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.
Schottenheimer Indicates Cowboys Demoting Rookie Playmaker in Week 9
For Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue, just getting on the field this season was a bit of a struggle. He was taken in the fifth round of the draft out of Texas, and considered something of a steal because of his speed, but once he reported to Dallas, coaches found his work ethic and attention to detail was not quite up to NFL snuff.
Blue was a healthy scratch for all of September, before making his debut against the Jets on October 5. His chance came as RB2 Miles Sanders went down for the season with a knee injury, putting the rookie in position to solidify his spot with the team.
But since getting a bump up on the depth chart, Blue has failed to deliver for the Cowboys, gaining just 65 yards on 22 carries, an unimpressive 3.0 yards per rush. Worse, against the Broncos in Week 8, Blue lost a fumble in the third quarter and this week, coach Brian Schottenheimer indicated that veteran backup Malik Davis may well have overtaken Blue on the depth chart heading into Week 9 vs. the Cardinals.
Cowboys’ Schottenheimer: Jaydon Blue Was ‘Inconsistent’
When talking about Blue this week, here’s the full context of Schottenheimer’s comments, including his sentiments that Blue should actively be learning from RB1 Javonte Williams:
“Jaydon was inconsistent in the game. He did some really good things, but there were some other things he’s got to do at a higher level. The fumble was a good hit, but he’s got to be able to hold onto the ball. And actually our combination block was supposed to come off to it and it didn’t so, again, that’s a blocking issue. But again, he can continue to play and emphasize playing more and more physical with and without the ball. That’s real.
“That’s a young back learning the speed of the game, the physicality of the game. But to me, I am always going to go back to the consistency. You can’t put the ball on the ground, you have to be on top of your blitz pickups, you have to do those things. The big thing I have told him about, you’ve got the perfect guy sitting right to your left in Javonte to learn from. (He) was you a couple years ago as a young rookie trying to figure things out, and lean on him. Javonte does everything right.”
Malik Davis Cowboys Opportunities Coming?
But it was what Schottenheimer then said, unprovoked, that is interesting as far as the depth chart goes. Schottenheimer praised Davis out of the blue, despite the fact that Davis has played only five snaps this year.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about Malik Davis and the job he is doing for us,” Schottenheimer said. “We’re all about creating competition, it’s not just creating competition on the defensive side of the ball and who’s gonna play. It’s on the offensive side as well. And that would be another battle to watch.”
Again, there was no prior indication that Davis was battling for the backup spot–until Schottenheimer said it.
Jaydon Blue Ran a 4.38 40-Yard Dash
Blue made his mark last season for Texas with his versatility, rushing for 730 yards on 133 carries, and adding 368 yards receiving on 42 catches. He had 146 yards and two touchdowns for the Longhorns in their playoff win over Clemson, but was shut down in the next two games, going for just 20 yards on eight carries in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
But the Cowboys liked his speed coming out of college, with a 4.38 40-yard dash at the Combine, and felt he was a steal in the fifth round.
