New Chiefs guard Ben Grubbs is ready for a new challenge

Ben Grubbs was driving in his car Thursday, minding his own business, when his cell phone buzzed.

It was his agent.

“I got a text from my agent saying that trade talks have started,” Grubbs said. “I called my wife and when I got home, she was already on the Internet. It was shortly after.”

It, in this case, was his trade from the New Orleans Saints to the Chiefs, who sent a fifth-round pick to the Saints for Grubbs, a nine-year veteran who spent the first five years of his career with the Baltimore Ravens.

And it didn’t take Grubbs, 31, long to process how the deal would benefit his career, professionally.

“My first initial thought was that I am going to a good situation,” Grubbs said. “Andy Reid is a great coach and has a good history. I know that the guys that he has with him kind of reflect his image, so that’s a plus for me.

“As far as the offense, I know that running the ball is important to him, having a balanced offensive attack is important. I consider myself a balanced player … I thought I flourished when I was up there in Baltimore in the West Coast offense.”

Grubbs, a two-time Pro Bowl guard, wasn’t surprised about the swap, despite the fact trades in the NFL are rare.

“Coming into this fourth year of my contract, I knew the situation that we were in as far as financially with the Saints,” Grubbs said. “So when things started happening this offseason, it just kind of reminded me that, ‘OK, Ben, just be ready. You may have to take a pay cut, you may get released.’

“I just knew that the salary cap was going to be their main priority, and they needed to get under that. So I was ready for it and it was unexpected, but it was for a lack of a better word, expected.”

The Saints have also shipped out other veterans this week, including star tight end Jimmy Graham and receiver Kenny Stills, but in this case the Chiefs hope the Saints’ loss is their gain.

Grubbs, who last made the Pro Bowl in 2013, figures to upgrade an offensive line that often struggled in pass protection, even with an offense designed to get the ball out quickly.

And while Grubbs has experience at right guard, where he started 12 games as a rookie with the Ravens in 2007, Grubbs said for now, he expects to play left guard, the position he’s played almost exclusively for the last eight years.

“Yeah, left guard is my position,” Grubbs said. “Right guard, I don’t know what that was about my first year. I played left in college and when I got to Baltimore they needed me at right guard. Johnathan Ogden didn’t want to play next to a rookie, so I was plugged in at right guard. (Laughter) But yeah, I’ll be at left guard.”

Grubbs posted a Pro Football Focus grade of minus-0.2 in 2014, which ranked 35th out of 78 qualifying guards. That grade was higher than any of the Chiefs’ starting three guards — Mike McGlynn, Jeff Linkenbach and Zach Fulton — by a significant margin.

What’s more, Grubbs only allowed one sack in 2014, compared to seven combined by McGlynn and Linkenbach, the Chiefs’ two left guards last season. But Grubbs did allow one more combined quarterback hits and hurries (33) than those two Chiefs’ last season.

Grubbs missed portions of training camp last August because of an undisclosed injury, but he played in all 16 games for the Saints in 2014.

“I feel good,” Grubbs said. “I started back working out two weeks after the season and that’s the first time doing that in my career. Usually your body sits you down for about a month.”

And while he also played through a neck injury late in the season, Grubbs insists that despite his age, he’s ready for another season.

“I injured my neck — well, I started getting stingers in my neck,” Grubbs said. “It wasn’t anything where I had to miss plays. It was something that needed to heal with time. Everything feels fine, as fine as it can feel being a nine-year vet.”

Even if he doesn’t feel great, chances are he will play. Grubbs has started all 16 games in six of his eight seasons. The lone outliers were 2007, his rookie year, and 2010, when he only started 10 games because of turf toe.

“I don’t think anybody has beat that injury — it will sit you down,” Grubbs said. “Other than that, I’ve been pretty much healthy, and I’ve been able to play every game since then.”

Grubbs is in the fourth year of a five-year, $36 million contract he signed with the Saints. According to Pro Football Talk, Grubbs and the Chiefs agreed to a restructure. The new deal is worth $24 million over four years and contains $8 million guaranteed at signing.

Grubbs’ main concern, in the interim and the long term, will be protecting Alex Smith and paving the way for Jamaal Charles in the running game.

The Chiefs have primarily been a zone blocking team that mixes in man blocking, and either is just fine with Grubbs, who has plenty of experience doing both.

“We were pretty balanced in regards to zone and gap scheme in Baltimore,” Grubbs said. “Coming into New Orleans, it’s not that much different. You use what you’ve got to move them. I’ll be fine.”

This story was originally published March 13, 2015 at 7:48 PM with the headline "New Chiefs guard Ben Grubbs is ready for a new challenge."