them in free agency, DeAndre Hopkins.
Trade: Kansas City Chiefs trade a second-round pick to the Tennessee Titans for DeAndre Hopkins
Why the Chiefs do it
The Chiefs do this trade because they need more production from their wide receivers.
Travis Kelce is Kansas City's leading receiver in terms of yardage this season with 525. The next highest receiver for the Chiefs is Rice, as mentioned earlier, with 305. Kelce missed Kansas City's first game of the season and Rice's playing time has been sparse. The next highest receiver is Justin Watson with 219 and he also has missed a game. The Chiefs simply haven't gotten enough from the likes of Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, and Kadarius Toney.
They would be getting that production from DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins' play has yet to decline. He is 12th among receivers in targets per route run and is averaging a robust 2.29 yards per route run, which ranks 19th among receivers. He has not been the problem in Tennessee, by any means, whose offensive line has not allowed for a proper aerial attack to function.
Hopkins hasn't been the problem there, but he would make for a fantastic solution in Kansas City.
Why the Titans do it
Are the Titans going anywhere this season? It doesn't seem like it, and it seems like they themselves realize it.
Earlier this week, the Titans sent All-Pro safety Kevin Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles for safety Terrell Edmunds and a fifth and sixth-round pick. Franchise icon Derrick Henry has seen his name in trade talks before the trade deadline. With the Titans sitting at 2-4 on the season and starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill currently tending to a high ankle sprain, it doesn't seem like a run is coming.
Hopkins could've signed with the Chiefs this offseason, but he opted for what could be one last hefty payday instead with the Titans. That's his prerogative, and with how short a window NFL players have to maximize their earnings, no one should blame him. But he could have his cake and eat it too.
If the Titans pay the most of his salary the rest of the way, the Chiefs could afford him and the Titans could fetch some nice draft picks for him to help kickstart what is looking like a rebuild in Nashville. Both teams are getting what they want and need. This trade would make sense for both sides.
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