Washington Commanders DE Chase Young has mostly disappointed since winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020.
After being taken second overall behind Joe Burrow in the 2020 NFL draft, Young recorded 7.5 sacks, 44 tackles and three forced fumbles in his first season as a pro. He suffered a torn ACL in 2021, appearing in only 11 games over the last two seasons. In that time, he has produced 1.5 sacks and 26 tackles.
This offseason, the Commanders declined Young’s fifth-year option, leaving his future with Washington uncertain. On Tuesday, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that the Commanders could be open to trade inquiries surrounding Young.
“Teams coming out of the spring thinking they need more help may make trade calls on Young,” Breer said. “It seems unlikely the Washington brass would move him ahead of a must-win year, but I know they’d be open to listening.”
Could the Kansas City Chiefs be a potential landing spot for the former top-three pick?
Brett Veach has shown a willingness to take a swing on talented players who could come at a discount. Kadarius Toney is a perfect example.
Last October, the Chiefs acquired Toney, a former first-round pick in 2021, from the Giants in exchange for two draft picks. Toney’s nagging injuries and other factors led to his departure from New York.
Young faces the same type of questions as far as injuries go, and it could be the perfect opportunity for Veach to strike a deal. The only selling point the Commanders can make to a team is that Young is a former No. 2 overall pick who had a stellar rookie season. However, injuries and poor performance in the last two seasons will surely drop his price tag.
There are certainly arguments for both sides of the discussion of whether or not the Chiefs should explore acquiring Young. Giving up a mid-round pick for a player who has shown in the past that he can be highly productive could prove smart business.
Playing alongside Chris Jones could also open up opportunities for Young. A player of Young’s caliber should be capable of exploiting one-man protection, as Jones will often be occupying multiple interior offensive linemen.
Kansas City could use another pass rusher. They have a pair of young first-round edge rushers in George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah. Karlaftis will be entering his second season in the NFL and could take on more of a leadership role. Anudike-Uzomah will certainly have rookie growing pains and has missed rookie minicamp and OTAs up to this point while recovering from thumb surgery.
For the Chiefs, the biggest obstacle to trading for Young is the salary cap. The team has under $1 million in cap space, and a team trading for Young will owe him $5.3 million in guaranteed salary. Kansas City has ways to free salary cap space, but it’s not just as simple as extending a player to sign another.
Trading for Young could be a one-year proposition. That is something some Chiefs fans may not be thrilled with, but if acquiring Young helps the team hoist a Lombardi Trophy in 2023, there will be little rebuttal to the move.
