The Kansas City Chiefs must address many roster issues this offseason. Yes, Patrick Mahomes' weapons are an urgent need for some, given that they are free agents, but upgrading his protection is just as important.
We saw last season that Andy Reid had to shuffle the magnets around and even shifted Joe Thuney out to left tackle to help pick up the production, but that meant a hole at left guard and as we saw in the Super Bowl, the offensive line was a revolving door.
Now, star guard Trey Smith is an impending free agent, and he's expected to fetch quite a salary as a host of teams that need reinforcements. But could the Chiefs keep ahold of Smith?
While paying him near the top of the market money might not be feasible, what about the franchise tag? For NFL.com's Judy Battista, the Chiefs have to consider it at least.
"After watching Patrick Mahomes take six sacks and 16 pressures in the Super Bowl, we know shoring up the offensive line has to be a priority for the Chiefs, and keeping Trey Smith -- Pro Football Focus' highest-rated guard among players bound for the open market -- would seem to be the first step," Battista writes. "This season, the number for offensive linemen is likely to be around $25 million, per Over the Cap. The Chiefs might need to undertake some salary-cap gymnastics to make it work, but the Pro Bowler is good enough to at least consider the possibility."
Now, $25 million for a guard for one season is very rich, but the Chiefs know what can happen, even to Mahomes, when the protection breaks down.
But already, with so much invested in the offensive line, will the Chiefs continue on that path? Or will the franchise look to draft a replacement?
Those are the questions that need answering because after the Super Bowl, the blueprint to stop the Chiefs was revealed, and you can bet your house that 31 other NFL teams will be trying to do the same thing.
