Chiefs reply greatest looming query after the draft
The Chiefs signing Jawaan Taylor was a splash signing however the offensive line nonetheless had a significant gap that wasn’t crammed within the draft. They’ve executed so now.
Although surprising, the most important splash the Tremendous Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs made within the offseason was to shake up the offensive line, permitting Orlando Brown Jr. to stroll in free company however then signed Jawaan Taylor to an enormous contract as a substitute.
Within the wake of that transfer and the notion that Taylor, who performed just about each snap with the Jaguars at proper deal with in his NFL profession, would transfer to the left aspect, there was an underlying query: Who would play proper deal with?
Misplaced within the Brown-Taylor shuffle was the truth that Andrew Wylie was additionally a free agent and in addition signed elsewhere. The hope was that Lucas Niang may presumably step in however, given his well being points, that was something however sure. And although the crew drafted Wanya Morris within the third spherical, there was nonetheless some uncertainty.
On Wednesday, they settled that. As reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Community, the Chiefs are signing veteran deal with Donovan Smith to a one-year contract price as much as $9 million.
Chiefs information: Donovan Smith solutions greatest remaining query after draft
Smith is available in as an enormous presence for this crew by way of shoring up the offensive line. Although he has declined just lately as he’ll flip 30 in June, he’s nonetheless be a strong, skilled left deal with in Tampa Bay. Now, the Chiefs can deliver him in and begin him on the left aspect, permit Taylor to remain on his pure proper aspect, and hold Patrick Mahomes protected.
Extra importantly, with the language of the deal being “price as much as $9 million”, the very fact of the matter is that they seemingly aren’t tying massive ensures to Smith. As such, they might nonetheless give Niang and Morris their pictures at left or proper deal with in addition to getting appears to be like at Taylor on the left aspect to determine the most effective mixture.
Popping out of the draft, nobody clearly felt dangerous concerning the Chiefs — their roster stays in nice general form to contend for one more Tremendous Bowl. Nevertheless, there was a query about how they’d reshape the O-line given the turnover there this offseason. Signing Smith solutions that query in an enormous approach and units them up even perhaps higher within the trenches than they have been a yr in the past.
