Bills trade 2016 2nd-round pick Reggie Ragland to the Chiefs

The Bills have worked out a deal to trade Reggie Ragland to the Chiefs, the team announced Monday. Buffalo will send the former second-rounder to Kansas City in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2019.

Why trade Ragland? Ragland missed his rookie season after suffering a torn ACL during training camp last year. This offseason, the Bills are shifting to a 4-3 defense. Ragland, a 3-4 inside linebacker, was slow to adjust. He slipped down the depth chart, all the way to third string.

Ragland was competing with Preston Brown for a spot on the depth chart, but it was unlikely he would win out, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan.

The Chiefs do run a 3-4 scheme, and Ragland figures to be a better fit in their system.

No longer a fit: Ragland was drafted to play in Rex Ryan’s scheme. Ryan, of course, is no longer in Buffalo. The Bills hired Sean McDermott this offseason to fill that head coach role, and McDermott brought in Leslie Frazier as the team’s defensive coordinator.

Frazier explored the possibility of moving Ragland to outside linebacker in the team’s new 4-3 scheme, but it didn’t work out for Ragland.

Ragland only played three snaps in preseason action in Week 3 against the Ravens, so the writing was on the wall.

What’s next? Ragland’s trade is likely contingent upon the results of a physical with the Chiefs. Since he’s coming off a significant knee injury, that’s something to keep an eye on in the immediate future.

Ragland has never played a single NFL snap, so a tip of the cap to new Bills general manager Brandon Beane for convincing the Chiefs to give up a fourth-round selection for him.

What are people saying? Ragland’s health is still a concern for Chiefs fans.

From Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride:

The best case scenario is Ragland is your starting inside linebacker within a year. The worst case scenario is that he never plays because he’s not healthy.

Will Kennedy at Buffalo Rumblings is pleased with the new front office’s initiative:

The new regime is wasting no time at all taking full control of the roster. General manager Brandon Beane finagling a fourth-round pick for a second year player who has never played an NFL snap is pretty impressive, though it’s a sobering reminder that NFL front offices can hold very different opinions on the value of a player.

Former Panthers and Ravens receiver Steve Smith was characteristically blunt about the trade.

The Bills are clearly rebuilding, and they continue to use trade capital to stockpile draft picks. In the past few weeks, Buffalo has moved on from Sammy Watkins, Cardale Jones, and Ronald Darby. In exchange, the Bills have collected an additional first-, second-, and third-round pick in 2018 as well as the Chiefs’ 2019 fourth-round selection.