The Kansas City Chiefs pulled off a late-night swap Tuesday, bringing offensive lineman Josh Ezeudu over from the New York Giants in exchange for a 2028 seventh-round pick. This deal went down just days before final roster cuts, a clear sign of where both teams stand for the upcoming season as they finalize their depth charts.
Kansas City Was Desperate For O-Line Help, And They Got It Cheap
Let’s be real, the Chiefs needed interior offensive line depth, and they needed it bad. They scooped up Ezeudu, a former third-round pick from 2022, for a ridiculously cheap price. The dude is 26 years old and has started 10 games for the Giants between guard and tackle from 2022-24. Yeah, he missed all of last year with an injury, but he was back with New York on a one-year deal this offseason. Kansas City is known for developing O-line talent, and Ezeudu, a former top-70 pick, could be their next project. Pro Football Focus graded him decently in limited snaps in 2024 after his first two seasons were a bit rough.
He’s a backup, pure and simple. If he’s playing significant snaps for the Chiefs, it means something went sideways. But for a few drives here or there, in a pinch, he’s passable, and his versatility helps. After their starting guards, Trey Smith and Kingsley Suamataia, their depth was basically veteran Mike Caliendo, C.J. Hanson with only four career games, and an undrafted guy, Josh Thompson. Ezeudu provides a solid boost there. The only slight worry for the Chiefs is that they had to give up anything for a depth piece this late in the game. They were playing from behind. They probably should have handled this earlier, but a seventh-round pick is hardly a king’s ransom, even if Kansas City has found late-round gems before.
Giants Get Something From Nothing Days Before Roster Cuts
For the Giants, this was a smart play. Ezeudu wasn’t going to make their roster. He’s a back-of-the-roster guy, and he wasn’t even a pick by this new coaching staff. So, getting anything, even a 2028 seventh-round pick, for a player who was essentially on the bubble, is a nice bit of business just days before the final cuts. Offensive line depth is one of those things you don’t realize how important it is until you don’t have it, and New York has certainly dealt with O-line injuries before. But the Giants clearly feel good enough about their situation to part with a former high pick. Good on them for getting value for a guy who was likely headed for waivers anyway.
This move shows how teams are scrambling for depth as the regular season looms, especially along the offensive line where injuries can wreck a season. Both the Chiefs and Giants just made their rosters a little clearer, and it is going to be wild to see how these guys impact their new teams in the coming weeks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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