| TwistedChief |
03-23-2022 12:03 PM |
ESPN grade:
Quote:
Chiefs trade WR Tyreek Hill to Dolphins
Kansas City Chiefs get: 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2022 fourth-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick and 2023 sixth-round pick
Miami Dolphins get: WR Tyreek Hill
Chiefs grade: D
Dolphins grade: B+
Wow. Let's start in Miami, where incoming head coach Mike McDaniel seems determined to operate his offense at Ludicrous Speed. Pairing Hill with 2021 first-round pick Jaylen Waddle gives quarterback Tua Tagovailoa two supremely dynamic targets at the wide receiver position to go with new running backs Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert, holdover tight end Mike Gesicki, new offensive tackle Terron Armstead ... you get the idea. If Tagovailoa fails to take the next step this year, it won't be for a lack of elite talent around him.
What keeps Miami's grade out of the "A" range is the cost of this deal, both in terms of draft picks and the money it is spending on Hill's new contract. Yes, he's a unique talent and should have an instant impact on Miami's chances to contend for the postseason. But the Chiefs obviously knew that and still didn't want to pay him this amount of money, and the Chiefs have a bit better record over the past seven or so years than the Dolphins. If Tagovailoa doesn't turn out to be Miami's long-term answer at QB, the Dolphins are going to have to spend at that position and could be hamstrung in the short term by a contract like this. But if they're determined to play to Tua's strengths, run short routes and get the ball into the hands of players who can make things happen after the catch, Hill and Waddle look like a formidable pair.
As for the Chiefs, it's pretty hard to see how this is a positive. Sure, you can sit here and say it wasn't a good idea to give 28-year-old Hill that amount of money when his game is based on speed, and you can laud your front office for being responsible. But the move unquestionably, indisputably makes their 2022 roster worse, and Hill, at this point in his career, is not a replaceable player. He just does things others can't do. New signee JuJu Smith-Schuster, even if he can manage to stay healthy and produce the way he did in his first few years, still can't be for Kansas City what Hill was.
The Chiefs will have to replace Hill with groups of people, and coach Andy Reid is certainly a creative enough offensive mind to figure out how to do that. But there's no question that Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense has been lethal with Hill on the field and something less than that (albeit still good!) when he hasn't been out there.
Is it possible they find their Justin Jefferson with the first-round pick Miami sent them, the way Minnesota did two years ago when it traded Stefon Diggs to the Bills? Of course it is. But again: Replacing Hill isn't about just finding another fast wide receiver. He is the scariest offensive player in the league to defensive coordinators, and no rookie is going to take that title from him in Year 1. Considering how much work the other three teams in the AFC West have done to improve, it's tough to feel great about a move that sets the Chiefs back in any way. And this one sets them back in a big way.
One of the fascinating offshoots of this, by the way, is what it will do to the wide receiver market. With Hill and Davante Adams inking huge new deals, the standard for wide receiver pay is spiraling upward. You wonder if Seattle ends up having an issue like this at some point with DK Metcalf. You look down the road and gasp at the thought of what it'll cost when Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase hit free agency. Yes, there's a ton of new TV money coming in over the next few years, and the salary cap is likely to skyrocket. But could wide receiver become the new quarterback in terms of its impact on teams' salary cap planning? -- Graziano
What this means for the 2022 draft: Without a pick until No. 102 overall, the Dolphins could still look to build depth along the offensive line or at linebacker in the midrounds. The Chiefs, on the other hand, are armed with four picks in the top 62. Following the exit of Hill, the franchise will now search for an explosive pass-catcher on offense. Ohio State's Chris Olave and Alabama's Jameson Williams are two players who make a lot of sense. Another name to keep an eye on is Memphis receiver Calvin Austin III on Day 2.
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