The Kansas City Chiefs spent big on the left tackle position in the offseason, and the recent additions could signal a Wanya Morris trade. A third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Oklahoma product was part of Kansas City’s rotating door at left tackle last year. Appearing in all 17 games while making 11 starts, Morris finished the season with an underwhelming 53.0 PFF grade, the 71st-best mark out of 81 eligible players.
Following their embarrassing Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chiefs signed tackle Jaylon Moore to a two-year, $30 million deal and used their first-round pick on Ohio State’s Josh Simmons. With these two firmly on the roster, Morris could be the odd man out and doesn’t have a clear path to the field. In a recent article, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine named Wanya Morris as one of the team’s top trade candidates. While he’s yet to prove himself as a starting-caliber tackle, several teams could kick the tires on the former third-round pick and see if he has any untapped potential.
Chiefs Could Trade Wanya Morris After Jaylon Moore, Josh Simmons Additions
Potential Suitors
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have the league’s best wide receiver duo in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but somebody must keep Joe Burrow upright long enough to connect with those two. Orlando Brown and Cody Ford are underwhelming veterans, and first-round pick Amarius Mims left a lot to be desired as a rookie. Wanya Morris is no sure thing himself, but seeing as he shouldn’t cost more than a late-round pick in a trade, Cincinnati might as well bring him in and see what he can do.
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints have two tackles with high ceilings in Taliese Fuaga and first-round pick Kelvin Banks. While Fuaga looked like a starting-caliber tackle as a rookie, nobody knows what the future holds for Banks. While he has the potential to be a franchise cornerstone, he’s never played in the NFL, and his arm length leaves something to be desired. Seeing as this team is trying to develop a rookie quarterback in Louisville’s Tyler Shough, they might as well trade for a veteran like Wanya Morris, who can provide a base level of competency at the position.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots hope that LSU’s Will Campbell can keep franchise quarterback Drake Maye on his feet for years to come. While his college tape is remarkable, he’d need to be a historic outlier to succeed at tackle with his arm length. Perhaps Campbell can overcome his physical shortcomings, but betting on outliers is a great way to go broke. This team needs a Plan B if Campbell needs to move to guard, and while Wanya Morris may not be great, he can’t be worse than Vederian Lowe.
Main Photo: Denny Medley – Imagn Images
