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The Kansas City Chiefs are 3-4 and in desperate need of a spark. With the trade deadline coming up, it seems the Chiefs could be willing to make a big trade to boost their squad to save the season. With so much at stake, the Chiefs may be willing to pay more than most teams, which means that they could be orchestrating a massive trade to set the team back on track.
Here are three players who could possibly turn the tide in the Chiefs' season.
Nuclear option: Three players that may save the Chiefs' season
#1 - Xavien Howard, CB, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are 1-6 and Xavien Howard spent a large chunk of the offseason asking for a reworked contract. When he didn't get the deal, he asked for a trade. The Dolphins, now 1-6, may be more willing to revisit the idea of trading away the cornerback. Howard had ten interceptions in 2020.
By adding Xavien Howard, the Chiefs would have a top cornerback, a quality safety in Tyrann Mathieu and a quality pass rusher in Frank Clark. Between the three, the Chiefs will have the ability to contest offenses at every level. Howard alone could lock down the best receiver of opponents, which could bring their offenses to a screeching halt.
This would allow the Chiefs' less-explosive offense to catch up. With a closer score come more mistakes, and the Chiefs could capitalize. Acquiring Howard could give the Chiefs a new identity as a football team and allow a path forward towards getting the season back on track.
#2 - Brandin Cooks, WR, Houston Texans
The Houston Texans have one win this season as we near the halfway mark for 2021. If they want to get some extra draft capital and rid themselves of a reminder of DeAndre Hopkins' absence, trading Cooks would kill two birds with one stone. This could help the Texans get the top quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft. Brandin Cooks currently has more than 500 yards.
Meanwhile, the trade would fit in nicely with the Chiefs' priorities. Over the last few years, it seemed that for every issue that arose, a new offensive addition would solve it. This season, this has happened with Josh Gordon. It could happen again with Brandin Cooks. Cooks, Hill and Kelce would resurrect the offense to its 2020 levels and could be enough to overcome a 28th-ranked defense.
#3 - TY Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts
TY Hilton will be 32 years old this season. The 32-year-old wide receiver has been injured for most of 2021, but is rounding a corner and saw his first action on October 17th. The Colts are 3-4 and 32-year-old wide receivers don't have time to spend on a rebuilding team. Meanwhile, the Colts are not getting much use out of Hilton and have been able to get back up near .500 largely without him.
It makes sense for the Colts to trade him to the Chiefs, who would likely only get to use him for a season or two before he retires. However, the Chiefs don't care about three seasons in the future. They are a win-now organization and will be willing to make a move to keep pace for as long as possible. Hilton, Hill and Kelce could also bring back the offense of 2020.
