In the wake of the massive, yet unfortunately unsurprising news that Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice violated his probation, causing him to serve time in Dallas County jail during Chiefs OTAs and mandatory mini-camp, the need for an additional receiver in the Chiefs’ offense grows.
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account and get:
- Fewer ads
- Create community posts
- Comment on articles, community posts
- Rec comments, community posts
- New, improved notifications system!
Earlier this week, we highlighted four free agents available to sign, but that was before considering Rice’s jail time and cleanup surgery on his right knee; the two-month
timeline could be affected by his sentence.
It’s also unknown whether Rice will face any further league discipline for the violation than the six-game suspension he served last year for his role in the multi-car crash. He is serving the same sentence he was given for that incident.
Regardless, it’s difficult to rely on the fourth-year wideout in any capacity moving forward, despite being the No. 1 target among the team’s current group of wide receivers. If he is off the field for any stretch of time, this is the group for quarterback Patrick Mahomes to work with.
- Xavier Worthy
- Tyquan Thornton
- Jalen Royals
- Cyrus Allen
- Nikko Remigio
It seems clear that a veteran is needed to fit in with this group, in a mold similar to that of former Chiefs wideout Juju Smith-Schuster, but an upgrade to his role would be ideal.
Here are the four free agents we speculated as signings earlier this week, although the first was disregarded due to a similar skillset to Rice:
- Deebo Samuel
- Stefon Diggs
- Keenan Allen
- Tyreek Hill
There are also players in the middle of trade speculation that could be worth looking into for Kansas City.
Alber Breer of Sports Illustrated floated the idea of the Chiefs going after Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown because Kansas City was on Brown’s list of preferred destinations, but he also said quickly after bringing it up, “I don’t think that happens.”
Other wide receivers that have been rumored as trade options this offseason:
- Kayshon Boutte of the New England Patriots
- Jerry Jeudy of the Cleveland Browns
- Brian Thomas Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars
So what do you think Chiefs Kingdom? Does the team need to add a wide receiver? And if so, should it happen via free agency or a trade? Let us know in the comments.
