Chiefs Moving Up For Tannehill?

Posted Apr 10, 2012 by Luke Easterling

Updated Apr 10, 2012 at 04:48 PM

Rumors are starting to circulate that the brass in Kansas City aren’t incredibly committed to Matt Cassel as a franchise quarterback.  This has obviously started even more rumblings about their intentions heading into the draft, and those rumblings are starting to swirl around the possibility of trading up from their #11 overall selection in the first round to take Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill.

Let’s take a look at some of the potential scenarios the Chiefs could be looking at:

1. Trading up to #5 (Tampa Bay) – This would be an on-the-clock type of situation, because the Browns are the keystone of this scenario.  The Bucs will need to see if Alabama RB Trent Richardson is still on the board before wanting to trade down from #5, and with the Browns also being strongly linked to the Tide runner, they will have a huge bearing on what the Bucs end up doing.  The Browns are also linked to Tannehill, however, which makes them even more involved setting off this scenario, because if they do take Tannehill at #4, this scenario obviously becomes moot.  The Bucs stake in all of this is that if Richardson is off the board, and if they’re not completely sold on LSU CB Morris Claiborne, they will be looking hard to a trade partner.  Their particular targets are likely Boston College LB Luke Kuechly and Alabama S Mark Barron (who becomes of even more interest to them following today’s release of Tanard Jackson).  Trading down to K.C.’s pick at #11 would allow them to stay ahead of the teams most likely to grab those two players (Seattle at #12 for Kuechly, Dallas at #14 for Barron).

2. Trading up to #6 (St. Louis) – This scenario is likely if the Browns take Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon at #4, and the Bucs take Richardson at #5.  With their top two targets off the board, the Rams would likely be willing to trade down, and could still get a shot at the next-best WR (Notre Dame’s Michael Floyd), or perhaps a top pass-rusher (North Carolina’s Quinton Coples).  For Kansas City, this deal would still get them ahead of the Dolphins, who are the most popular choice for where Tannehill is likely to end up, absent any trades.

3. Trading up to #7 (Jacksonville) – Again, each of these scenarios are about the Chiefs getting ahead of Miami, who are the strongest candidate to take Tannehill if things remain as they are.  Jacksonville makes sense as a trading partner because they, much like the Rams, are looking for help at receiver and also an impact pass-rusher.  Floyd and Coples, as well as South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram, could all still be on the board at #11, should they strike the deal with the Chiefs.  Iowa T Riley Reiff is also a possible target at #11 for the Jags.

Just like anything in the draft universe this time of year, it still remains to be seen how valid these rumors are.  If they are, however, look for one of these three scenarios to take place on draft day.