The Kansas City Chiefs have made some wholesale changes on the offensive line since the 40-22 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, and figure to have at least two different starters at the position compared to that fateful day in February.
Joe Thuney was traded to the Chicago Bears, and tackles Jaylon Moore and Josh Simmons were bought in during this past offseason through free agency and the draft respectively to bolster the exterior of the line.
And whilst the onus may be on who will win the battle for the left guard spot during training camp, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes the focus should more dialled in on addressing the future of the right guard position.
The Chiefs placed the franchise tag on guard, Trey Smith, earlier this offseason, effectively making him the highest paid interior lineman in the NFL. And Knox contends that figuring out an extension for him should be the team’s #1 priority for the remaining portion of the offseason.
Extending Guard Should Be The Chiefs’ Main Priority – Knox
“The Chiefs’ offensive line was particularly problematic,” Knox wrote on Tuesday, “as the Eagles defense consistently harassed [Patrick] Mahomes and shut down almost everything Kansas City did offensively. Reloading the line is this year’s top offseason priority.
The remaining work must start with an extension for guard Trey Smith, who is currently set to play on the franchise tag. The Chiefs have until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal with the 25-year-old, which they have planned to do since giving him the tag.”
Quoting Chiefs general manager, Brett Veach, Knox points out that there is some willingness on KC’s end to get this deal in the end zone.
“Hopefully we get that done. There’s no lack of interest or will or desire on our end,” Veach said before April’s draft, via Knox.
What Will An Extension Look Like For Trey Smith?
Trey Smith is currently playing on a one-year, $23.4 million deal on the tag. This surpassed Eagles guard, Landon Dickerson‘s $21 million/year contract by a nearly $2.5 million jump.
And for a player who has consistently excelled in the pros, but who has attained just one Pro Bowl nods and no All-Pro selections, raising the ceiling at an increasingly expensive position by over $2 million per year could be hard to justify.
But, unless the Chiefs were willing to lose Smith, there was not a lot they could do outside of give him the very expensive tag.
Much of the holdup may be coming from the fact that the Chiefs do not value him at the $23.4/year price point, and thus may look to give Smith an extension south of what he will receive this season – a contract that, on paper, would be counter-intuitive for the former sixth round pick to sign.
Ultimately, some compromise on either side regarding average annual salary, contract length and guaranteed money will pave the way for what is an unusually tricky contract situation for both parties.
