NFL Rumors: San Francisco 49ers Trade Kenneth Acker To Kansas City Chiefs
For NFL executives, if the opportunity arises to get a draft pick for a player that was more than likely going to be cut, you jump on it. According to Niners Nation, the San Francisco 49ers are trading Kenneth Acker to the Kansas City Chiefs. The corner back is believed to be swapped for a seventh-round draft pick next year.
Back in 2015, things were looking up for Kenneth Acker. He was named the starting corner back by the San Francisco 49ers. Nothing is forever in the NFL. By the 14th week, Acker had lost his job to Dontae Johnson.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been looking to upgrade their corner back positions. Sean Smith left in free agency and signed a big contract with the Oakland Raiders, an AFC West division rival, as reported by SB Nation. Husain Abdullah decided to retire from the NFL earlier than normal after suffering from a couple of concussions.
#Chiefs acquire cornerback Kenneth Acker from 49ers; started 13 games last year but appeared to fall out of favor https://t.co/ZyX8Fmm7Mt
— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) August 27, 2016
Marcus Peters has one of the starting corner back positions locked down for the Kansas City Chiefs. In addition to being named an All-Rookie member, Peters was also named to the second team All Pro. His future is bright, and Kansas City should have a lock down guy for years to come.
As of right now, the Kansas City Chiefs have Phillip Gaines listed as the other starting corner back. He does not exactly have the position locked down yet. That means that Kenneth Acker will have a fighting chance of trying to take over for Gaines, opposite of Marcus Peters.
On Tuesday, the NFL has a deadline where teams need to trim their roster down to 75 players. A lot of corner backs will be available at that point in time. However, the Kansas City Chiefs decided to be proactive by trading for Kenneth Acker instead of waiting to see what would become available.
The other starting corner back position for the San Francisco 49ers appears to be held by Jimmie Ward, a first-round draft pick in 2014. Initially, Ward was being utilized as a nickel back and safety, but when management spends a first-round pick on a player, they want them to play a bigger role than that.
Earlier in the summer, the San Francisco 49ers spent a third- and fourth-round pick on corner backs. Rashard Robinson and Will Redmond are being groomed to take over as the nickel back and dime back.
There appears to be a healthy business relationship between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. The two franchises have made a handful of trades over the years, including one that provided the Chiefs with their starting quarterback, Alex Smith. The trade of Kenneth Acker comes as no surprise because of that.
A change of scenery can do wonders for NFL players. Kenneth Acker went from being on the verge of being released by the San Francisco 49ers to now being on the verge of competing for a starting position with the Kansas City Chiefs.
[Photo by Thearon W Henderson/Getty Images]
