Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive line should be in NFL’s top 10 says national columnist
Games aren’t won based on offseason moves, but there is optimism among Chiefs fans that the offensive line should perform better than in Super Bowl LV.
That confidence in the rebuilt offensive line is shared by national media members who cover the NFL.
In fact, Peter King of NBC Sports listed the offensive line as one reason why he sees the Chiefs as the NFL’s best team heading into the 2021 season.
King, who previously wrote for three decades at Sports Illustrated, had the Chiefs No. 1, the Chargers 10th, the Raiders 23rd and the Broncos at No. 25.
Here is an excerpt about the Chiefs from King’s latest weekly column: “This is such a well-coached, well-run team. I remember doing this list last year and trying to force myself to find any reason to pick another team number one after the Super Bowl win, and I couldn’t. Same after the Super Bowl loss now. KC lost to Tampa because the Bucs got on one of those can’t-stop-‘em rolls, but also because Andy Reid’s offensive line was tattered due to injury and opt-outs; Patrick Mahomes got sacked or pressured 29 times that day. So GM Brett Veach maneuvered the cap and signed/drafted/traded for a new offensive line (with the exception of returning tackle Mike Remmers). In Week 1, Orlando Brown/Joe Thuney/Austin Blythe/Kyle Long/Remmers should be a top 10 NFL offensive line — a vast improvement from number 32 at season’s end.”
Pro Football Focus positional rankings Monday were about the offensive line and three Chiefs made the lists. All three weren’t with the team a year ago.
Orlando Brown, who was acquired in a trade with the Ravens, was No. 17 on the list of the top 32 offensive tackles. Center Creed Humphrey, who was a second-round pick in last month’s draft, was ranked 16th among the 32 best centers.
At No. 3 on Pro Football Focus’ list of the best guards is Joe Thuney, who signed as a free agent with the Chiefs.
The Chiefs loaded up the Brinks truck for Joe Thuney in free agency this season, but at least they got one of the best guards in the league with all of that money,” Sam Monson wrote. “Thuney isn’t coming off his best season, but he has still allowed just three sacks in three seasons and has been a consistently good run-blocker.”
ESPN’s Louis Riddick said earlier this month the Chiefs offensive line “has the potential to be one of the very best in the NFL.”
Tim Bielik of Cleveland.com is looking at teams that stand in the way of the Browns making the Super Bowl. He recently wrote about the Chiefs and focused a large part of the story on the moves made to help the offensive line.
Of the Brown trade, Bielik wrote: “The Chiefs and Ravens have had some wild games the past few seasons with Mahomes and Lamar Jackson forming one of the more entertaining young quarterback rivalries in the league.
“So it was a little strange to see them get together and make a blockbuster trade on April 23, days before the 2021 NFL Draft. The Ravens sent a disgruntled Orlando Brown Jr., who would not be a left tackle in Baltimore, to Kansas City where he could replace Fisher. Kansas City gave up its first-round pick and three others as part of the deal.
“Brown filled in well in 2020 for the injured Ronnie Stanley and will now be protecting Mahomes’ blindside. With that move, the reloading of the offensive line was complete.”
