The NFL offseason is relatively young, but that hasn't stopped the Kansas City Chiefs from making a plethora of changes, especially on offense. Offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy vowed improved discipline upon his Chiefs return, which may have played a role in right tackle Jawaan Taylor's eventual release from the team.
Taylor's never-ending mishaps and penalty issues kept holding this team back in every drive. That, plus his $20 million salary, made him the clearest salary cap casualty in recent team history.
Now, with the first wave of free agency in the history books and a new home yet to materialize, it's clear that the Chiefs made the right call with him.
Chiefs Were Right to Ditch Jawaan Taylor
It's been over a week since free agency began, and there has been no buzz whatsoever around Taylor. He plays at a much-needed position, and several teams have been after right tackles in free agency, yet nothing is going on in his front.
Former Green Bay Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker, who plays at a premium position that's usually paid at top-dollar, only got a one-year deal worth $4 million with the Carolina Panthers, so Taylor might not even get more than that. It also proves that the Chiefs were right to walk away from the cap hit he was set to command next season.
Head coach Andy Reid once said that Taylor was one of the best offensive tackles in the game when he wasn't dealing with penalties. That rarely happened, and both the eye test and the numbers suggest otherwise.
Pro Football Focus ranked Taylor as the ninth-worst offensive tackle in the league last season. He logged a 53.3 overall grade, a 43.8 run-blocking grade (the second-worst in the league), and a 67.3 grade as a pass-blocker (49th).
Even though he didn't play in every game because of a season-ending injury, he was still called for a whopping 13 penalties. He allowed 20 total pressures, five QB hits, and three sacks in 760 total offensive snaps. That just won't cut it for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
The Chiefs signed Taylor to a four-year, $80 million contract, and he never lived up to it. His lack of concentration before the snap often caught him off guard or gave the opposition ten free yards almost once every game, to the point where even Travis Kelce snapped at him early in the season (h/t @JordanDajani).
Granted, finding another right tackle will be challenging, especially given the current potential options. That said, there was simply no way to justify Taylor's steep cap hit and salary with the way he had played, and the lack of interest in his services proves the Chiefs made the right call.