As the current ruler of the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs can afford a little humor in their offseason approach. The Chiefs didn’t escape the spring unscathed as Joe Thuney was traded to the Chicago Bears and Tershawn Wharton left to sign with the Carolina Panthers. Their work also isn’t done as they prepare for this week’s draft and have to work out a long-term deal with franchise player Trey Smith.
But when all is said and done, the Chiefs can take solace in the fact they aren’t the Houston Texans.
The Texans left Arrowhead Stadium last January kicking and screaming as their season came to an end. While some still haven’t gotten over the divisional loss, it’s hard to blame them after C.J. Stroud was sacked nine times as Kansas City advanced to another AFC Championship Game.
Since then, Houston has been at work rebuilding its offensive line. Laremy Tunsil and Kenyon Green were moved in trades and the Texans received Ed Ingram back in a separate deal. But while Laken Tomlinson was another questionable signing, there’s another move that should have Chiefs fans laughing and Houston fans potentially pulling their hair out at another postseason loss.
Chiefs Fans Should Find Texans’ Overpay of Cam Robinson Hilarious
The Texans left a gaping hole in the offensive line after the Tunsil trade and decided to plug it with free agent offensive tackle Cam Robinson. A second-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2017 draft, Robinson has carved out an eight-year career in the NFL, which also included 10 games with the Minnesota Vikings last season.
Finding a serviceable left tackle in free agency is difficult because teams normally don’t let them go. While Robinson is a serviceable starter who has posted a Pro Football Focus grade over 70 in pass-blocking the past four seasons, there are some flaws to his game.
The biggest issue is that he’s prone to blowup games. Robinson had seven games with two or fewer quarterback pressures allowed last season, but he also had some games where he became a turnstile. He allowed eight quarterback pressures in a Week 3 loss to the Buffalo Bills and had more issues when he faced the Jaguars as a member of the Vikings, with six quarterback pressures and three penalties.
He went on to commit four penalties in a Week 15 win over the Chicago Bears and saved his worst for the final two games. The Detroit Lions tagged Robinson for nine quarterback pressures in a Week 18 win over the Vikings and turned around to allow 12 pressures in a Wild Card loss to the Rams. Put it together, and Robinson allowed 64 pressures and committed 13 penalties on 685 pass-blocking snaps last season.
The Chiefs have their own issues and may have overpaid Jaylon Moore to hold down the left tackle position with a two-year, $30 million contract this offseason. But for a team that watched their quarterback get slammed to the turf repeatedly on a January afternoon, going into next season with Robinson as your starting tackle is an extremely risky bet.