KC Chiefs: The Top Ten Playmakers for 2015

Sep 14, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; New Orleans Saints guard

(66) against the Cleveland Browns defensive end

(90) during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Schwane-USA TODAY Sports

8. Ben Grubbs – Offensive Guard

Now I know that offensive linemen aren’t flashy players in the NFL, but you could say that an offense lives and dies through their offensive line. Don’t take my word for it, let’s look at the stats.

In 2003, the KC Chiefs’ offensive line consisted of left tackle Willie Roaf, left guard Brian Waters, center Casey Wiegmann, right guard will Shields, and right tackle John Tait. In that year, the Chiefs were 13-3 and scored the highest points per game in the NFL with 30.2 points per game, per Pro-Football-reference.

Let’s fast forward to last season. That offensive line was made up of left tackle Eric Fisher, left guard Matt McGlynn, center Rodney Hudson, right guard Zach Fulton, and right tackle Ryan Harris. The Chiefs finished 9-7 and were really only explosive on the defensive side of the ball, per Pro-Football-Reference.

My point is, the Chiefs lacked any real talent on the offensive line last season with the exception of Rodney Hudson. Unfortunately, Hudson signed a deal with the Raiders and will not be on the Chiefs’ line this coming season.

By bringing in Ben Grubbs, the Chiefs have given this offensive line the experienced player that it needs. Grubbs, a two-time Pro Bowl player with the New Orleans Saints, played on an offense that shattered records year after year.

In the 2011-2012 season, Grubbs’s Saints broke the NFL single season offensive yardage record with 7,474 total yards. This shattered the record held by the “Greatest Show on Turf,” who’s total was 7,075, per ESPN.com.

Grubbs will be a very important piece to an offense that is suddenly starting to look dangerous. His experience can (and probably will) help mold the rest of our line into the glorious front it once was back in 2003. I’m very excited to have a good lineman like Grubbs on the Chiefs.

One last note that I found interesting, the Chiefs acquired Willie Roaf from the Saints back in 2002. See a pattern here?

Next: A Contract Year