The Kansas City Chiefs just won a second Super Bowl in as many years, but that doesn’t mean everything is buttoned up and ready for a potential three-peat in 2024.
The Chiefs have some questions to answer and some areas to improve – one of those being the tackle position. Primarily, left tackle.
The initial plan was to move Jawaan Taylor, last year’s big free agent addition, from right tackle to left, but that didn’t work out. The Chiefs eventually signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Donovan Smith and he turned in a very forgettable season, at best.
Typically, good offensive linemen don’t hit the market and that’s pretty much what the Chiefs experienced last season. Still, there are a couple of guys out there, this year, that are worthy of a dice roll.
1) Tyron Smith
The long-tenured member of the Dallas Cowboys should be a Hall of Famer when it’s all said and done. He still seems to have some gas left in the tank at 33, too.
2023 was one of Smith’s best seasons as a pro. Per Pro Football Focus, his 98.1 pass blocking efficiency rating was second-best among all tackles with at least 749 blocking snaps and he allowed just one sack and 18 pressures during the regular season. Both numbers tied for second place in their respective categories among the 50 qualifying players.
A to Z Sports cap analysts Josh Queipo and Kyle DeDiminicanto project Smith to command an APY of $12.5 million per year that includes a first-year cap hit of $4.25 million. The Chiefs can make the move, just they have to want it to happen.
The Chiefs still have work to do at wide receiver, adding a presence alongside Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice. Re-signing free agents Chris Jones and L’Jarius Sneed seems ambitious, so Kansas City should prioritize one and go from there. Because the entire pass rush is built around Jones, let’s start there. Declining Kadarius Toney’s fifth-year option seems like a given. And offensive tackle help should be on the way. Free agent Tyron Smith makes a lot of sense on the left side. – Jeremy Fowler, ESPN
Smith would immediately upgrade the left tackle spot and would also bring a veteran leadership element to a roster that’s already loaded with top-end experience. Like Fowler states – it makes a lot of sense.