Five things to like about the Chiefs signing Joe Thuney

The Kansas City Chiefs didn’t waste any time addressing probably the most obvious difficulty on the workforce heading into the 2021 offseason. Former New England Patriots offensive lineman Joe Thuney agreed to a five-year, $80 million contract with the Chiefs on Monday.

Thuney has began all 16 video games in each common season of his five-year profession. He’s primarily performed left guard however did take snaps at heart in 2020 and has a handful of snaps at offensive deal with over his profession.

As we digest the primary huge signing of the Chiefs’ offseason, I went by means of 5 issues to love concerning the latest member of Kansas Metropolis’s offensive line:

1. The Chiefs are severe about defending Patrick Mahomes

Photograph by Brett Carlsen/Getty Photos

It was arduous to look at Mahomes run for his life in Super Bowl LV behind the makeshift offensive line. It was apparent: whether or not it’s a big-time receiver or a defensive addition, nothing would have helped the workforce overcome that go safety to win. After releasing Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz, the offensive line expertise was as depleted because it has been within the Andy Reid period.

As an alternative of placing loads of inexperience in entrance of Mahomes, the Chiefs secured a 2019 All-Professional guard that’s thought of among the many elite offensive linemen within the NFL. They assured the primary two years of this contract, indicating that there was probably a bidding battle for Thuney’s rights. Common supervisor Brett Veach did what he needed to do to safe the perfect inside offensive linemen on this 12 months’s free company.

2. Place flexibility

Thuney has performed 98% of his profession snaps at left guard — however that doesn’t imply he’s cemented there. This previous season, he needed to begin two video games at heart. In prior years, he combined in at offensive deal with for a handful of snaps. At North Carolina State, Thuney performed deal with his final season — and earned the highest-pass blocking grade by PFF’s grading in 2015.

Almost certainly, Thuney will probably be slotted into the place he’s performed probably the most in his All-Professional NFL profession. Nevertheless, the Chiefs need assistance at deal with — and Thuney has the scale to make it work on the perimeter. Don’t be too shocked if the Kansas Metropolis tries him on the market — or additionally at heart.

3. Thuney’s age

Photograph by Maddie Meyer/Getty Photos

Thuney is at present 28 years outdated and can flip 29 in the course of the 2021 season. The remainder of the free-agent class for starting-capable offensive linemen was made up of gamers nicely into their 30s. It’s more durable to be ok with a five-year deal like Thuney’s if the participant is sort of 40 on the finish of that deal.

Plus, offensive linemen can play at an elite stage nicely into their 30s — so long as they keep wholesome.

4. The veteran guard to aide a younger offensive deal with

The Chiefs have loads of younger, developmental initiatives at offensive deal with, and it’s a protected wager to imagine they’ll be including one within the NFL dDaft. If Thuney does keep at left guard, he’d be an ideal accomplice on the left facet for a younger left deal with — or vice versa on the opposite facet.

For communication functions and belief, it’d be helpful for the Chiefs’ subsequent left deal with to have an ideal participant like Thuney to workforce up with snap-to-snap.

5. Signing Thuney away from the Patriots (or different AFC contenders)

Thuney had been a staple of the New England offensive line for 5 seasons and two Tremendous Bowl championships. They’ve been a significant participant in free company thus far this offseason as they transfer additional into the post-Tom Brady period, however dropping their finest offensive lineman doesn’t assist them return to competition.

Moreover the Patriots, any offensive line would have gotten rather a lot higher by signing Thuney. He was the perfect offensive lineman on the free company board, and he’ll be defending Mahomes subsequent season and past as a substitute of defending one other contender’s younger signal-caller.