Chiefs Offensive Line: Improved or Not

I previously posted an article on April 8^th called: “Chiefs Offseason Roster Improved? Or Not?” where I had used the 2021 Super Bowl starting offensive lineup, which was not as good as the beginning of the regular season starters. I did so because in my assumption, an offensive line group needs to be evaluated on a season long assessment. A quote made famous by longtime favorite Chiefs Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer, was “The best ability is availability.” With the Covid-19 season that all teams suffered in 2020, the Chiefs lost 2 potential starters during the offseason (Damien Williams and Lucas Niang). Then as the regular season wore on, week by week the Chiefs continued to lose more starters to injuries, and by the time they made it to the Super Bowl, their once quality depth was now their starters. I don’t believe in the 54 year history of Super Bowls, that any team has ever made it that far while having four backup offensive linemen. While it was quite a feat, we observed during the fateful game, that it did not produce the desired results. 

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Brett (Mastermind) Veach Had Much To Correct

The Chiefs GM learned a valuable lesson last year. He learned that durability is a much needed quality to have on an offensive line, along with having better talent at the interior offensive line positions. He learned that having Pro Bowl quality book end offensive tackles, with a poor interior line, did not produce an adequate rushing attack. Which as we witnessed as the regular season progressed, the Chiefs became more and more one dimensional, and that led to opponents being able to put more pressure on the Chiefs passing attack. 

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Brett Veach also learned that when you’re playing 18–or-19 games every year, for 3 years in a row (the price you pay to continually making it to a Conference Championship game every year) veterans at a plus age of 30, can be a liability. Or at any position across the line, they don’t want anyone with an extended injury history, even if they have high value as a blocker. Moving forward, we’ll see the Chiefs implement a new philosophy in building the offensive linemen roster.          

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2020 Regular Season Starters – Game #1

Position	Player
Center	Austin Reiter (Age 29)
Right Guard	Andrew Wylie (Age 27)
Left Guard	Kelechi Osemele (Age 31)
Right Tackle	Mitchell Schwartz (Age 32)
Left Tackle	Eric Fisher (Age30)

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2020  Super Bowl LV vs Tampa Bay

Position	Player
Center	Austin Reiter (Age 29)
Right Guard	Stefen Wisniewski (Age 31)
Left Guard	Nick Allegretti  (Age 25)
Right Tackle	Andrew Wylie (Age 27)
Left Tackle	Mike Remmers (Age 32)

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April 1, 2021

Previously, When Some Fans Were Scared

Position	Player
Center	Austin Blythe (Age 28)
Right Guard	Laurent Duvenay-Tardif (Age 30)
Left Guard	Joe Thuney (Age 28)
Right Tackle	Mike Remmers (Age 32)
Left Tackle	Lucas Niang (Age 23)

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In another one of my recent article’s dated March 31, 2021, I predicted an Offensive Linemen Roster, but now as we see after free agency and the recent draft, that I was largely wrong with my predictions. Thank you Brett Veach for not implementing my plan, but instead you shot for the moon. 

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A Review of the Changes:

• Eric Fisher Pro-Bowl Left Tackle – released
• Mitchell Schwartz Pro-Bowl Right Tackle – released
• Austin Reiter 2020 starting center – allowed to walk as a free agent
• Kelechi Osemele – had only a one year contract
• Daniel Kilgore – allowed to walk as a free agent

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Returning Offensive Linemen:

• Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (Guard) – returned from Covid19 opt out 
• Lucas Niang (Tackle) – returned from Covid19 opt out
• Andrew Wylie (Guard) – resigned as a free agent
• Mike Remmers (G/T) – resigned as a free agent
• Yasir Durant (Guard) – still on the roster
• Martinas Rankin (Tackle) – still on the roster
• Nick Allegretti (Guard) – still on the roster
• Bryan Witzmann (Guard) – still on the roster
• Darryl Williams (C/G) – still on the roster
• Prince Tega Wanogho (Tackle) – still on the roster

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The Upgraded New Additions

• Joe Thuney Pro-Bowl Left Guard – signed as a free agent
• Kyle Long former Pro-Bowl Left Guard/Left Tackle – signed as a free agent
• Orlando Brown Pro-Bowl Right Tackle – acquired in a trade with the Baltimore Ravens
• Austin Blythe – signed as a free agent Center
• Creed Humphrey – drafted with pick #63 in the recent draft
• Trey Smith – drafted with pick #226 to play Guard

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2021 Season Predicted Starting Lineup

Position	Player
Center	Creed Humphrey (Age 21)
Right Guard	Laurent Duvenay-Tardif (Age 30)
Left Guard	Joe Thuney (Age 28)
Right Tackle	Lucas Niang (Age 23)
Left Tackle	Orlando Brown (Age 26)

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2021 Season Predicted backups for Offensive Line Depth

Player	Positions
Austin Blythe (Age 28)	Center/Guard
Kyle Long (Age 32)	Guard/Tackle
Nick Allegretti (Age 25)	Guard/Center
Martinas Rankin (Age 26)	Swing Tackle/Guard

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Comparing the Changes

Left Tackle Eric Fisher 2020… to Orlando Brown 2021. While Fisher was an excellent pass blocker, his run blocking was not top level. Eric had many good years as a Chief, but because of his age, injury, and his top level of play had peeked, Veach decided it was time to move on from him. Now we know that Orlando Brown will be the new Left Tackle, and his potential has not yet fully been seen. So, this comparison is even in level of play, but looking to the future the edge goes in favor of a younger player, Orlando Brown. 

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At Left Guard, Kelechi Osemele/Nick Allegretti… to now Joe Thuney. No explanation needed, as Joe is a multiyear Pro Bowl player and one of the top 5 rated Guards in the league. 

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Austin Reiter was barely average last year as the Chiefs starting Center, to the point that the Chiefs tried to replace him midseason with Daniel Kilgore, but it was not an improvement. Both Austin and Daniel were handcuffed by the subpar level of play at both Guard positions. The Chiefs have decided that an upgrade is badly needed.

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At Center I expect Creed Humphrey to be able to win the starting job over Austin Blythe. Many experts have predicted that Creed will be a beast in the NFL, just need Patrick Mahomes to quickly learn the opposite rotation of a left handed snap while in shotgun. Creed must be able to quickly learn the communications skills needed from a starting Center, and he must show the ability to call out blocking assignments. It should help his progression to have significant experience on both sides of him (at both Guard positions).

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At Right Guard I expect Laurent Duvernay-Tardif to earn back his once starting position, while receiving tough competition from Kyle Long. Whichever of these two players wins the job of the starting Right Guard, will be a significant improvement of what was observed from the multiple players that played there last year.  

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At the Right Tackle position, we had great success with Mitchell Schwartz, but a chronic back issue can be a death sentence for a 32 year old offensive linemen. The Chiefs have wisely moved on and now the change success is contingent on a 2020 third round pick, Lucas Niang. Lucas showed good promise in college, but a hip injury the previous year, then a Covid-19 opt out his NFL rookie season, has delayed his progression to become a starter. Comparing to what we have seen from Mitchell in multiple years will be hard to upgrade from that, but what we have seen at that position, after he was injured, should not be difficult to improve on.  

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Backup Offensive Linemen

Last years backups were viewed as quality players, but as the season wore on and multiple injuries happened the collective group didn’t play as well as needed for a Super Bowl Champion. So, Veach knew that as well as needing to improve the starters level of play that better quality, healthier and average younger age, would be needed, for the future of the Chiefs desired success. 

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So, he signed Kyle Long G/T as a better backup than what we had seen from Mike Remmers, as long as he’s able to return from a one year temporary retirement to his once high level of play. Nick Allegretti should be an improvement from his first two years, now that he received some starting reps last year. Martinas Rankin, if 100% healthy, has a higher potential of play than what we had seen from the backup tackles last year. Then having an experienced C/G in Austin Blythe should be a better backup option than we’ve seen from the Interior Offensive Linemen backups last year. 

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I also predict, Trey Smith will mysteriously develop a season long injury landing him on the PUP List, essentially serving as a red shirt year, unless he shows in training camp that he is well advanced for a low round draft pick.

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Conclusion

Is the Offensive Line improved from last year? When looking at the complete assembly of 9 different players, I would give it a resounding Yes! It will be a season long process of improving overall play, but the potential is enormous, as we should see much less pressure on QB Patrick Mahomes and the rushing game should be very much improved as well.

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Now after all the changes have been made and the potential of a better overall group of players has been assembled, we can see that the average age of nine offensive linemen has been reduced from the 2020 season starters of –> 28.8. In 2021, the predicted nine offensive linemen have an average age of –> 26.5. Brett Veach has reached his desired goal of getting better, while also getting younger and healthier. Only time will tell. If the ultimate results are met, we will see you all at the Super Bowl again for a third year in a row! 

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Alan Haut — ArrowheadOne

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