Where Does Kansas City Go After Tyreek Hill Trade?

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In an NFL offseason filled with blockbuster moves, another stunning transaction has reshaped the landscape around the league. The Kansas City Chiefs traded wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. In a potential rumor that began this morning, the completion of the trade came relatively quickly. Kansas City’s top wide receiver is now gone. In return, the Chiefs received a 2022 first-round pick (29th overall), a 2022 second-round pick (50th overall), a 2022 fourth-round pick, a 2023 fourth-round pick and a 2023 sixth-round pick.

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This is one of the more puzzling moves that the Chiefs have made in a while. However, one would think that with Patrick Mahomes and the opportunities at their disposal, Kansas City could grow and improve from what this trade creates. Will they become somewhat more balanced offensively? Will Mahomes and his pass catchers find a groove with adjusting to working underneath? Plus, which wide receiver(s) will be replacing Hill on the depth chart down the line?

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There are many routes that the Chiefs could decide to go down. Which pieces could they decide to add? How will this affect the Kansas City’s offensive style? Let’s kick it off.

How Do They Add To Receiver Position?

The current top wide receivers without Hill are as follows for the Kansas City Chiefs: JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, Josh Gordon, Daurice Fountain. The remainder of names on the current depth chart do not hold much promise. Therefore, it would not be surprising to see them add another wide receiver or two throughout the remainder of the 2022 offseason. Here are the paths that they could take.

Trade For A Wide Receiver

There may not be many options on the table. Especially, when you consider that most trade options would need a new contract down the line. There is a weird mix that makes you wonder if Kansas City is only interested in younger players with this trade. Hill is not as old as other top wide receivers. However, maybe thinking paying him into his 30s was not beneficial at the price point that he received.

The top option to me would be Brandin Cooks of the Houston Texans. We have mentioned him briefly in other articles as a potential trade piece for the Chiefs. He could be a missing link that Kansas City has been searching for to fill the X-receiver role. Although he does not have the prototypical size for the position, Cooks has often played bigger than his size. He can win deep down the field, similar to Hill. Finally, Cooks would be available to provide a reliable track record coming over to the Chiefs as well.

Draft A Wide Receiver

Every year, especially in recent years, the NFL Draft is littered with numerous options and plentiful depth. We have covered some potential options at wide receiver come draft time. In Kansas City, it will not be extremely possible to easily replace Hill with a rookie wide receiver in 2022. There is many spots where I could see them drafting one.

Any of the six picks in the first three rounds would be a logical spot where Kansas City could draft a wide receiver. Elsewhere, they may look to use these extra picks and move up a little bit from the end of round one to the middle portion of round one.

If that were to happen, the Chiefs would likely have a shot to possibly select either the second or third wide receiver off the board, if not the first one. Kansas City should not feel limited to drafting just one either. If you are ready to surround Mahomes with a new set of receivers, do not feel hesitant to draft at least two wide receivers this upcoming April.

Sign A Wide Receiver

There is not many top names available anymore after the first wave of 2022 NFL free agency. There are still bigger bodied, vertical threats that are still on the market, though. Kansas City could realistically afford one more veteran receiver that has not been capable of landing over $10 million per season.

Names like Julio Jones, Jarvis Landry, TY Hilton, AJ Green, Sammy Watkins or Will Fuller are all veterans that may come relatively cheap. The issue is, not many of those guys seem like true fits with the Chiefs offense. Health and durability concerns are also present with that group as well.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling is reportedly in Kansas City on a free agent visit. Could the former Packers wideout come in and become a vertical presence? Sure. There is questions about his hands and ball skills being consistent enough, however. This may be a possible option for the Chiefs. Nonetheless, Kansas City will eventually have to invest at wide receiver in the draft and get younger.

What Does Kansas City’s Offensive Play Style Look Like?

The offense that we saw late last season may be what Kansas City is forced to become initially after making this Hill trade. Using the quick passing game and working with routes underneath more often could make sense. Teams have been altering their defense to take away Kansas City’s deep ball. The Chiefs do not have many deep threats now without Hill. But, they could force defenses to change their looks more often, if they were more patient and willing to work short to intermediate routes.

Could this make the Chiefs more balanced? Andy Reid has been willing to sling it across the yard all day long with numerous quarterbacks. So, I do not think that they will ever be 50-50 from a run to pass perspective per game. Kansas City may be best suited to slightly adjust to that style, at the same time. Given the lack of resources on defense right now, playing a track meet style of game is not the best answer. Let Mahomes use his time and allow the running backs to find a groove. That will be an option that Reid must consider.

How Does This Affect Mahomes?

Finally, how does this trade affect Patrick Mahomes? He does not have his best deep threat anymore. The ability to chuck it down the field and hope for Hill to win a jump ball is nonexistent. Furthermore, Kansas City does not have much in terms of guys that can make the defense look silly, while converting on third and long. They have a similar gadget type with Hardman. Though, his role has been altered in a way to where that does not make sense.

Mahomes working underneath and in the quick passing game is something he showed growth on last season. He still has improved on better decision making and timing. There is possibly still room for improvement there, however.

Mahomes will eventually have a new nucleus of wide receivers around him. As a result, it was eventually destined for him to have a new cast of characters. Kansas City will have even more pressure to surround him with talent and stock his cupboard now than ever before. The same goes for being able to build a full-fledged team around him. In the end, growth from Mahomes, the offense and the team could help the Chiefs stay competitive for the long term.

Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.