Bears insider offers details on Trey Smith-Chiefs trade possibility

The Chiefs used the same tag on L’Jarius Sneed last March, allowing the cornerback to speak with other teams about a possible trade. Kansas City would trade Sneed for a 2025 third-round pick and a swap of 2024 seventh-round picks.

The Titans signed Sneed to a four-year deal worth $76.4 million a few days later.

Could the Chiefs be looking for a suitor to trade Smith? After all, Kansas City has a cap space issue after applying the tag.

Would the Chiefs trade Trey Smith?

Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic asked that question at the NFL Scouting Combine last week. Per Fishbain, it doesn’t appear the Chiefs, with problems on the part of the offensive line, want to part with Smith.

"An informal polling of coaches, scouts, agents and other team employees last week suggested the Chiefs will do what they can to retain Smith. I can’t see the Chiefs letting him go, a longtime agent, who is familiar with the offensive line market, said early last week. It would be a surprise, then, if the Chiefs treated Smith’s situation like that of cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who received the non-exclusive franchise tag from Kansas City last year before being traded to the Titans," Fishbain wrote.

The Chicago Bears would have to overpay the Chiefs and Smith

The Bears would have to overpay Smith if they did pull off a trade to help secure the interior offensive line. Fishbain estimates Smith would receive around $26 million per season if a team traded for him this offseason.

"Smith received the same type of tag (as Sneed), so if the Bears, Minnesota Vikings or another team wants to give up draft capital and sign Smith, that organization would have to be prepared to reset the guard market, possibly going as high as $26 million per season," Fishbain wrote. "By using the $23.4 million tag, the Chiefs essentially did that on their end."

The Bears’ best option appears to be to try and find a starter or two in free agency and add help in the draft. Taking care of the center position by signing Drew Dalman in free agency makes the most sense because the draft is deep at guard.

Because the Chiefs want to keep Smith, their price for him would be high. Chicago would have to overpay in draft capital and then overpay in salary. The Bears would be better served by finding a starter in the draft.

But that’s easier said than done.