Chiefs Linked to Trade for 24-Year-Old WR as Potential Rashee Rice Insurance

0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. There’s a lot up in the air for the Kansas City Chiefs heading into training camp.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is practicing after recovering from a torn ACL, and it’s not known if he will be cleared to play by Week 1.

The team’s wide receiver corps also is a bit of a question mark as well with Rashee Rice failing to stay out of the headlines. Rice found himself serving 30 days in jail this summer while also recovering from knee surgery.

Though Rice has been officially cleared to practice, the Chiefs presumably would like to have a little more insurance at WR given the instability of that group in year’s past, which is why Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks the Chiefs should make a play for New England Patriots wideout Kayshon Boutte.

“Boutte undoubtedly wants to maximize his NFL stock before hitting the open market (next season),” Knox wrote . “He may struggle to do that in New England following the Patriots' trade for A.J. Brown. … New England also acquired Romeo Doubs this offseason, which could push Boutte even further down the targets list.

"Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Patriots are open to moving Boutte for the right price. Back in April, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported that the Patriots were hoping to get a third-round pick in exchange for Boutte. Ideally, a trade will send him to a team with a better opportunity to start.”

The 24-year-old Boutte has posted back-to-back seasons with 550 yards receiving, and he scored a career-high six touchdowns last year.

He’s fallen out of favor with the offseason acquisitions of Brown and Doubs, and if he were traded to Kansas City, it’s possible he could fill a WR1 or WR2 role for them.

It’s not known if Rice will be ready to play by Week 1’s matchup against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 14, and some question if Xavier Worthy is capable of filling a WR1 role.

Behind Worthy and Rice, Kansas City has Jalen Royals and Tyquan Thornton plus rookies Cyrus Allen and Jeff Caldwell, meaning there’s room for another high-volume wideout to step in and make an impact.

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