RK The Chiefs are reportedly on the verge of a BLOCKBUSTER steal — closing in on 6-Time Pro Bowler Calais Campbell in what insiders are calling a “Super Bowl survival move.”
Defensive tackle Calais Campbell of the Arizona Cardinals.
The Kansas City Chiefs are among the more likely franchises to make a move for an interior defensive lineman ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline on November 4, and there is a high-value fit likely on the block in the NFC.
Calais Campbell, an 18-year veteran and six-time Pro Bowler currently playing for the Arizona Cardinals, was the only player from that team who ESPN’s Bill Barnwell mentioned as a notable trade candidate in his pre-deadline guide on October 30.
“With Walter Nolen III and BJ Ojulari theoretically set to return at some point during the second half of the season, the Cardinals have more defensive line depth than just about anybody else in the league,” Barnwell wrote. “Campbell is continuing to play at a high level, and he might want to simply finish his career where it started in Arizona, but the 39-year-old is good enough to play meaningful snaps on a team that’s competing for a Super Bowl. He would be a great fit for a team like the Chiefs or Bills, both of whom could use extra depth up front.”
Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ greatest need is arguably at the defensive tackle position.
“The Chiefs have a need on the edge, but a bigger need might be an upgrade on Derrick Nnadi, who is last among qualifying defensive tackles with a 13.2% run stop win rate,” Aaron Schatz of ESPN wrote October 29. “He also has a 0% pass rush win rate, though he plays only a handful of clear pass-play snaps per game.”
Calais Campbell Ranked Near Top 10 of All NFL Defensive Tackles Through Week 8
Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Calais Campbell.
Pro Football Focus ranked Campbell the 12th-best defensive tackle in the league following Week 8. He had logged 17 quarterback pressures, eight hurries, six hits and three sacks as a pass-rusher through eight games. He had added another QB hit to his tally by the middle of the third quarter of Arizona’s “Monday Night Football” showdown with the Dallas Cowboys on November 3.
And Campbell is considerably better against the run, ranking 11th out of 126 qualifying interior defenders in that category, per PFF.
Given that he is on one-year deal that pays him just $5.5 million and that Kansas City could likely secure him for a Day 3 draft pick, Campbell represents one of the best potential values in football ahead of the trade deadline.
Patrick Mahomes Says Chiefs Face ‘Uphill Battle’ After Loss to Bills
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kansas City is heading into its bye week after a disappointing loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday that ended the Chiefs’ three-game win streak and dropped the team to a record of 5-4 on the season.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes spoke to what the franchise must do when it returns to the field for back-to-back matchups against 7-2 opponents in the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts.
“We’ve had great moments, we’ve had bad moments. We gotta be more consistent as a team, I gotta be more consistent at quarterback,” Mahomes said. “We’ve kind of been in a lot of these tight, close games in our history, but they’re not going our way now. So how can we deal with that adversity? How can we be better and learn from it? You can only learn from so many losses. You gotta learn from it fast. And it’s gonna be an uphill battle when we get back, but I think our guys are up to it.”
One thing that would certainly help Kansas City rise to the challenge is adding a player like Campbell at the defense’s greatest area of need.
