The Kansas City Chiefs still have a big offensive line problem. Moving on from Jawaan Taylor was an easy decision to make, given his never-ending woes with penalties and the fact that releasing him would free $20 million in cap space.
That said, as bad as Taylor was in Kansas City, the Chiefs may not have someone better to fill in at right tackle. Jaylon Moore and Wanya Morris are solid but not perfect; the jury is still out on Esa Pole, and moving Josh Simmons to the right might create two problems instead of solving one.
Considering that, the Chiefs might want to take a look at a veteran right tackle who hasn't drawn much buzz in free agency. Jack Conklin comes with injury concerns, but he's an outstanding player when he's healthy.
Chiefs Should Inquire About Jack Conklin
The Cleveland Browns released Conklin earlier this month, and, given that they traded for Houston Texans RT Tytus Howard, it looks like they've already moved on from him. That makes sense to a degree, as he only played in at least 14 games twice in his six years in Berea.
That said, Conklin has been stellar as a pass-protector when healthy.
Before last season, he had never had a Pro Football Focus grade below 66.7, reaching as high as 84.0. He's only given up at least four sacks twice in his career, and he's never allowed more than 28 pressures. Also, he's been quite disciplined for the most part, with six seasons of three or fewer penalties.
Conklin comes with obvious risks because of the injury history, but even if he can only give this team 10 games, that would still be better than rolling with Moore and Morris for a full season. They're solid stopgaps and fill-in starters, but their flaws become painfully evident when they're given a larger role.
Morris barely played and logged a 23.7 pass-blocking grade last season, and Moore, who was much better at 57.1, was still pretty mediocre. The Chiefs might not get any of the prime pass protectors at No. 9, as Francis Mauigoa and Spencer Fano will both most likely be gone by then. They could still trade down to land Monroe Freeling, Blake Miller, or Caleb Lomu, but they're all projects.
Conklin might not be hard to convince, given the lack of interest in his services. The Chiefs can get him on a cheap deal to motivate him to prove that he can stay healthy, and even though it might be a risky pickup, he's talented enough to be worth the gamble.