anquan boldin

Kansas City Chiefs Potential Trade for Anquan Boldin May Delay Chambers Signing
Today (03/05/10) the free agent signing period opened for the NFL and already a flurry of activity has been witnessed.

The Lions have signed both defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch and receiver Nate Burleson.

The Chicago Bears have signed running back Chester Taylor and marquee free agent, defensive end Julius Peppers.

Despite the big names changing cities, Chiefs fans have a fairly short immediate wish list for a team that needs a lot of help.

Kansas City fans are clamoring for the resigning of wide receiver Chris Chambers.

However, with the Chiefs’ management missed to opportunity to resign Chambers before the free agent market opened and may now have to compete with other offers.

Why the delay?

General Manager Scott Pioli may be waiting on a possible deal to bring Arizona Cardinal’s receiver, Anquan Boldin to Kansas City.

Chambers is 31 and has lost a step, but came in midseason to start nine games for the Chiefs and posted 36 receptions for 806 yards and four touchdowns. Chambers provided some much-needed speed and sure hands to the Kansas City receiving corps.

Yet while Chambers has seldom lived up to expectations (only one career 1,000 yard season), Boldin (29 years old) is widely recognized as a consistently great receiver.

Boldin does not bring elite speed, but his steady production would be much appreciated in an inconsistent passing attack.

In questioning speed, look at Boldin’s 12.8 yards per reception average through his career. A marked improvement to Matt Cassel’s 5.9 yards per completion in 2009.

Arizona is asking for a third round draft pick as compensation. Initially, the New England Patriots appeared to be the frontrunners for Boldin, but as they removed offers from the table, the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs are who’s left in the hunt.

Kansas City would offer a higher pick with their third round choice when compared to Baltimore, but if Baltimore is willing to trade away a second round pick is that more than the Chiefs will part ways with?

Should Boldin become a Chief it renders the whole Chambers discussion a moot point.

This deal may not come to fruition and should it fall through the cry for resigning Chambers is augmented.

However, should neither happen, the egregious errors of Chiefs management may see a lot of disgruntled fans enduring a prolonged misery at the woeful hands of hapless receivers.



*Moments after this article was initially published, word was received that Boldin has gone to the Ravens for a third and fourth round pick. He then signed a four-year, $28 million dollar contract.