LOS ANGELES — The Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams have agreed on a trade that sends star cornerback Trent McDuffie to Los Angeles in exchange for several draft picks, three people with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The sources spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the trade has not been finalized. Kansas City will receive the 29th overall pick in the upcoming draft, and fifth-round and sixth-round picks this spring along with a third-round pick next year.
The deal would fill the Rams' biggest roster need by adding an elite cornerback to their mediocre secondary. Los Angeles finished 19th in the NFL in pass defense last season, undercutting the work of a strong defensive line and the NFL's most productive offense.
A two-time Super Bowl champion and a strong coverage defender who also excelled in pressuring quarterbacks and delivering big hits during his first four NFL seasons, McDuffie was a first-team AP All-Pro slot cornerback in 2023 and a second-team choice in 2024.
McDuffie, a first-round pick in 2022, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and will make $13.6 million this season, though the Rams already are likely working on a long-term deal.
The Chiefs would have been unable to fit a long-term contract with McDuffie under their salary cap, having already doled out big contracts to quarterback Patrick Mahomes, defensive linemen Chris Jones and George Karlaftis, and offensive linemen Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith.
With this extra draft capital, the Chiefs will attempt to pry open a second Super Bowl window for Mahomes by boosting the talent around him. Kansas City will also continue its recent tradition of parting ways with its best defensive backs when they reach eligibility for their second contracts: Two years ago, Kansas City traded L'Jarius Sneed to Tennessee.
The Rams' cornerbacks were a clear flaw in last season's powerhouse team, which reached the NFC championship game before falling to the eventual Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks.
After failing to land any significant help for the secondary during the season, general manager Les Snead said last month that cornerback was “a position group that we’ll attack over the next few weeks.”
Snead is doing exactly that with a vintage Rams trade using his draft assets to bolster a roster that wants to capitalize on its remaining years with 38-year-old quarterback Matthew Stafford, who just won his first NFL MVP award.
More importantly, the Rams still have the 13th overall pick in the upcoming draft after acquiring it from Atlanta a year ago. They also have the salary cap room to accommodate an elite cornerback's contract.
The trade would be a homecoming for McDuffie, who grew up in the Los Angeles suburbs and played for St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower. McDuffie then went to the University of Washington, where he played under head coach Jimmy Lake, who is now the Rams' defensive backs coach.
McDuffie fits the Rams' preferred mold of cornerbacks who excel in multiple defensive roles. Los Angeles already re-signed safety Quentin Lake, who fills the versatile "star" role performed on their past defenses by former All-Pro Jalen Ramsey.
McDuffie has three interceptions and 5 1/2 sacks in his career. leads all cornerbacks with 34 quarterback pressures and eight forced fumbles during his four seasons, according to NextGenStats.
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AP Sports Writer David Skretta in Kansas City and AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.
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