Rumor Roundup: Kansas City Chiefs Looking To Trade For A Wide Receiver?

Mar 29th 2022

Sosa Kremenjas

Welcome back to the rumor roundup, where we look at the five biggest stories of the week, every week.

Some are going to be factual — as in moves that've been executed — and others will consist of the juiciest and most intriguing rumors. There's plenty to cover and plenty to learn, all of which we'll cover below.

Let's dive into it.

1. Could DeVante Parker be traded?

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Parker's name has floated around the rumor mill. The Miami Dolphins traded a big bundle of assets for stud Tyreek Hill, signed Cedrick Wilson to a sizeable contract in free agency, and already have second-year player Jaylen Waddle in the fold.

Head Coach Mike McDaniel has entirely rebuilt his offense with two more additions to the running back room and a new fullback, too. Parker is one of the "leftovers" from the previous regime that could be on his way out. The 29-year-old has been an oft-injured player who's played 16 games just once (2019) in his career.

Parker likely wouldn't garner a big trade package but could be a nice No. 2 or 3 option for a team looking for a big-bodied contested-catch threat. He's topped 1,000 yards once in his career dating back to 2019, when he also scored nine touchdowns. The veteran had just 515 yards and two touchdowns this past season but is still a starting quality player.

As it stands, Miami would eat $5.4M in dead cap and would save $3.344M in cap space by trading Parker. Might someone step up with an offer General Manager Chris Grier can't refuse?

2. Pittsburgh Steelers interested in Malik Willis?

The Steelers should be connected to every quarterback available through the NFL Draft. Malik Willis just happens to be the name they've been attached to most often, and Head Coach Mike Tomlin has even commented on Willis' game and demeanor.

Pittsburgh "invested" in Mitchell Trubisky in the opening days of free agency, but the team should have their sights set higher. Trubisky is a former top-three draft pick who's not panned out as a starting quarterback and spent the 2021 season backing up Josh Allen in Buffalo. There's no reason to believe a year as a backup helped progress his game to starting quality, and the Steelers are due to pay him just $5.25M against the cap this season.

Ideally, the Steelers might use Trubisky as a placeholder who can win a handful of games while they bring a rookie quarterback like Willis up to speed. The rookie has enough mobility to win with his legs but also has the arm talent to stack up with the best in the league.

3. Kansas City Chiefs looking to trade for "top wide receiver"?

ESPN's Dianna Russini is reporting the Chiefs are looking to trade for a "top" receiver. This shouldn't come as a surprise after the Tyreek Hill debacle which resulted in the Chiefs moving on from arguably the most unguardable player at the position.

Kansas City immediately began to make patchwork of the situation by signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a three-year contract, but MVS cannot replicate what Hill brought to the table on his own.

Now, per Russini, the Chiefs could be in the market for another immediate impact player at the position. Some of the names that could make sense are Houston Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks, or Seattle Seahawks D.K. Metcalf or Tyler Lockett. All three players would help replace some of the speed lost from Hill's trade and could pay immediate dividends for a high-powered offense looking for more weaponry.

The Chiefs should be able to land whoever they desire. They have plenty of draft picks to move since the Hill trade and have just under $18M in cap space available to use.

4. Giants aren't actively shopping Saquon Barkley..... for now.

There isn't a great chance Barkley is moved in the near future because of the sentiment behind the trade. Clearly, New York isn't the spot for Barkley — he hasn't met expectations for a second-overall pick though some of those issues can be blamed on health and others on the surrounding talent, more so than Barkley himself.

The Giants are a rebuilding team that's not near competing and Barkley is entering the final year of his rookie deal. As a former second-overall pick, the Giants would need an incentive to move on from the electrifying runner, but will they get an offer that's enticing? Barkley has dealt with multiple serious injuries and certainly doesn't hold the same value he once did.

For those reasons, nothing is happening .... for now. New York isn't actively looking to move on from Barkley, but will the right trade offer come at some point? The franchise hasn't ruled out moving him — but the chances don't look great either.

5. 49ers to keep Jimmy Garoppolo for the time being.

We've seen the end of Jimmy G with the San Francisco 49ers .... right? Maybe not so fast. Head Coach Kyle Shanahan and General Manager John Lynch have already gone on record to suggest there is a possibility that Garoppolo enters 2022 on the roster.

Of course, that could be taken as coach speak and we should assume the team is ready to move forward with Trey Lance as the quarterback, but Garoppolo's shoulder surgery complicates the potential trade market. As of today, teams seem uncertain with Jimmy G's health, on top of knowing he wouldn't be available to participate in team activities until potentially training camp or even later. Lastly, finding a trade partner/destination isn't easy, either. There has been a ton of movement in the quarterback market in recent weeks, with Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan headlining as two of the major names moved.

How many teams are still looking for a placeholder at quarterback? Garoppolo's options seem to be very limited on the surface, and he's not the only quarterback available on the market — the Cleveland Browns are actively looking to move Baker Mayfield.