The Chiefs 2021 Roster: THE OFFENSIVE LINE, Series Part I – Everyone is up on the game at Arrowhead versus the Browns. There is so much fanfare, a flooding of bandwidth, different people drumming up controversy that I decided not to write about it. Instead, seeing the success of the Chiefs since 2013, and especially 2018-today, I want to look into what the Chiefs might look like with the personnel for the new season which begins in March. In 2021, teams will have perhaps only $175M for Cap Space. How do I resolve this with players I want to keep along with those who are already under contract and likely Free Agents who fit the future. Here, I am trying to consider Player Efficiency/cost at the same time.
I will be posting articles in this series as the postseason rolls along.
Offensive Guard Re-acquisitions
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (LDT) and Kelechi Osemele: I don’t know if the Chiefs will garner a return of Osemele. His Free Agent cost was a bit north of $1M. According to my eye-test, he was a good fit between Fisher and Reiter. The run game was pretty strong and it seemed to me that the weakest link was Reiter, but we also had a weakness at ROG as well. I felt things began a downturn when Osemele was lost for the year. I suggest that he would be well spent money to bring back for 2021 at LOG. Solidifying the interior is my main task for the offensive line in 2021… and I hope for the Chiefs as well. The return of LDT is an issue that puts his contract back into full effect. I don’t know if the end of the contract extended due to LDT sitting out for the 2020 season or not. I do think we should offer Kelechi the same type of deal that he had for 2020 – a Vet Minimum deal, an incentive to prove his value as a starting OG. That cost in 2020 was about $1M.
What retaining Osemele and adding LDT back in 2021 does is… give the Chiefs a far more solid interior line with the weakest link being: Austin Reiter. At the same time though, Reiter’s execution should improve merely because he has two stable, experienced and dependable OG’s next to him. I am not slighting what Nick Allegretti accomplished in 2020 either. He took over due to injuries at LOG and didn’t look back. That is valuable experience for 2021, something that gives us three men on whom we can pin our hopes.
But wait, there is more!
I would really like Brett Veach to be able to find a solution for the role of Offensive Center. This player should be someone who is good at pass blocking and handing off blocking — mid-play –appropriately. I saw in the second half of 2020 some failures in doing this effectively. Is there someone who can replace Austin Reiter? Do the Chiefs need to get this done and how will Brett Veach approach strengthening the Offensive Line so that we can support a powerful run game and at the same time keep QB Patrick Mahomes pants clean?
First, let’s make an assumption. The instability of the front five came to fruition due to injuries to players, namely Mitchell Schwartz and Kelechi Osemele, while at the same time intermittently having players fill in who were not part of the unit that worked to get positioned to start as the season opened. The Chiefs weakest and newest players have been Andrew Wylie and Austin Reiter. With so much in flux on the OL, and it being further exacerbated by the season of Covid-19, plus no warm up games, ie; no scheduled Preseason games, I have no doubt that both Wylie and Reiter were affected.
Then? First Osemele was injured and lost to the 2020 season, and then it was Mitch Schwartz. For depth, Veach had added Mike Remmers and then when Stefan Wisniewski was cast off from the Steelers late in the year, Veach signed the Wiz as well. A good move to have made. Veach had wanted to retain Wisniewski but was unable to make that happen because Stefan wanted to return to his home turf and that meant signing with the Steelers. Veach had added his talent back to the equation, but too late to effectively enter as a starter and to move the strength needle of our gauge back to a more “fueled” front five. It was a good move in adding both men to the crew, but what happens in 2021?
Keep in mind we must consider the fact that Lucas Niang decided to opt out the 2020 season due to the Covid-19 Virus and just before that occurred, LDT decided that his medical experience was something that he had to morally pursue due to the virus as well. Plans fell asunder. Where I saw a good group of players in early spring, was now depleted by a factor of 4: LDT, Niang, Osemele and Schwartz. No wonder the Chiefs OL had great struggles in 2020. In other words, Andy Reid and Andy Heck had a kluged together OL out of the gate, which put great pressure on both Wylie and Reiter. You might recall that I had penciled in Niang as the SW/T for 2020 and he would thus be ready to take on a starter role for 2021… because I assumed that both Fisher and Schwartz would need replacement soon.
If not Reiter, then who and how? Again, my point about Reiter is that he was affected by the flux on the OL. I believe the Chiefs see this to be the case but if not, replacing Reiter could be something planned internally though I would like to see a high draft pick — rounds 2-4 — and bring that player along without a rush to a high snap count role. My idea is related to three players: Nick Allegretti, Darrel Williams and Yasir Durant. I don’t think Allegretti will move from the OG role and he earned the starting role when he was positioned at LOG and didn’t look back. A lot of good experience came his way and he gobbled it up.
Lucas Niang could possible move to take over a starting Guard role as well, but I do think he is better suited to OT — and I see him as SW/T anyway. This of course is a consideration related to Mitch Schwartz being able to return in 2021. No excuse for not knowing the play book cover to cover. Will Mitchell return? I think he is done for our postseason. But if he were back, our bookends — Fish and Schwartz — would be covered and we could break Lucas Niang in slowly as the SW/T, to replace either Fish or Mitch. (We don’t know if Schwartz will be able to even play football next season). The plan was slowly breaking in Niang, and that may be plan that gets boosted out of necessity in upcoming year.
We have added resources that need to be considered for the interior as well. Mike Remmers, Martinas Rankin (whom I really liked for his play in 2019) and Stefan Wisniewski, provide great experiential depth that could be a fit for the upcoming year. Rankin I am sure will return.
OL Questions: What About the Draft?
Will adding a top selection from the draft be in the cards? It was observed by multiple AO authors in 2019, and 2020, that Fisher and Schwartz are not getting younger, but what is a more important need? We have Niang, but would it be wise to look for a replacement now due to the uncertainty of Mitch Schwartz being able to return? Can we get a top Center to bring on board?
I think the focus must also remain on the interior Offensive Line. We need to keep getting younger, but sorely need to solve the problem of the Offensive Line Room – let’s get it solid, let’s get it right.
Over the past 2 years, much critique leveled at LDT’s down year. I think that was injury related and if he is ready to roll, he is at least a solid ROG. Osemele was a cheap addition in 2020 — until he was hurt — and the Chiefs were running the football well. If we got him back too, then we can focus on center. I don’t think Daniel Kilgore is a long term solution as a starter, but he was a good support player. Also, we have Martinas Rankin, Stefan Wisniewski, and Mike Remmers, any of whom could be back and be important cogs in the machine. We have pieces of the puzzle in place.
I would really like to see the Chiefs bring aboard top prospects at Offensive Tackle and for the Center positions, both.
Draft Targets? Oh, I have been looking and digging, but will spend more research time and publish a piece in February discussing whom I think the Chiefs might target.
Offensive Line Cap Outlook
Things are not dower. Brett Veach has placed the Chiefs in good position to enter the 2021 season. I have noted that this is my future look. I would like to see the Chiefs bring aboard a OT and a OC via draft picks. Build for the future, build strength to the room, get younger. As you can see by the cost estimates, Fisher, Schwartz and LDT take up a large amount of Cap Capital. It’s time to replace the monies which should be easier with the contracts for both Fisher and Schwartz ending in 2021. Getting another OT to bring aboard allows the Chiefs to prepare ahead of time for the future. Let’s take a closer look at the OL cap situation:
Eric Fisher LOT – Central Michigan, 6-7 315, under contract, returns as LOT. Eric is a solid, dependable Pro Bowl or better, level tackle for the Chiefs. Stalwart protection at LOT for QB Patrick Mahomes. He is under contract through 2021. Cost: $11.4M
Mitchell Schwartz ROT – California, 6-5, 320, under contract, returns as ROT. I cannot say enough about how good Mitchell Schwartz is at ROT. Constantly snubbed last year for both All-Pro and Pro Bowl, he has been the stable opposite of Eric Fisher, a pair of bookend OT’s. Unfortunately injury in 2020 has kept him out of most of the season and very possibly the postseason as well. If he can return, it would provide a solid pair of tackles and allow Lucas Niang to break in slowly as the SW/T. Wait and see because we don’t know if he will even return next year. Presuming he does, he is in the last year of his 3-year extension. Cost: $10.5M
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif – ROG – McGill (Cdn), 6-5, 325. LDT’s contract was due to expire in 2022. I believe that this is now extended. Cost: $8.47M – 5 years, $42M+ contract. Chiefs Wire writes that LDT will return to football in 2021:
Presume he will be football ready for 2021. A look at his 2019 shows a downturn in performance though it probably can be attributed to two injuries during the season. LDT proved to be a solid piece up front before almost from the beginning of his NFL Career. If paired with Osemele, the Chiefs would have a strong pair of OG’s to work with.
Austin Reiter C – South Florida, 6-3, 300, claimed off of waivers from the Browns, extension last year. My view is he returns as the starting center… unless he loses the job. Cost: $2.25M
Andrew Wylie OG – Eastern Michigan, 6-6, 309. UDFA, 4th Season coming up. Mack Lee Hill Award Winner, 2018. I doubt the Chiefs have given up on Wylie. He will return to the crew in 2021. I don’t know if he will be able to hold his starting role with the potential competition. RFA, Cost: $2.2M
Lucas Niang SW/T – TCU (rookie season now begins in 2021), 6-6, 315: Niang was a perfect pick by Brett Veach in the 2020 draft, well, except he decided to take the Covid-19 year off. It would have been the right time to bring him in and give him some NFL Experience by him being assigned to the SW/T role. There is no excuse for him not knowing the playbook cover-to-cover come spring.
If Niang has maintained a training regimen, he will be ready to go for Andy Heck’s Offensive Line, but will be a newcomer as a full time player. Niang had an injury late in his last season and that probably held him back from being a round 2 pick or even a round 1 selection. As it was, Veach was able to draft Niang with the last pick in the draft in round 3. Niang rated 6.28 in the NFL rating system which constructs measurements from 1-7.0. If it hadn’t been for the injury and rehab, getting Niang wouldn’t have been possible in round 3. Cost: 847k
Kelechi Osemele LOG – Iowa St 6-5, 330; signed as a free agent. He moves people. Due to the injury, Osemele should be looking for the Vet Minimum in 2021 and Veach should retain him. Cost: $1M + Vet Base. The question is: who starts? Kelechi or Nick?
Looking to return Osemele would really give the Chiefs a strong pair of Guards. Since Osemele will again be in a “prove it” situation, the Chiefs have an advantage if they see what I see as he would only cost the Vet Minimum.
Martinas Rankin OG/OT – Mississippi St, 6-5, 311: When the Chiefs acquired Rankin in 2019, he was brought aboard to shore up the OL. He is listed as an OT, but subbed in for LDT at ROG. He too was injured last season, but did a stellar job of both run blocking and in pass protection.
Rankin did not give up a sack in 2019. Unfortunately, he suffered a season ending knee injury and did not get back to the Active Roster until late in the 2020 season. I really like Rankin from 2019. I want him to return to the fold and the cost is an advantage for the Chiefs in 2021. Cost: $1M+, should be Vet League Min
Nick Allegretti LOG – Illinois, 6-4, 320: Round 7 draft pick, 2019 and Allegretti made the roster. In 2020, he took over as the LOG with so many injuries on the team. He has not relinquished his starting role. He is entering his 3rd season on his Rookie contract. Cost: $832K
Yasir Durant C#2 – Missouri, 6-6, 330: UDFA. Made the active roster and has had some snaps. The future does look bright. Makes the 2021 roster. Cost: $778k
Daniel Kilgore (not retained) – Appalachian St 6-3, 295. signed as a F/A Center. I think he played better than Reiter, but with only a limited look, that is probably misleading. His potential is to garner another contract with the Chiefs. Austin Reiter and Yasir Durant are probably in front of him so even if he got to camp it’s questionable that he would make the team. With Durant and Williams aboard, this is a big if. Cost: $1M, Vet Base
Darrel Williams OL – Miss. St 6-2, 304, signed as a UDFA OG. Can play Center. Cost: $660k
The above list leaves room for 2 draft picks if the Chiefs carry 10 Offensive linemen. If the rules for 2021 allow for extensive use of the PS, it’s an even better outlook.
2021 Offensive Line: Summary
I like the idea of making two OL picks in 2021’s draft. I think this can be accomplished and the Chiefs have the opportunity to pick up pretty good talent after round 1. Since the three most costly players are under contract into 2021 or 2022, I see the threesome as the base of the OL. They’re not cheap. It is the reason I think that draft picks need to be made and I would like to have the future locked up in players in the 2021 draft, rounds 2-4.
We’ll see what happens when it happens.
David Bell – ArrowheadOne
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