Insider Spills Chiefs’ Targeted Positions Ahead of NFL Trade Deadline
With mere days remaining until the 2025 NFL trade deadline, the pressure is on for all 32 teams. The Kansas City Chiefs are no different, but will general manager Brett Veach make a move?
It’s the topic of the hour locally, and some national media are weighing in on the possibility as well.
In an October 31 story for Sports Illustrated, league insider Albert Breer singled out a pair of positions, defensive tackle and running back, as spots the reigning AFC champs could target.
“The Chiefs have sniffed around on a defensive tackle and now are drilling down a little more at running back with Isiah Pacheco banged up,” Breer wrote.
Let’s dive into the state of both spots for the Chiefs with Tuesday’s Nov. 4 deadline approaching.
Is Mike Pennel Addition Enough for Chiefs’ DT Room?
Of course, the straw that stirs the drink for Kansas City’s defensive line is Chris Jones. The three-time All-Pro is in his age-31 season, yet he’s playing a whopping 81% of available snaps. He’s rewarded the team with mixed production, as his 2 sacks in eight games may seem underwhelming. When paired with 27 pressures, though, that’s far more palatable.
The loss of rookie Omarr Norman-Lott to an ACL injury didn’t help. The second-round pick was widely expected to emerge as a key piece down the stretch, thus putting the team in a bind. Derrick Nnadi is one of the worst pass rushers in the league, and his run defense has even slipped. Jerry Tillery, for all he can bring as a reserve, is exactly that.
Enter Mike Pennel? The 34-year-old requested his release from the Cincinnati Bengals and rejoined his hometown’s nearest team this week. He’s potentially an improvement over Nnadi at this stage, albeit not a full-time running mate for Jones. A trade would certainly help the Chiefs get some more upside in the middle of their defense.
Ahead of Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, Steve Spagnuolo’s defense ranks 20th in ESPN’s pass rush win rate. Their 25% run stop win rate is dead last out of all 32 teams.
A No. 6 ranking in pressure rate makes things look better than they are in reality. Spagnuolo blitzes, oftentimes out of necessity, and it sometimes still doesn’t work. Kansas City is 24th in pressure to sack rate at 17.9%. Better production from a non-George Karlaftis defensive end would be nice, sure, but the premium to acquire that is surely steep.
Is the cost for a solid tackle more affordable? Maybe.
Does Kansas City Have Enough at RB to Win in Playoffs?
The running back dynamic is interesting. There’s a case to be made that even before Isiah Pacheco got hurt, the Chiefs could’ve benefitted from an injection of talent. They don’t generate explosive runs and are ineffective in several other areas.
A solution for Week 9 isn’t coming from the trade market. Kansas City has already ruled Pacheco out, and his MCL sprain renders him week-to-week. Once he’s able to return, is he worth backing as a lead option? Although he’s posting a career-best 59% success rate on the ground, other advanced metrics aren’t as kind. Per NFL Pro, the fourth-year man is worth -6.5 rush EPA on the year.
What about backup Kareem Hunt, who’s produced +11 EPA? That’s great, but Hunt is primarily a short-yardage piece. If the Chiefs need a third- or fourth-down conversion or a jolt at the goal line, he’s excellent. He lacks any sort of burst, though, as evidenced by his 1.61% mark in explosive rushes. That’s 39th out of 40 running backs with 50+ attempts, per SumerSports.
Rookie Brashard Smith is interesting, yet not ready for a serious workload. The seventh-round pick is a far better pass catcher than rusher. He averages 8.7 yards per reception, as opposed to an ugly 3.0 yards per carry. He’s the only Kansas City halfback with a lower rushing yards over expected mark (-15) than Pacheco (-14) in 2025.
There’s no denying that a running back addition could be just what the Chiefs need, and there figures to be no shortage of avenues to make that happen. Whether they’re realistic, however, remains to be seen.
If Breer’s reporting is any indication, Veach and his staff are weighing all of that as the sands pass through the trade deadline hourglass.
The Lightning could decide to promote some of them on the NHL roster
The Tampa Bay Lightning (5-4-2) are getting back in their groove, winning four straight games after their 2-1 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars. While the Lightning look to rise to the top of the Atlantic Division their American Hockey League (AHL, Syracuse Crunch) and ECHL teams (Orlando Solar Bears) are heading in opposite directions. The Crunch are cruising, with a 6-1-0-0 record, which leads the North Division, while the Solar Bears own a dreadful 1-4-0-0 record, allowing twice as many goals (20) as they’ve scored.
Even still, there are standouts littered in the minors for Tampa Bay, and in some instances, the Lightning could decide to promote some of them on the NHL roster.
AHL: Jakob Pelletier, F
The Lightning signed Pelletier to a three-year contract last offseason in the hopes he’d reach his massive upside. At 24 years old, the 2019 first-round pick scored four goals and seven assists with a plus-10 rating in 24 games for the Calgary Flames last season. That’s an average of about 14-24-38 over a full season, and he was usually playing bottom-six minutes.
Unfortunately, the Flames traded the winger to Philadelphia for Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost in late January. Pelletier couldn’t get back his offensive spark in Philadelphia. With the Flyers, he scored just three goals, five assists, and eight points in 25 games, sometimes being healthy scratched. When he was due $840,000 on a qualifying offer on a two-way deal, the Flyers non-tendered him, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Pelletier hasn’t made his debut with the Lightning, but with the Crunch, he’s thriving. Through seven games, Pelletier has notched four goals and five assists, with a plus-1 rating. He currently leads the Crunch in points and goals. In a 5-2 win against the Hershey Bears, Pelletier had two goals and an assist.
If Pelletier keeps this pace up, the Lightning could recall him, and he could be an injection of youth Tampa Bay desperately needs right now.
AHL: Dylan Duke, F
Dylan Duke is another young talent the Lightning hope can evolve into an NHL-caliber forward. He was drafted 121st overall by Tampa Bay after a stellar career with the Michigan Wolverines. In 2023-24, Duke was on a team with NHL draftees Gavin Brindley, Rutger McGroarty, and Seamus Casey. However, Duke led the team in goals (26) and finished third in points (49). Overall, he finished with 54 goals and 46 assists in 123 games.
Duke has just one goal in the NHL level so far, but he is turning a new leaf with the Crunch this season. He’s scored one goal and added six assists for seven points through seven games. He is currently in the top 20 in assists in the AHL level.
It appears Duke could be taking a big jump from his rookie season, when he scored 20 goals, 20 assists, and 40 points through 62 games. Like Pelletier, Duke is another young forward the Lightning are looking to develop into an NHL-caliber player. Unlike Pelletier, Duke is just 22, and he has time to grow and become another late-round NHL contributor for the Lightning.
ECHL: Spencer Kersten, F
It’s hard to find a standout for the Solar Bears this season, but there’s one player who’s been tried and true for them. Spencer Kersten continues to shine for Orlando.
Kersten spent four years with Princeton University and one year at Bowling-Green University before signing with the Solar Bears in 2024. In his rookie season, Kersten shined, recording 25 goals and 30 assists for 55 points through 60 games. That earned him a spot on the 2024-25 ECHL All-Rookie team.
This year, Kersten has increased his scoring output, with three goals and three assists for six points through five games. He is on pace to record 86 points this season.
That could earn Kersten a recall to the AHL. His strong play with Orlando earned him brief stints with the Crunch and the Belleville Senators on loan. He scored one goal in nine games with the Crunch, but he could be in line for more opportunities in the AHL if he keeps up this pace.
