The Kansas City Chiefs have set themselves up nicely with their acquisitions in free agency, so much so that the team may not need the first overall pick to shore up its issues. If Kansas City were able to convince some team to trade up, then they could further upgrade their roster.
After receiving the franchise tag, offensive lineman Branden Albert is apparently on the trading block. Kansas City is asking for two draft picks for a team to acquire KC’s franchise player. The Chiefs would be seeking selections in this year’s second round, and a pick in 2014. I bring this up because KC could potentially add another two picks to replace the lost picks from the Alex Smith trade, which seemed to be the biggest knock against the deal.
If Albert does indeed vacate the KC area, the best-case scenario that the team should expect is a third and seventh round selection, which might be too high. Hypothetically, if the team receives compensation for Albert, they should keep the pick and immediately select his replacement by drafting Luke Joeckel or Eric Fisher. If Albert stays, there are no dominant players in the first five picks, which would warrant trading down.
However, it would take nothing short of a miracle for Kansas City to dupe another NFL team into taking their top draft selection. Their best bet is convincing teams that they genuinely covet the services of top QB Geno Smith. Recent reports have surfaced stating that the team is “fascinated” by Smith, which I’m not buying.
Why?
Simple, GM John Dorsey told reporters earlier that he thinks none of the current QBs in this year’s draft class merit a first-round grade. Sorry Kansas City, but the jig is up. At this point, the team had better hope no one calls his or her bluff.
Despite this media faux pas, teams have actually contacted new Head Coach Andy Reid about their round one pick according to USAToday.com. The Miami Dolphins among other team inquiring about the terms of a first-round swap.
The most likely candidates to make a trade with the Chiefs are QB-needy teams like the Raiders, Cardinals, Jaguars, and Jets. It is highly unlikely Kansas City would surrender their top pick without getting a top ten selection in return. An exchange with any of these teams would still allow the team to find an impact player on either the offensive or defensive line, Lane Johnson or Shariff Floyd are prime candidates in the 3-9 range.
Of course, Geno Smith’s stock depends on where Carson Palmer and Matt Flynn land. Palmer wants out of Oakland and Seattle is looking to trade Flynn. If Oakland and Arizona land Flynn and Palmer respectively, the Jets might be the likeliest team to trade up.
All theories aside, Kansas City seems unlikely to trade Albert or their first overall pick in 2013. So, with the first pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs select…
