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As the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs will once again be among the favorites to top the NFL in 2023. Patrick Mahomes continues to be the key to Kansas City's success, but the Chiefs underrated defense could be the deciding factor during a possible playoff run this year.
One concern though for the Chiefs is the salary cap. KC currently has the least amount of cap space among the 32 NFL teams, with just $858,856 available. This makes it difficult for them to make any more meaningful additions in free agency. One strategy to get around this issue would be trading players to open up cap space.
With training camp approaching, a number of expendable veteran players could be moved to clear up these financial issues. Here are three players the Chiefs could trade away this summer.
3 Chiefs trade candidates entering 2023 training camp
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
After three years in Kansas City, former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire made have played his last snaps for the Chiefs. The LSU running back had a promising rookie year, posting 1,100 total yards while averaging 5.1 yards per touch. But with KC's pass-heavy offense and Andy Reid's tendency to spread carry around in the backfield, Edwards-Helaire never got the same chance to succeed as he did in his first season.
This decline culminated in Edwards-Helaire losing his job seven weeks into the 2022 NFL campaign. From there on out, the 24-year-old had 12 carriers over the next four games before spending thee rest of the season on the injured reserve. He enters 2023 as the third back on the Kansas City depth chart, and the Chiefs already declined his fifth-year playoff option. The franchise will hope to trade Clyde Edwards-Helaire, as doing so would save the team $1.2 million versus cutting him. But competitors around the league will know that KC has very little need for the fourth-year back, so his trade value will be low.
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Justin Watson
Often the forgotten wideout in the explosive Kansas City offense, Justin Watson actually finished third among Chiefs wideouts last year with 315 receiving yards, and his 21 yards/reception were easily best on the club. Despite this strong showing, Watson finds himself sixth on the Kansas City depth chart entering training camp this summer.
The team added New York Giants wideout Richie James (second on the NYG with 569 receiving yards in 2022), drafted SMU receiver Rashee Rice in the second round, and will have a full season with a healthy Kadarius Toney. With so many wideouts — all around a similar talent level — someone will end up being the odd man out. That could mean Justin Watson will end up with a different team for the 2023 season.
Michael Danna
Last year, defensive end Michael Danna posted the best season in his three-year career, recording five sacks to go with 10 quarterback hits and a pair of forced fumbles. Yet the Chiefs still made multiple additions across the defensive front this off-season, keeping Danna in his backup role. Defensive end Charles Omenihu arrived from San Francisco on a two-year, $16 million deal, and the Chiefs spent a first-round draft pick on another defensive end — Kansas State's Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
Danna is a free agent after this season, and the franchise saves $2.7 million by either cutting or trading the fourth-year player in 2023. Michael Danna is a valuable player on the defensive front, but with the depth Kansas City has at that position plus salary cap constraints, the Chiefs might trade Danna to free up money to fill other needs.
