The Evolution of the Chiefs Offensive Line

The Evolution of the Chiefs Offensive Line – The Kansas City Chiefs are going through a great amount of change along their offensive line. Call it a makeover, or a renovation, a rebuilding or whatever. When you release, as the Chiefs did yesterday, their top two Offensive Tackles, you are making wide ranging changes… without a doubt.

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Our own David Bell and I have spent countless hours this offseason talking about this very subject: the Chiefs Offensive Line and what it might look like in 2021. We have agreed that Eric Fisher wasn’t going to be a go this year, and consequently, his career was, for all practical purposes, over. Nearly the same with Mitchell Schwartz, except, both of us felt that if Schwartz was saying he’d be ready by opening day, the nature of his minor back surgery could allow for that to be the case. However, that is all no more. The Chiefs have released both players and while many in the national media didn’t see it coming, we did.

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Onward and Upward

If you have the privilege to get The Athletic (I don’t, but David sent me a copy) you may have seen Nate Taylor’s astoundingly good article on OT, Lucas Niang yesterday. It’s called, “Chiefs tackle Lucas Niang working hard to be part of team’s O-line solution” in which he outlines the many ways Niang has been working out since his opting out last year. That’s nothing but great news for the Chiefs and the fact that his article came out on the same day they cut their two bookend tackles loose, was incredibly timely.

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Taylor lays out just how Niang has been working out at both the Right and Left tackle positions, which we’ve expressed a concern about since his YouTube workouts showed him only taking reps at Right Tackle. Brett Yarris, the CEO of BX Movement, has been working him out this offseason but Niang was stayign in touch with the organization. Yarris said:

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Brett Veach was very active in communicating with Lucas,. [Andy] Heck and (offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy) had reached out to him a few times. Lucas certainly felt like he was still a part of the organization, even though he wasn’t there. From a mental perspective, it allowed Lucas to work a little bit more freely in our time together.

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Niang stayed so involved with what was going on with the Chiefs that after each game, he and Yarris would not only chat about the rush tactics used against the K.C. tackles, but then take it to the field of practice where Yarris would stimulate the moves those defenders used dugin the game. The arrows are all pointing up in Niang’s direction from where I sit. What that means is, I now expect Lucas Niang to the the starter at Left Tackle come opening day on September, 12, 2021.

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While it may sound solid to slot Lucas Niang in at Left Tackle, bu cutting both Fish and Schwartz, the Chiefs now have a gaping hole on the Right side at Tackle. Determining the Left Tackle position is certainly the most important along the OL, afterall, he protects Patrick Mahomes blind side (eve though he doesn’t seem to have a blind side), but at least Veach and Reid and company now have alternatives. If they find a good Right Tackle in this offseason, they’re set… and if they find a good Left Tackle, they’re set.

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While some may doubt that Lucas Niang is ready to step right in and play from day one, there may be some truth in that, but the more I read about Niang, the less likely that appears to be the case. He didn;t allow a sack in his whole last season as a Tackle at TCU. Also, Chase Young, the second pick in last years draft, has some glowing things ot say of Niang:

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Brett Veach once said of Niang,

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“This guy is extremely intelligent.”

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The Chiefs roster is littered with highly intelligent players and that is part of the team’s makeup. A big part of that intelligence is the ability to put your mind in the frame of reference of a learner. Niang has that ability. When LDT first announced he was opting out last spring, before NIang announced, K.C. had him working as a Guard with the idea that he’d be a starter in 2020. Niang said,

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“That guard work helped a lot, as far as jump-setting and contact quickness. It was the only time I worked [on having] just fast hands.”

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Niang also learned a lot from Mitchell when they worked together before he opted out. Yarris said of Niang working with Schwartz:

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“Lucas put extra emphasis when we would watch the games when Mitch was playing, prior to his injury, in seeing the technician that Mitch is. No one would argue that Mitch is the athlete that Lucas is, but Lucas understands that at the pro level, it’s about technique first.”

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If Veach and Reid weren’t comfortable with Niang taking over at one of the Tackle positions this offseason, it’s unlikely they would have parted ways with Schwartz. When a Tackle has the attention and support of his QB, it also makes a world of difference. Even before the Super Bowl Patrick Mahomes took time to ask about his future teammate. Veach says,

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“He bumps me and says, ‘Hey, how’s Niang doing?’ You’d think he’d have a million things on his mind, but to ask me on that Monday morning how Niang was doing, I thought, was interesting.”

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Brian Baldinger, at the NFL Channel, says he’s concerned about the Chiefs replacing their two Tackles, but also says LDT is scheduled to return, and Niang will nail down one of the Tackle positions. Plus, we know Nick Allegretti can step in at a Guard position or at Center. Let’s not lose sight of the primary goal Veach has to get under the cap by the start of the league year, then after that, I can see K.C. bringing back someone like Mitchell Schwartz, if they want. A move like that would dramatically help to rewrite the Chiefs OL mathematical equations.

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Beyond Lucas Niang, we’ve learned that when Brett Veach makes a move, such as cutting their bookend Tackles on the same day, that he has other plans in place as well. Over the next few weeks, we’ll see those plan unfold, and I’m 100% positive that includes signing a Tackle in Free Agency who can start opposite Niang. While Veach should get that done before the draft, I also expect a top three draft pick to be used on an Offensive Tackle.

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Now, Center Austin Reiter will not be asked back

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Mike Remmers may return, but don’t expect him to be a starter… as witnessed by SB LV. So, boat loads of changes are already set in motion.

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There’s now a question of other OL on the roster and whether or not they will be asked to step up including: Nick Allegretti, Martinas Rankin, Daryl Williams, Yasir Durant, Daniel Kilgore, and Andrew Wylie. David Bell has made a very good point that the Chiefs OL didn’t play with any cohesion in 2020, because of all the changes before and throughout the season and playoffs. More than any other position group, the OL relies on cohesion and the ability to know what the guy next to them is going to do on any given play, or versus any given blitz package. So, while many may not be happy with the Offensive Line players K.C. has in house right now… once Reid selects his starters, if they stay healthy, they’ll likely be much improved over the 2020 group.

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Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

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