Kansas City Chiefs: Cam Erving trade changes offensive line
By Ben Almquist
The Kansas City Chiefs are continuing to be aggressive in the preseason when it comes to the roster. The Cam Erving trade offers a new wrinkle to the offensive line.
Coming into the 2017 season, the Kansas City Chiefs had one of the strongest rosters in the NFL. However, there were still some concerns on the roster. One of those concerns involved the backup situation at offensive tackle. The Chiefs have now traded for Cam Erving from the Browns, which may have fixed that issue…as well given the team more versatility.
The first thing that needs to be addressed is that Cam Erving is unlikely to be a starter for the Chiefs. Despite being a highly touted prospect, Erving has not shown himself to be a starting caliber player in the NFL. On top of that, Kansas City really doesn’t have a starting role available to him.
If Cam Erving were to be in the starting mix, his best shot would be at left guard. The Chiefs have had a bit of a battle there between Bryan Witzmann and Zach Fulton, with neither showing they should get the start. However, the team has just gotten Parker Ehinger back from the PUP list, and he is expected to be the starter this year.
The #Chiefs have gone after players aggressively. Now, they acquire a swing tackle for $1.3M. A bargain considering the price tag & pick.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 30, 2017
Some Needed Depth
Where Cam Erving really helps the Kansas City Chiefs is in the depth chart. Erving played offensive tackle in college, so the best solution here is that he fills in as a back up tackle. However, if he isn’t able to fill that role, the Chiefs still have options with Jah Reid and Parker Ehinger. Reid has started at right tackle for the Chiefs and other teams. Ehinger played tackle in college.
Apart from tackle, Cam Erving also provides depth at both guard and center. The Chiefs love to have players with that kind of versatility. Of course, that does now seem like a crowded area as Bryan Witzmann, Zach Fulton, and Jah Reid all provide depth in the middle of the offensive line as well.
Kansas City now has an interesting decision to make as far as their offensive line goes. Certainly the team won’t be looking to cut Cam Erving after having just traded for him. That means someone else is likely to get the axe…or become a trade piece.