While the Kansas City Chiefs did trade No. 1 receiver Tyreek Hill this offseason, they're not looking to rebuild in 2022. Kansas City still has Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and a defense that ranked eighth in points allowed last season.
The Chiefs also appear high on what their new-look offense can accomplish, even sans Hill.
"It's not the same thing [other teams] have been seeing the last six years," running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire said, per Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star.
No, Kansas City is still a title contender and should be considered among the early favorites in the AFC. However, this doesn't mean that the Chiefs won't continue tweaking their roster between now and their season opener against the Arizona Cardinals.
Kansas City has $11 million in cap space remaining and at least a few players it could consider moving via a trade. Who are those players? Below, we'll examine the Chiefs' most logical candidates based on factors like past production, player health, contract status and roster depth.
Let's get this out of the way. A team with championship aspirations shouldn't actively look to trade valuable contributors unless there are other factors to consider.
In the case of running back Jerick McKinnon—who signed a one-year, $1.3 million deal this offseason—depth could be that factor. Kansas City still has Edwards-Helaire leading the backfield and added Ronald Jones II in free agency.
The Chiefs also have Derrick Gore, who averaged 5.0 yards per carry in 2021.
The reality is that Jones, as a dual-threat back, does a lot of the same things well that McKinnon does. He had a limited role behind Leonard Fournette with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season but caught 28 passes, topped 1,100 scrimmage yards and scored eight touchdowns the previous season.
Playing time could be tough for McKinnon to come by. However, the speedy runner-receiver could be a valuable trade offer to a running back-needy team. He had just 12 carries and 20 receptions during the 2021 regular season but showed out in the postseason. In three playoff games, he tallied 150 rushing yards, 165 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Kansas City probably couldn't demand much in return for McKinnon, but a late-round pick is worth pursuing if McKinnon could be a potential cap casualty anyway—and none of his 2022 salary is guaranteed.
Again, the Chiefs shouldn't be eager to part with depth, and third-year defensive end Mike Danna can provide it. However, the 2020 fifth-round pick may struggle to be a regular contributor now that rookie first-round pick George Karlaftis is on the roster.
Presumably, Karlaftis will play opposite Frank Clark at the top of Kansas City's pass-rushing rotation.
Danna, meanwhile, could become an intriguing trade target for a team in need of pass-rushing help. He has appeared in 30 games with seven starts and has logged 5.5 sacks in two seasons.
In 2021, Danna tallied 3.0 sacks and 14 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Reference.
Given the value of even modestly consistent rotational pass-rushers, it's not unreasonable to think the Chiefs could get value back for Danna in a trade. Is a middle-round pick worth it to surrender capable pass-rushing depth? Probably not.
However, if the Chiefs are eying a player they believe can improve their roster—and Karlaftis appears ready to take on a prominent role—Danna could be the perfect trade chip to include in a swap offer.
While McKinnon and Danna are depth pieces the Chiefs might be able to do without, fourth-year safety Juan Thornhill appeared in all 17 games last season and made 12 starts. However, the Chiefs may already be looking at moving on from the 2019 second-round pick.
Thornhill is in the final year of his rookie contract, and Kansas City just used a second-round pick on former Cincinnati linebacker Bryan Cook. The Chiefs also added Justin Reid to replace Tyrann Mathieu, and there likely isn't enough playing time for all three.
Given Thornhil's struggles in coverage—he allowed an opposing passer rating of 102.8 in 2020 and 108.6 in 2021, according to Pro Football Reference—the Chiefs could look to make the switch to Cook a year early if a Thornhill trade comes to the proverbial table.
And the Chiefs could get value in a Thornhill trade, especially if an injury leaves a playoff-caliber team lacking at the position. While the Virginia product has been up and down with the Chiefs, he's still a starting-caliber safety likely to command, at least, a middle-round pick in a deal.
It's not a move the Chiefs should consider lightly, but if Thornhill may be replaced in the not-too-distant future, he represents arguably the most logical and valuable trade candidate on the Kansas City roster.
Cap and contract information via Spotrac.