The Kansas City Chiefs’ scoring offense was No. 1 in the NFL last season but their current struggles have one insider pitching a trade for disgruntled Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler suggests the Chiefs send backup running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire along with a fourth-round pick for Taylor who is on the PUP list.
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“Sure, I hear you, Andy Reid-doesn’t-run-the-ball truthers. But this might be the year to tinker a bit,” Fowler wrote on September 21. “Kansas City’s receiving core is largely unproven, and tight end Travis Kelce was banged up to begin the season. The acquisition of Taylor could alleviate pressure.”
Insider’s Trade Proposal Would Send Colts’ Jonathan Taylor to Chiefs
Chiefs get:
– Jonathan Taylor
Colts get:
– Clyde Edwards-Helaire
– 2024 third-round pick
– 2025 third-round pick
Chiefs Wide Receivers Bounced Back in Week 2
Kansas City’s wideouts recorded three drops in the season opener.
Kadarius Toney had two of them, leaving many to call for an upgrade to the position. But the Chiefs have come out in support of the inexperienced group. And they only recorded one drop as a team in Week 2 with Kelce the culprit.
Fowler warns that working out a contract extension with Taylor could be “arduous”, and notes the Colts have said they would explore a new deal for him after the season.
Running back salaries have been a hot-button issue. The league has trended towards more of a backfield-by-committee approach. And running back has tended to have the shortest shelf-life of any position. That last bit is key with Taylor already having shown some signs of the wear from heavy workloads dating back to college.
Taylor rushed for 861 yards and four touchdowns on 192 carries across 11 games in an injury-shortened season. He averaged 1,490 yards on 564 carries over the two previous seasons.
Indianapolis is also said to be willing to lower its initial asking price of a first-round pick.
Chiefs AlreadyHave Isiah Pacheco
Kansas City is also not necessarily hurting for backfield help. Second-year back Isiah Pacheco ran the ball much better in Week 2 than in Week 1. Opportunity had something to do with it. He rushed eight times for 23 yards in the opener but gained 70 yards on 12 carries in Week 2.
His yards per carry went from 2.9 to 5.8, and his yards after contact per touch went from 1.5 yards to 3.1 yards.
“It means we’re back and ready to roll.”
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco on meaning of 1st win of season over Jaguars @nflnetwork @NFLGameDay: pic.twitter.com/rY9zgJhtfl
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) September 17, 2023
He has also flashed his receiving chops with 31 yards on four grabs in the opener.
“He ran the ball well [in Week 2],” Mahomes said after the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. “Whenever I found him there, he punched it through there. He made a lot of big runs. There at the end, just tough yards. That’s stuff that you need in this offense. As we continue to develop as an offense, we’ll continue to get the run game more, and it will open up the rest of the offense.”
The Chiefs still have Jerrick McKinnon in the mix and Edwards-Helaire. The latter’s contract situation has led to his name being floated in trade speculation though. A former first-round pick, Edwards-Helaire is in the final year of his contract.
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