Chiefs must continue offensive line makeover

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs acquired walloped within the Tremendous Bowl – a lopsided loss to Tampa Bay that laid naked the dearth of high quality depth alongside the offensive line.

Kansas Metropolis was ok to win Tremendous Bowl LIV with Eric Fisher, Stefen Wisniewski, Austin Reiter, Laurent Duverney-Tardif and Mitchell Schwartz up entrance, from left sort out to proper sort out.

The Chiefs weren’t wherever close to ok to defeat the Buccaneers with Mike Remmers, Nick Allegretti, Austin Reiter, Stefen Wisniewski and Andrew Wylie because the beginning offensive line, from left to proper.

It’s an enormous purpose the Chiefs could be smart to take a position — and make investments some excessive picks — in offensive line prospects in the course of the 2021 NFL Draft on the finish of April.

“4th & 1” analyst Nick Jacobs and host Tod Palmer kicked off their draft preview collection with a dialogue of the sort out, heart and guard prospects who make sense for the Chiefs.

After profitable the franchise’s first Tremendous Bowl in 50 years in the course of the 2019 season, a spate of absences and accidents added up and price the Chiefs any likelihood to grow to be the primary repeat champions in NFL historical past in 16 seasons.

Duvernay-Tardif, the primary participant in NFL historical past to even be a medical physician, opted out for the 2020 season, spending the yr in his native Canada helping with the COVID-19 pandemic.

He stays below contract with the Chiefs, however there’s been no indication but if he’ll play subsequent season.

In the meantime, the one offensive lineman Kansas Metropolis drafted final season — Lucas Niang, a third-round proper sort out prospect from TCU — additionally opted out.

As soon as the season began, Kelechi Osemele, an offseason signing who earned the beginning left guard job, suffered a number of knee accidents in October. He missed the remainder of the season.

Proper sort out Mitchell Schwartz, an ironman identified for enjoying each significant snap throughout his first eight seasons within the NFL, was shut down for the season per week later with a again damage that finally required surgical procedure.

Probably the most damaging blow got here late within the Chiefs’ win over Buffalo within the AFC Championship Sport, when left sort out Eric Fisher — a former No. 1 total choose and Kansas Metropolis’s greatest offensive lineman — suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Fisher’s damage compelled a wholesale reshuffling of the road within the two weeks forward of Tremendous Bowl LV.

The online outcome was that towards a vaunted Bucs line of defense, the Chiefs had just one wholesome starter enjoying at his greatest place (Reiter), a backup at left guard (Allegretti) and three serviceable veterans — albeit one coming off a major early season damage (Wisniewski) — enjoying utterly (and helplessly) out of place.

Remmers performed comparatively effectively in Schwartz’s place at proper sort out, however he was uncovered at left sort out and Wylie, who’s a guard by commerce, was unable to carry up in area towards Tampa Bay’s edge rushers.

As a substitute, Patrick Mahomes and Kansas Metropolis spent a irritating, touchdown-less night — the primary video games of Mahomes’ NFL with no TD — that highlighted the necessity to shore up the offensive line.

The Chiefs appear to know that.

Basic Supervisor Brett Veach pursued arguably the NFL’s greatest left sort out — Trent Williams, who in the end stayed with San Francisco on the largest-ever NFL contract for an offensive lineman — and landed one of many NFL’s greatest left guards in Joe Thuney, who signed a five-year deal with the Chiefs.

Kansas Metropolis additionally has re-signed Remmers, signed former Bears Professional Bowler Kyle Long out of retirement, and added former Los Angeles Rams heart Austin Blythe.

Nevertheless, these three contracts have been one-year offers, leaving the Chiefs with lingering long-term wants at sort out, heart and proper guard.

Martinas Rankin, who is eighteen months faraway from a torn ACL now, and Yasir Durant, an undrafted rookie from Mizzou final season, additionally stay on the present roster and supply depth at sort out.

Allegretti additionally returns together with some extra developmental guys — together with Bryan Witzmann, Darryl Williams and Prince Tega Wanogho.

However Veach and firm have loads of work left, together with discovering a beginning left sort out and including depth, earlier than the 2021 season.

Fisher and Schwartz were released because the Chiefs scrambled to get below the lowered wage cap forward of the beginning of the 2021 league yr.

Each stay free brokers.

The Chiefs have proven no inclination to re-sign Reiter and backup heart Daniel Kilgore, who changed Reiter for 4 video games within the beginning lineup midseason, who are also free brokers.

Wisniewski, who suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Pittsburgh’s season opener and signed a number of months later with the Chiefs, additionally stays a free agent.