5 NFL Trades That Could Help Prevent a Chiefs Super Bowl Three-Peat
Who is going to stop the Kansas City Chiefs?
Now that the franchise has won three of the last four Super Bowls and just became the first team in two decades to win back-to-back titles, speculation has already begun as to whether Kansas City can become the first organization ever to pull off a Super Bowl three-peat.
The Chiefs struggled for large portions of the 2023 NFL season, but they still pulled together for yet another run to the Lombardi Trophy. They seem unstoppable as long as Patrick Mahomes—who just won his third Super Bowl MVP award—is under center.
However, the NFL's power structure could change overnight in wake of a blockbuster trade.
With that in mind, let's take look at a few top contenders and highlight some potential deals—some of which are quite realistic, while others may be a bit more far-fetched—they could execute this offseason.
Baltimore Ravens Bring in Alvin Kamara
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Baltimore Ravens receive: RB Alvin Kamara
New Orleans Saints receive: 2024 seventh-round pick (No. 247 overall)
The Baltimore Ravens were a powerhouse in 2023. They had the NFL's best record during the regular season thanks to a a crisp offense led by league MVP Lamar Jackson and a defense that ranked No. 1 in points allowed.
Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones even said Baltimore was the best team that Kansas City faced during its road to a Super Bowl LVIII victory:
Despite that, the Ravens came up short in the AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs. The 17-10 defeat highlighted a clear need for Baltimore to bring in more offensive playmakers, especially in the backfield.
Jackson led the team with 54 yards on eight carries in the contest, well outpacing the production from running backs Gus Edwards (three carries for 20 yards) and Justice Hill (three carries for three yards).
The Ravens should get better in that department just by getting healthy. No. 1 back J.K. Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles suffered in the season-opener and promising rookie Keaton Mitchell played only eight games due to injuries. However, the Ravens need another capable back who can take on some of the workload while changing the game with his presence from time-to-time.
Enter Alvin Kamara, the veteran New Orleans Saints running back whose impact has diminished in recent seasons. While the five-time Pro Bowler isn't the superstar that he was earlier in his career, he can create still big plays as both a rusher and pass-catcher out of the backfield.
The 28-year-old back would be an an ideal buy-low candidate for the Ravens, who could try to capitalize on the Saints' need to shed salary. The Saints project to be $82.8 million over next year's cap, but they could save $11.8 million by trading Kamara after June 1.
New Orleans should be willing to ship Kamara off for little in return, assuming he's willing to renegotiate his contract to one more commensurate with his projected usage in Baltimore. The Ravens could deploy him as a third-down and change-of-pace back.
Kamara is coming off a seventh straight season with 400-plus receiving yards, and he caught 75 passes this past season, his most since 2020. While he had a career-low 694 yards on the ground, Kamara could flourish in a lesser role in an offense that maximizes his chances to succeed when he does get on the field.
Cincinnati Bengals Acquire Aaron Donald
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Cincinnati Bengals receive: DT Aaron Donald
Los Angeles Rams receive: 2024 first-round pick (No. 18 overall), 2024 third-round pick (No. 80 overall)
The Cincinnati Bengals are the only AFC team to have beaten the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs over the last five years. While they had a down 2023 season—they lost quarterback Joe Burrow to a season-ending wrist injury, amongst other issues—the Bengals have most of the pieces in place to make another run next season.
They don't have all of them, though. That's why a trade for Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald should be atop Cincinnati's offseason wish list.
Donald racked up 53 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, eight sacks and 31 pressures en route to his eighth All-Pro nod this past season. He earned a sterling 90.9 grade from Pro Football Focus for those efforts, which was his 10th straight year of notching a grade 90 or above.
Although Cincinnati had its championship dreams dashed by an unforgettable Donald sack two years ago, the city would likely forgive him if he's traded to the Bengals. He's one of the few players capable of collapsing the pocket seemingly at will, and he would help Cincinnati execute the same type of plan for stopping Patrick Mahomes that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers provided the league when they handed him his lone Super Bowl loss three years ago.
The costs of making such a deal could be interesting, as compensation would likely hinge on Donald's desire to continue playing beyond 2024. Regardless, the Bengals should have no qualms about coughing up their first-rounder and more to get even a single season of high-level play from the future Hall of Famer.
Dallas Cowboys Land Stefon Diggs
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Dallas Cowboys receive: WR Stefon Diggs
Buffalo Bills receive: 2024 first-round pick (No. 24 overall)
The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the NFL's most consistent teams in recent years, but they have only one playoff victory to show for it. After a disappointing flameout in the Wild Card Round this past season, the Cowboys need to make a big move this offseason.
Trading for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs could be just the shot in the arm that Dallas needs to find success beyond the regular season.
Diggs made headlines last offseason when reports surfaced that he was disgruntled with his role in the offense and input in the play calls. That issue could crop back up this offseason after the veteran wideout had only three catches for 21 yards in Buffalo's season-ending loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round.
The cash-strapped Bills are nearly $52 million over the projected cap heading into the offseason, so it might be time for the two parties to split. Getting a first-round draft pick and cap relief could convince the Bills to move on, especially since they could save $19 million against the 2024 cap if they trade Diggs after June 1.
Dallas would be an ideal landing spot for the four-time Pro Bowler, who has remained highly productive into his age-30 season. The Cowboys have a clear need for another high-end pass-catching talent to pair with All-Pro wideout CeeDee Lamb. The two could lead perhaps the most dangerous receiving corps in the NFL.
The Cowboys could also be a preferred landing spot for Diggs due to the presence of his brother, Trevon. The younger Diggs has become a cornerstone for Dallas' defense, making a pair of Pro Bowls as the team's top cornerback before missing most of the 2023 campaign with an ACL injury.
His return, in addition to having his brother in the mix for 2024, could turn the Cowboys into a Super Bowl contender capable of giving the Chiefs a run for their money.
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New York Jets Reload With Two Trades
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Trade One
New York Jets receive: OT David Bakhtiari
Green Bay Packers receive: 2024 seventh-round draft pick (No. 256 overall)
Trade Two
New York Jets receive: WR Davante Adams
Las Vegas Raiders receive: 2025 second-round pick, 2024 third-round pick (No. 72 overall)
The New York Jets lost any hope of dethroning the Chiefs when Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles only four plays into the 2023 season. With Rodgers set to return in 2024, Gang Green should be aiming to provide him with even more support.
The Jets' first order of business should be shoring up the offensive line. Having shoddy protection could cost them their a final chance at winning a Lombardi Trophy during the Rodgers era.
Bringing in David Bakhtiari, one of Rodgers' longtime friends and blindside protectors, could shore up the offensive trenches. While Bakhtiari is at the tail end of his career and is coming off a fourth knee surgery in three years, the 32-year-old could make one last run at a ring in the Big Apple.
It shouldn't cost much to acquire Bakhtiari, whose future in Green Bay is murky due to health and age. The Jets might be able to land him for the Mr. Irrelevant selection that they currently hold at the end of the seventh round.
With Rodgers' protection reinforced, the Jets should then look to pad out their arsenal of pass-catchers. Enter Davante Adams, the superstar wideout who spent the first eight years of his career in Green Bay working with Rodgers.
While Adams made five of his six Pro Bowls and two of his three All-Pro teams during his stint in Titletown, the Packers never made it beyond the NFC Championship Game with him. Coming to New York for a realistic chance to win a ring in the twilight of his career should appeal to Adams, who has spent the last two seasons putting up big numbers but missing the playoffs with a mediocre Las Vegas Raiders squad.
With Vegas in a transitionary state under new head coach Antonio Pierce and lacking a franchise quarterback, it may be time for Adams to ask out. The interest should be mutual, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in mid-November that the Jets already tried to acquire Adams and will try again this coming offseason.
Reuniting Adams with Rodgers (and Bakhtiari, in this scenario) could be all New York needs to surpass Kansas City in the AFC hierarchy.
San Francisco 49ers Spring For Patrick Surtain II
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San Francisco 49ers receive: CB Patrick Surtain II
Denver Broncos receive: 2024 first-round pick (No. 31 overall), 2024 second-round pick (No. 63 overall), 2024 third-round pick (No. 94 overall)
After coming up just short of their first Lombardi Trophy in nearly three decades, the San Francisco 49ers will be facing a tough offseason. Their pricy roster is already chock-full of some of the game's biggest stars—including the league's reigning Offensive Player of the Year in Christian McCaffrey and 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa—but they may need one more to finally win it all.
The Niners could shore up a weak spot on their roster and set themselves up for sustained success by acquiring cornerback Patrick Surtain II. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, they tried to swing a deal with the Denver Broncos that would have sent Surtain to the Bay Area at this year's trade deadline but ultimately declined due to a high asking price.
While the team eventually settled on adding edge-rusher Chase Young, who went on to record one of San Francisco's three sacks in Super Bowl LVIII, it shouldn't shy away from making another run at Surtain this spring.
Surtain would almost certainly cost a heap of draft capital. The 2021 No. 9 overall pick has already made two Pro Bowl appearances and earned an All-Pro nod. Across 50 career contests, Surtain has racked up 187 tackles, 36 pass defenses and seven interceptions. Despite constantly facing the opposition's top wideouts, Surtain has never allowed a completion rate above 60 percent or given up more than four touchdowns in a season.
While the Broncos would presumably like to keep Surtain around for years to come, they're facing major financial ramifications from Russell Wilson's contract and have been reeling from the loss of draft capital in that trade. Getting a plethora of picks in addition to cap relief—Surtain is eligible for a massive extension this offseason—could potentially sway the Broncos into making a move.
That type of talent would push San Francisco's secondary to the next level. Seeing as the Niners conceded 333 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, Surtain's presence might have made the difference in a game that went down to the waning moments of overtime.
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