It isn't the first time you've heard it, and it won't be the last prior to the 2024 NFL trade deadline: the Kansas City Chiefs could benefit from adding another wide receiver into the fold.
With potential season-ending injuries to Rashee Rice and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, the slightly revamped wideout group general manager Brett Veach constructed is now crumbling. Rookie first-round pick Xavier Worthy remains, but there isn't a ton of talent elsewhere. Even after JuJu Smith-Schuster posted one of his best outings in recent memory, it seems like the back-to-back Super Bowl champions are skating on thin ice at the receiver position. Injecting high-level talent there makes a ton of sense.
As the deadline approaches, many are throwing out names like Amari Cooper, Davante Adams and DeAndre Hopkins. Is hunting for big fish the only path, or could a low-profile player still help? The Bleacher Report crew is siding with the latter, with Alex Ballentine recently urging Kansas City to go after Houston Texans wide receiver Robert Woods.
"As the trade rumors continue to come in around Davante Adams, there's going to be a lot of speculation that the superstar should be a Kansas City target," Ballentine wrote. "That would be great in a Madden world, but it doesn't seem realistic that the Raiders would help the Chiefs pursue a third Super Bowl unless they gave up a premium. Instead, the Chiefs might have to explore other receiver options on the trade market. Robert Woods has shown he can still be a complementary piece in a good offense, but the Texans' depth at receiver has relegated him to a tiny role in Houston. He would be a much greater help to the Chiefs...even if Houston might be hesitant to help Kansas City as well."
Chiefs should look elsewhere instead of trading for Robert Woods
Don't get it twisted: Woods can probably still help an NFL team in some capacity. Despite seeing his numbers decline since 2020, each of the last three seasons has seen him haul in at least 40 passes for 400 yards and 25 first downs. That's valuable production on a depth chart. With that said, Woods is now 32 years old and is coming off a year that saw him post a career-worst 5.7 yards per target with the Texans. He has three receptions for 28 yards all year long, essentially being phased out of the game plan in Houston.
Woods remains a savvy route runner and a more than capable blocker, so he'd be able to slot into somewhere around the No. 3 or No. 4 spot in an ideal depth chart if absolutely needed. The issue is that Kansas City has multiple players of that caliber already. The reigning champs need a difference-maker, not a supporting piece to complement what they already have. Woods is no longer the athlete or post-catch threat he once was in his prime, and he hasn't posted a passer rating when targeted of over 100 since his last season with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. A nagging foot injury also raises questions.
Carrying a base salary of $6.25 million into the season, Woods is also far from cheap for an acquiring team. Although the draft-related capital to get him might not be much, a cash-strapped team like the Chiefs wouldn't be wise to use their remaining cap space (less than $5M) on someone who ranks just outside the top 40 at his position in pay but much lower in results.
Multiple things can be true: Woods needs to get out of Houston and might still have something left in the tank. Kansas City likely isn't the best fit for him right now, though, considering the club's needs.
