Kansas City Chiefs: Offensive line might see minor shakeup in 2019

By Leigh Oleszczak | Jan 30, 2019

Kansas City Chiefs offensive line (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The Kansas City Chiefs saw decent production from their offensive line in 2018. While the unit should look mostly similar, there should be a few changes.

It’s always nice to have an offensive line that gels and has good chemistry. For the Kansas City Chiefs, that was/is important this past season and moving forward, as they now have a franchise quarterback to protect named Patrick Mahomes.

The line did decently last year, allowing 26 sacks on their first-year quarterback in the regular season (and another eight during the playoffs, which wasn’t ideal). The Chiefs offensive line finished the year as the 13th best o-line in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. That sounds about right.

So, what should we expect from the Chiefs offensive line moving forward?

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Well, the decision that most fans would probably be content with is parting ways with center Mitch Morse. The former Missouri Tiger came in as a versatile guy along the line and the Chiefs put him at center.

If KC does indeed move on from Morse, it won’t be because he’s not talented. Morse was a great option at center, but he was unable to stay healthy over the last two seasons. That led to Austin Reiter stepping in and doing a nice job in Morse’s absence.

The Chiefs agreed that Reiter did well in his reserve role, inking him to an extension. That doesn’t paint a very nice picture for Morse.

The rest of the line should stay mostly the same with Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz holding down the two starting tackle spots.

Say what you will about Fisher during his career, he had a nice year in 2018 and made it to the Pro Bowl. Schwartz has been solid since the Chiefs brought him in prior to the 2016 season, being named an All-Pro this past season.

The guard spots are a little trickier, but we shouldn’t see much change there. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif will be the starting right guard, assuming he’s healthy. Cameron Erving had his fair share of penalties, but for the most part, he played well.

If LDT isn’t healthy, the Chiefs are in good hands with Andrew Wylie, and as I wrote about a few days ago, re-signing Jeff Allen wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Both men provide depth in the trenches and that’s what you want in a long, grueling season.

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So, to sum up, the Chiefs should only see change at one spot along the offensive line and that’s at the center position. Mitch Morse had a good run in Kansas City, but the injuries have taken a toll on him and it allowed Austin Reiter to step in and make a good impression.

What do you think, Chiefs Kingdom? Will Morse departing be the only change along the o-line this offseason?

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