KC Chiefs: Way too early look at offensive free agents after 2019
By Chris Clark
Offensive Line
The Chiefs offensive line has been hit with injuries for much of the 2019 season.
Starters Eric Fisher, Andrew Wylie, and Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff have all missed games at various times this season. That doesn’t include Martinas Rankin and Greg Senat, who were both lost for the season as a result of injuries. Even the Chiefs’ best and most consistent offensive lineman, Mitchell Schwartz, missed a snap with an injury scare.
These injuries have hit with regularly and have hurt the unit’s chance of playing with continuity. Thankfully, the Chiefs have still managed to win twice as many games as they’ve lost, even with the trouble they’ve had here. Having a decent crop of backup linemen has helped to fill the void in the absence of starters. Even so, this offensive line leaves a lot to be desired.
Having an elite-level franchise quarterback means that Brett Veach must do whatever he can to protect his most valuable player. The Chiefs should definitely take the offseason to reassess their needs at offensive line.
Thankfully, outside of Wylie, the Chiefs won’t lose any major contributors to free agency. Retaining Wylie would be good for continuity moving forward, but his spot could also be upgraded.
One player who could hit free agency after the season is Redskins’ guard, Brandon Scherff.
Scherff will be coming off of his rookie contract and could very well be retained by Washington. Not only does he grade better than Wylie, but he has also started all 64 games that he has played in. That would be a great compliment of consistency to have on the same line as Mitchell Schwartz, who only missed one snap after logging 7.894 straight snaps.
If Scherff is not able to be lured away from Washington, there are other options. New England’s Joe Thuney is set to hit free agency and could be looking for a different place to call home. New England has no problem letting talented players walk and he could be one of them. Thuney grades better than both Wylie and Duvernay-Tardiff, so he should be an upgrade over either of those players.
No matter what happens, Kanas City needs to keep good offensive line help at the forefront of their minds. If free-agent offensive line help isn’t pursued this offseason, the Chiefs must address their future at the position during the draft.
Protecting Mahomes has to be the Chiefs number one focus for now and the future. All of Kansas City’s potential for high-level offensive football could very well hinge on this position group.