Chiefs Rumors: Four potential trade suitors for Chris Jones
Chris Jones continues his Kansas City Chiefs holdout in search of a new long-term contract. The two-time Super Bowl champ, who finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season, has already lost over $2 million in fines and he will continue to bleed money if his holdout lasts into the regular season.
It's a messy situation, with Jones due over $20 million this season and in line for a potential franchise tag next summer if the dispute doesn't resolve. Naturally, Jones has been a subject of trade rumors as a result. If the Chiefs don't want to pay him, surely another team will.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report was tasked with naming four teams who should take a stab at the Jones trade market. He lists the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, and Green Bay Packers as four prime candidates to swing a trade for one of the NFL's top defensive linemen.
All four teams need reinforcements on the D-line. Jones is such a talent that he can elevate pretty much any group from mediocrity to proficiency. The Chiefs' Super Bowl run often gets chalked up to Patrick Mahomes and the offense, but Kansas City doesn't beat Philadelphia if Jalen Hurts and the Eagles' offense aren't shut out down the stretch. Jones was essential to Kansas City's dominance last season and his exit would have a potentially catastrophic impact on the Chiefs' defense.
That's what makes this holdout so confounding. The Chiefs can't get cheap now. They have the tools to win several more Super Bowls with Mahomes under center. It's certainly possible to keep the momentum going without Jones, but it gets harder. Why make it harder? Just pay the man.
Chiefs Rumors: Stephen A. Smith blasts front office over Chris Jones fiasco
Stephen A. Smith certainly agrees with the general principle of "pay that man."
The ESPN figurehead went on First Take this morning to blast the Chiefs front office for allowing the Jones snafu to continue. While he gives the Chiefs' offense the credit it deserves, Smith believes the path to another Super Bowl would be significantly more challenging without Jones as the head of the snake defensively.
"We've got to give the Chiefs defense some credit for them ultimately capturing the Super Bowl," says Smith.
Jones led the way for Kansas City's defense last season with 15.5 sacks and 44 combined tackles. He laid 29 hits on opposing quarterbacks and was a frequent purveyor of headaches for opposing offensive coordinators.
Smith then takes it one step further. He notes the absence Eric Bieniemy, who left the Chiefs' offensive coordinator role for a promotion with the Washington Commanders. "[Andy Ried] will have to do it himself," says Smith with regard to Kansas City's offensive playcalling.
The absence of a titanic figure on offense, combined with a potential Jones holdout, could be too much for the reigning champs to overcome.
One has to believe the Chiefs will pony up and pay Jones eventually. He's one of the best defenders in the NFL, straight up. He wants a lucrative restructured contract because he absolutely deserves one. He doesn't play running back — great defensive tackles get paid.
Again, if the Chiefs don't pay Jones, somebody else will. This saga could drag out into next season if the Chiefs so desire, but Kansas City should be entirely focused on winning another Super Bowl in the short term. The best way to accomplish that is to pay Chris Jones.
Chiefs Rumors: NFL expert projects big season from Skyy Moore
The Chiefs' explosive offense led the NFL in receiving yards last season. That makes it easy to forget how fragile the actual receiving corps felt following Tyreek Hill's departure for Miami. Travis Kelce's rapport with Mahomes makes up for a lot, but the wide receiver room was not terribly effective.
In a recent interview with Mike Florio of NBC Sports, NFL expert Peter King expressed major concerns about the group overall. "Each of the last two years, [the Chiefs] have had giant defections in the receiving corps," said King. On top of Hill's departure, the Chiefs are now without JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman, who both played important roles in last season's Super Bowl run.
When asked who the potential breakout candidate is for a team in desparate need of WR help, King pointed to second-year wideout Skyy Moore.
"I'm very bullish on Moore," said King. "It's because in this offseason, Skyy Moore found out where is Mahomes working out, and he just went there. All the time."
That newfound connection between Mahomes and his spritely young target could pay huge dividends for an offense once again in limbo. The Chiefs are always going to score points — that's not really a concern — but it changes the game if Mahomes as a legitimate WR weapon he's comfortable going to in big moments. Moore, a 5-foot-10 speedster and second-round pick out of Western Michigan in the 2022 NFL Draft, could emerge as that dynamic big-play target Mahomes previously lacked beyond Kelce.
Moore appeared in 16 games (three starts) for the Chiefs last season. He hauled in 22 receptions on 33 targets for 250 yards, which places him at 11.4 yards per catch. He didn't find pay dirt, but with the depth chart clearing out above him, expect Moore to end up on the receiving end of more Mahomes dimes in 2023. His primary competition for targets, other than Kelce, will be Marquez Valdes-Scantling and former first-round pick Kadarius Toney.
