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Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.

The Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Buffalo Bills in Sunday’s matchup in Orchard Park, but a new report suggests the teams could battle it out once more in the coming days.

Both the Bills and Chiefs are expected to seek help for their defensive lines ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. One insider suggests that both teams could make a run at the same player, a former first-round pick who could need a change of scenery.

Chiefs May Need to Outbid Bills for First-Round Defensive Tackle

NFL.com insider Ian Rapoport noted on Saturday that defensive line is a priority for the Chiefs, while a pair of major injuries could force the Bills to add depth to their own line.

“[T]he Chiefs are in the market for a defensive tackle … and the Bills could add on the defensive line with Ed Oliver out indefinitely,” Rapoport wrote.

Report Mike Moriatis of The Sporting News noted that the Dallas Cowboys are expected to shop defensive lineman Mazi Smith, their 2023 first-round pick who has struggled to live up to his expectations.

“The Chiefs recently brought back Mike Pennel to pair with Chris Jones, but there’s no doubt the team could use more depth behind those two,” Moraitis wrote. “In Buffalo, Oliver isn’t the only injury the Bills are dealing with upfront. T.J. Sanders and DeWayne Carter are on injured reserve and DaQuan Jones is set to miss his second consecutive game with a calf injury.”

The Bills took another hit after Moraitis wrote this, losing defensive end Michael Hoecht in their 28-21 win over the Chiefs on Sunday. Hoecht had a torrid start after missing the first six games of the season while serving a PED suspension, but tore his Achilles and will now miss the rest of the season.

Smith started 17 games for the Cowboys last season but struggled to make an impact, making 41 total tackles with 1.0 sacks. He has appeared in just five games this season with no starts, making three total tackles.

Chiefs Not Expected to Make Big Moves

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the Chiefs are not expected to make any big moves at the upcoming trade deadline, adding that the defensive line is one of the few areas they might stretch to upgrade.

“The Chiefs are inclined to stay put on the offensive side, but they will explore defensive line depth,” Fowler wrote. “They wanted to do so even before rookie defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott went down for the season (torn ACL). On the subtracting front, Kansas City’s cornerback depth could earn interest.”

While the Bills may need to focus on a pass rusher after losing Hoecht, ESPN’s Aaron Schatz reported that the Chiefs are more interested in help for their interior defensive line.

“The Chiefs have a need on the edge, but a bigger need might be an upgrade on Derrick Nnadi, who is last among qualifying defensive tackles with a 13.2% run stop win rate,” Schatz wrote. “He also has a 0% pass rush win rate, though he plays only a handful of clear pass-play snaps per game.”

Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty