NFL Trade Rumors: Chiefs Listening to Offers on Dee Ford and Justin Houston

The Kansas City Chiefs could trade one or two of their top defensive players before the start of next season.

While the team placed the franchise tag on linebacker Dee Ford on Monday, it only allowed trade talks to "intensify," according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

As Adam Teicher of ESPN reported, the team is also trying to trade linebacker Justin Houston and will release him if no deal is reached.    

Money is a significant factor in these deals, with Houston carrying a cap hit of $21.1 million for 2019. The team could save $14 million by trading or releasing him.

Ford would make $15.4 million on a one-year deal under the franchise tag if the two sides can't agree to a long-term deal, per Spotrac.

Additionally, there are questions about how each player will fit with the team as the defense transitions from a 3-4 scheme to a 4-3 defense. Neither player has spent much time on the defensive line, which means they would have tougher transitions learning how to rush from a three-point stance.

Despite the doubts, both Ford and Houston are talented players who can help either the Chiefs or another team next season.

Ford is coming off the best season of his career with 13 sacks and a league-leading seven forced fumbles. He also led the NFL with 84 pressures, per Pro Football Focus, while earning his first Pro Bowl selection.

Houston only played 12 games last year but still had nine sacks to help the Chiefs when he was on the field. He has 78.5 sacks in 102 career games as a four-time Pro Bowler and has been a force in this league for nearly a decade.

Dealing away either player could hurt the team's chances of contending for a Super Bowl next season.