Chiefs: Best So Far? What’s Up With the OTs

Veach’s 1st Move: Lucas Niang

Without much fanfare this year, Veach began to address the upcoming departure of their stalwart Offensive Tackles, Fisher and Schwartz. In 2020, Lucas Niang was drafted in the 3rd round. I thought this was a totally successful and absolutely wonderful choice because Niang — sans injury, surgery, and rehab — would have been a 1st round pick. The virus had Niang opting out of the 2020 season, so we have to wait and see if this pick was a total steal, or not.

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Veach’s 2nd Move: Joe Thuney

He’s most likely an OG!

So far, the Chiefs have cheated and tampered, thus bringing aboard Stalwart guard, Joe Thuney. I need not remark on this acquisition. I know it’s a five year deal and costly after this season but for 2021, Thuney is only a $4.5M investment and a likely major player for the Chiefs for the next five seasons. I like this move, say no more. Yes, it’s a first wave signing, but the contract commitment in 2021 is, second-wavish, cost-wise.

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Veach’s – Almost – 3rd Move: Trent Williams

Attempted De-Cap-atation

Brett Veach then went after SF 49’er F/A LOT, Trent Williams. The West coast team held the Chiefs at bay (no pun intended). Williams re-upped and signed a huge deal with Frisco, but at least Brett Veach took a shot at it. If able to bring Williams aboard, we all could have breathed a huge sigh of relief. He wouldn’t have been a long term solution, but it would have put the OT positions over the top. Sigh, by God, It wasn’t to be.

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Veach’s 4th Move: Kyle Long

OG or Maybe OT?

Once K.C. was out of money — 😁 — they almost immediately signed Kyle Long, son of HoF’er Howie Long. He first interviewed with the Raiders and then K.C.. He had other teams to line up afterwards, but opted to go no further, signing up for a 1 year, prove it deal, with the Chiefs. Now, here is the rest of the story in brief. Kyle was Pro Bowl selection in each of his first 3 seasons, two at OG and one at OT. Now, I know you are familiar with Howie as a player and broadcaster/analyst. You know he is very bright and has tons of football moxie to boot! Kyle is a chip off the old block.

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Kyle Long had injury problems in 2019 and he retired from football in 2020. He is back and he is ready to roll and is happy that he signed with the Chiefs saying he was ready to help the team in whatever way possible. Long is like is father, and loves the game of football. After his time with the Chiefs, he knew he had found the right “new” home. My next to last comment about Kyle is that he is in a prove it, one year deal. Going one-up for my finale? He is a versatile player, inside and out. I can believe Long can find his home as the ROG, but I can also see him as a SW/T or ROT. All is good stuff but we have to see how ready he is to play NFL Football in 2021. Which brings into question… the Doc?!

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Dr. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is scheduled to return in 2021, after opting out last season, but with a bit of a logjam at OG, Veach may have other plans for him, like a June 1st release. On the other hand, Kyle Long gives K.C. a starter quality backup if Reid decides to stick with LDT at RG. That would be a win-win, especially after what we saw in SB LV. We’ll deal more in depth with Offensive Guards in a future article.

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Next step? Decisions. Decisions.

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Lucas Niang’s Position

It is incomplete with one player identified, but with the unresolved issue of whether he will man the Left or Right position. I do not know whether the Chiefs will spot Long, very likely as an OG which was indicated by the Chiefs designating Long as such. For me, this would mean that he is being considered to be the LOG and not an OT. If you will. I sense that Kyle Long is a starter, but his versatility is key, but that is for the exploration when I deal with the OG roles in another next article.

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The above graphic captures the uncertainty of the tackle situation as well. You could add Kyle Long to this view as well since he did win a Prowl Bowl nod at OT, but was twice selected for Guard across the span of 3 seasons. It does prove Long’s versatility however.

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Since I don’t have the optimum choices here because no clear cut decision is possible, I can spot Rankin or Long as a ROT but not left side. This would mean that the Chiefs are looking to position Niang to the left side. Personally? I want Niang to be the player for ROT. I want to sign a clear cut OT for the left side in Free Agency. I want Kyle Long to be the OG for the right side as I believe he is more capable than LDT, at least for speculative purposes. I prefer Rankin as the SW/T. Go from there, and that means we “wait” some more.

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Keep Mahomes Upright: JOB ONE

If Job one is to protect our future GOAT, Patrick Mahomes! I have preferences, but keeping his panties clean is like a Ford Quality: JOB ONE.

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“Bridges” Over Troubled Waters

Below, illustrates four potential OT Free Agents. I want to keep Niang in his native right side role and this makes his transition to NFL game speed that much easier. Two of the players below are experienced hands on the left, but it is merely an exercise in speculation. All of the players listed are 31 or older in the 2021 season. For that reason, I cannot see a longer term deals that goes much beyond a 2-year contracts, as I view all four as “Bridge” players to get to the man that the Chiefs will draft in 2021 (I hope).

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See the Talking Heads post that was made available on March 18th at ArrowheadOne. Laddie posted some of the brick-brack back-and-forth from our conversations, but he left out some of the swear words that were used, which is not to be referenced in Polite Society.

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Also, consider, Veach might end up using as much draft capital as possible in Trading Up, to get exactly the OT that he desires from the 2021 draft. That is possible… if there are trading partners. Laddie even speculated about trading up to the very top to get golden boy OT Penei Sewell yesterday. Who knows? Our upcoming article will show the 2021 draft reality with the Chiefs remaining at pick 31, and consequently, waiting to select an OT. That could end up being a dangerous proposition with so many teams vying to obtain an OT.

Playing Bridge: Potential Free Agent OTs

Alejandro Villanueva

LOT, F/A, Steelers (6-5-310) age 33, Valuation: $16.5M+ Villanueva was a UDFA, from Army. Look what he made of himself. The man is tough and earned his stripes. Alejandro is a tough and very good LOT. His essential contract value is estimated to be $16.5M, which is pretty steep for the position and considering his ranking as an OT. Still, I like the player and it solves a Chiefs OT problem. You can contrast that with Eric Fisher’s valuation at $18.5M but Eric will not be be playing football in 2021. The KC Fit? –> LOT, but I don’t really like the cost, certainly for 3 or less years. Niang is slotted in as the ROT of the future. Expensive proposition. A short term solution requires a draft pick. At first, I liked the idea, but since have soured on it due to cost.

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Bryan Bulaga

ROT F/A, Chargers (6-5, 314) age 32, Valuation: $10M+ Prior to playing with the Chargers, Bulaga was with the Packers. I was a bit surprised when the Pack led him slide into Free Agency in 2020. Bulaga was protecting Aaron Rodgers when the the Pack Beat the Steelers in their Super Bowl XLV win, ten years ago. He has that big game experience. Brian is 31 years old. The KC Fit? Bridge ROT. His addition would mean that the Chiefs must move Niang to the left side and while I’d like the signing, I’m not a fan of moving of Niang to LOT.

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Riley Reiff

LOT F/A, Lions (6-6, 313) age 32, Valuation: $8.5M+ A big man who has owned his LOT role with fervor. He’s 32, but has played darned good football for a bad football team. He does start on the left side and is part of what I see as very attractive about Reiff. Outlook for the Chiefs? –> A Bridge LOT, which keeps Lucas Niang as a rookie in his native role at ROT. Not cheap, but less of a commitment than Villanueva, but helps get to a newly drafted, anticipated LOT. If the Chiefs are going to use a player to bridge to a draft pick, Reiff is probably a player I would dig hard into and try to use his talent to cover the gap allowing the Chiefs to break in a newcomer without tossing him to the wolves.

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Rick Wagner

ROT F/A, Packers (6-5, 310) age 31, Valuation: $5.5M+ In 2019, Wagner had a rough year, but in 2020 he played extremely well ranking close to the top 10 OT’s in the NFL, but I like Wagner a lot from his 2020 play. He is also versatile and can play inside as well. I cannot address is current valuation except to say that it is moderate compared to Williams or VIllanueva for example, but the Trent Williams signing for a big contract as he did with the 49’ers is going to raise the ante a bit for all Free agent OT’s. On March 17, 2020, the Green Bay Packers signed Wagner to a 2-year, $11M deal then they released him last month on Feb. 19. Since they used him as a movable piece on the board, that is also something the Chiefs like in their players, and a plus if he’s signed. The KC FIt –> ROT. However, like Bulaga, it means moving Lucas Niang to LOT.

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The Challenge: Keeping Niang at ROT

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Veach’s Next Step: Summary

–> Get a LOT Starter in Free Agency!

We know we have only one truly positioned piece of the 5 man puzzle: Joe Thuney. No other person is a sure fire lock to a position.

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1. We don’t know the status of LDT’s NFL readiness,, or whether he is retained after June 1.
2. We don’t know that Lucas Niang is indeed the quality pick that I expect, and hope, him to be.
3. We don’t know if Martinas Rankin is a candidate to be a starting OT. I liked him as a OG in 2019. I can only speculate that it’s a possibility.

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There are other Free Agent Offensive Tackles such as:

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· Russell Okung – 6-5, 310, will be 33 later this year, but he’s not my preference

· Dakota Dozier – 6-4, 312, soon to be 30 years old

· Julién Davenport – 6-7, 325, just turned 26 years old.

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Veach should try to get Riley Reiff in house at LOT. I can see Wagner, but again, I believe it’s best to keep Niang on the right, his comfort position. Far better Reiff as a LOT… than Wagner on the right. However, from all that I have discovered about Niang, I see him as a far better rookie than Eric Fisher was when he broke into the NFL. Why? Niang has far better feet, but needs to prove it at the NFL level.

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Long and Short of It

Kyle Long is a value. Presumably, he plays at the level he did prior to 2018 as he adds a versatile piece that fits what the Chiefs like to do. It is hard for me to envision plopping Kyle in as a LOT, which would mean, that Veach will not only sign a LOT in Free Agency, which is a signing yet to come, and he must also consider drafting a player for LOT as well… Long and his ability or not.

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Note: they may have signed Andrew Wylie back, but I am not considering him for a starting role, certainly not at OT.

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Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel, see ya later!

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David Bell — ArrowheadOne

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