Shocking Trade Ideas Chiefs Should Pursue Before 2024 Season

The Kansas City Chiefs are on the precipice of an achievement that has never been accomplished in NFL history. There have been eight back-to-back Super Bowl Champions, but no one has ever pulled off a three-peat.

In fact, no one has even made it back to the big game. Only three back-to-back champs have even made it to their conference championship game.

While history is definitely working against the Chiefs, they do have most of the key elements from last year's championship team returning. The core of Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones should keep them in the running.

But it might take more than that to become a uniquely dominant dynasty in 2024.

It could take an aggressive move or two to push them over the top in an increasingly tough AFC with a potential Super Bowl rematch against the San Francisco 49ers waiting at the end.

That could mean pulling off a stunning trade that would stack the deck in the Chiefs favor. With $14.7 million in cap space, the Chiefs could clear a little bit more room and take on at least one more notable salary for this season.

These ideas might be shocking, but they could be what it takes to lift another Lombardi.

The San Francisco 49ers are one of the Chiefs biggest obstacles to winning another title and they are in the middle of a dilemma.

Brandon Aiyuk has earned a new contract. He officially passed Deebo Samuel as their best receiver last season and he's the younger, more productive player of the two. The problem is that they've already paid Samuel a three-year $71.5 million extension and they could be hesitant to pay two wide receivers premium money.

One way out of their dilemma is to find a team that is willing to take on Deebo Samuel after June 1. The Niners would save a whopping $22 million against the cap in 2024 if they could find a trade partner.

Samuel has provided diminishing returns over the last two seasons but still had over 1,100 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Some of Samuel's success has been due to playing in a Kyle Shanahan system, but Reid is one of the best offensive minds in the game.

The Chiefs receiver situation is easily the scariest element of the offense. Rashee Rice emerged as the top option last season, but his status for the 2024 season could be in jeopardy based on his off-field actions this offseason.

The Chiefs signed Marquise Brown and that should help matters, but bringing in another legitimate weapon would push the offense over the top.

As an added bonus, the Niners would have to make their decision between Aiyuk and Samuel which would force them to rely more heavily on first-round pick Ricky Pearsall.

The other position that could come back to bite the Chiefs is at left tackle. Right now, the plan appears to be sticking with Jawaan Taylor at right tackle and allowing Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia to compete for the left tackle spot.

Morris played some as a rookie but struggled at times. He gave up five sacks and had 24 blown blocks, per Sports Info Solutions. Suamataia is a promising prospect but B/R scout Brandon Thorn noted that he could take some time to develop in his scouting report:

"He'll be only 21 when he gets drafted, and he has the runway to add polish to his game and bridge that gap within his first contract in an RPO/play-action based system that can help bring him along slowly."

Finding a tackle solution at this stage in the game is never easy, but the Cleveland Browns' tackle situation could open up an opportunity. Jack Conklin is a proven veteran but when he went down with a knee injury in last season's opener it paved the way for Dawand Jones to put together a surprisingly strong campaign as a rookie.

Jones suffered his own knee injury that ended his season, but he proved he could be the team's starter. If the Browns feel he could be ready by Week 1 it could create the opportunity for the Chiefs to get a new starter.

This would require either Conklin or Taylor to make the switch to left but that still feels safer than relying on Morris and Suamataia this year.

L'Jarius Sneed was easily the biggest loss for the Chiefs. Their cap situation essentially forced them to choose between Chris Jones and the cornerback. They chose to stick with the interior defender while trading Sneed to the Tennessee Titans.

It's a calculated risk. Sneed is a good corner but there are few defensive linemen with the skills and production of Jones.

However, the Chiefs haven't really done much to replace their corner. It's understandable. They've done a great job of drafting and developing cornerbacks and they have young options ready to fill the gap.

At least, that's the story they are telling so far.

June 1 is an important date in the NFL offseason because it changes how dead cap charges work. Players traded or cut after the date have their dead cap charges spread out instead of the whole charge coming off the books at once.

It's especially notable with how some contracts have been structured. For instance, the latest restructure for the Saints Marshon Lattimore includes a guaranteed option bonus that would allow the Saints to minimize their dead cap charge to just $10-13 million in dead money, per Tony Catalina of Pro Football Network.

That feels like a move that you only put into a contract if you're thinking about trading away a player. Lattimore has dealt with injuries lately but is still capable of good production as a starter.

Adding him to this defense could be a huge addition that keeps the Chiefs at the top of the league.