I mean, if the Chiefs weren't sold on Taylor being the starting LT then why is he here on that contract. Doesn't make sense.

Woah.

Gonna need to see Terms on this one. He was REAL bad last year and if he's done (or Niang/Morris can start next year) the Chiefs need to be able to move on from him with minimal damage. He's no long term answer to a question worth asking.

It's an additional CYA move if Taylor performs poorly or gets hurt, cap implications be damned.

I don't mind Veach taking a low-risk / high-reward gamble to further protect Mahomes.

They're not looking to hand a job to anyone and Smiths deal is probably backup money with playing time incentives up to 9, like if he's a starting OT all year he gets that.

He's not signing an incentive laden contract without assurances he'll have a chance to meet them. He's probably starting this year.

Having a chance is not a guarantee.

Based on only last years play I think he has to be the back up LT. I would like to see his off numbers vs brown and wylie.

Another factor here, is, let's say Smith does earn the LT job and has a good season, we can let him walk to someone else's big contract next season and get a comp pick for it.

Low risk? What? 9 million isn't exactly chump change and this dude is liable to get Mahomes injured if he comes in and plays at the level he did last season.

He did last year. He didn't before that.

He's a reasonable gamble as a reclamation project if the terms are team friendly. But he might be done and if so there'd better not be substantial guarantees.

He's betting on himself, to resurrect his career. It doesn't sound like teams were lined up to pay him.

Because at the very least they know they have a guy that can be the closest thing to a Mitchell Schwartz at RT.

They clearly value RT damn near equally.

It's about getting at least one of those T spots locked up long term with a guy that is a perfect fit.

Why?

He's low cost insurance that there is a LT on the team. If Taylor doesn't work out at LT then he goes to RT where he has excelled and there is still a LT on the roster. It gives Morris a little time to develop.

Chiefs completely fumbled the LT situation this year. Brown signs for 16 million with Cinn. They give a RT 20 million. This guy from Tampa is a waking penalty. Veach is a very good GM but not perfect. I did not like the Brown trade. At least Taylor was just a complete overpay with no loss of picks. Will Chiefs survive this? Yes. Could have kept Brown & JuJU with the money given to Taylor and Smith,

He's a veteran who played LT very well for several years, including for a SB winner.

'Based on last year' isn't a fair analysis.

Additionally - the framing of the "breaking news" likely came from Smith's agent rather than the Chiefs, which could explain the "starter" talk.

Well that's dumb as hell.

:facepalm:

The draft is over and he hasn't signed yet.

Teams weren't beating down his door.

Veach is stacking the O line with 100 options for Heck to piece together and I love it

:doh!: What? Brown was not good and was not signing with KC for $16 million. Taylor has upside, Brown Jr does not.

So why give him a deal like that then? Let him sign for vet min or let him **** off.

Brown negotiated like a toddler, so that's part of it.

A deal like what?

What is the issue here?

Having a LT who can spell cat is comforting. Probably got and MRSA infected foot like Tynes. That will clear up

He could reach those incentives just based on an injury and not on his own merit and still suck ass and be a liability.

Who the **** cares?

That's valuable insurance for a contender, and even at 9 mil it's not THAT much.

This. You would think that Veach signed him to a multi year, nine figure guaranteed contract or something. This is a low risk, possibly high reward signing.

To answer your question, no. They offered OBJ big money last year and he refused it, then didn't really do anything more this year to even get the same offer as last year. JJSS took his prove-it deal, proved it with help from the best QB on the planet and got paid.

1 - we don't know the parameters of the deal
2 - we don't know that he'll even win the starting job, or make the final roster depending on how he performs in camp.

Even if Taylor was your LT, and you didn't make this move, would anybody feel comfortable with potentialy having Niang and Tega-Wanogho/Morris as your starting Ts?

You would think Chiefs fans would understand this after the Bucs SB.

We have no idea what he got yet.

It could be a $1 million base with $8 million in incentives for snaps played and conference championships.

It might BE backup money.

Again, you guys keep spouting off low risk, and that's complete horseshit. Unless he takes a massive step forward, he's a liability for the Chiefs on every snap he plays. 2nd most penalized OL in the league last year, and he's bad enough that Mahomes will constantly have to adjust his game to the fact he's liable to be beaten badly on any given play

This is a "Brett Veach learned his lesson" move.

Yup. Smith might not be Roaf, but he is a relatively affordable vet with experience. This is a low risk signing.

Why wait for the details when the hot takes are ripe for the taking

I would be fine with those guys at RT. Smith is a walking penalty. Those are drive killers. I hope the contract in Minimal with incentives.

Like Brown Jr?

Regardless, we needed another body at OT. And now we aren’t depending on Niang or a rookie to start.

You're being ****ing obtuse.

How would Mahomes do with Niang and Tega-Wanogho at both T spots?

Smith had a really bad year, but his tape before that is better than anything those guys have shown.

You're assuming he's making a lot of money and starting. We don't know either of those things yet.

If he does, that means he played well or Taylor suffered an injury.

If he doesn't, we don't have to pay him or play him. That's why it is low-risk.

He doesn't have to take a 'massive step forward'. He just has to revert to the player he was for 5 years previous to last year. And even last year he was a good pass blocker.

In 2021 he was one of the best LTs in football, especially in pass pro.

Chill the **** out. You're just wrong on half this stuff and don't have the details on the other half.

Wylie was one of if not the worst RT in PBWR last year and they couldn't beat him out for a starting role. Yet you are that confident they are an upgrade this year?

Chiefs fans are so reeruned that they somehow turn more options/depth at T into a bad thing.

Taylor is the LT. This is just competition at RT and insurance that if Taylor gets hurt, then they're not throwing a rookie in at LT.

I'm so confident that I'll bet anyone that wants.

I’d just cut Niang and move on

Yeah but Tom still got rid of the ball faster than most anyone and he still got hit quite a bit from the left side. As a backup this is ok but if he starts this is a little scary.

Don't know why you'd think that's a point with me. Been wanting his ass gone for a long time. Didn't hurt my feelings one bit when he got gone.

Seems like a pretty good signing

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bucs tackle Donovan Smith, asked about a recent uptick in penalties and sacks allowed: “I’m playing the game of football the best way I know how. I’m dealing with some things. That’s the way it goes. It’s personal. Don’t feel like sharing it with the world.”</p>&mdash; Greg Auman (@gregauman) <a href="https://twitter.com/gregauman/status/1601268345286053888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
sounds like last season may have just been an anomaly, where some mental/physical issues collided?

i mean he was pretty decent the year prior, kind of makes sense.

Yes. Based on your take they only need to be as good as Wylie. KC won the SB with Wylie. So yes I think one of those guys can at least be one of the worst RT in the league per your opinion of Wylie.

Also, I really like the move, becauze if Taylor went down, then who the **** would play LT before this move.

Remember when Mike Remmers sucked and then he turned out to be a really good value signing for the Chiefs?

So a significantly cheaper Orlando Brown Jr then? Bc that’s exactly what he was.

And I wouldn’t get pissy of the “up to $9 million” figure just yet. Juju’s contract was “up to $9 million” last year and it turned out his base was $3 million and the rest was incentives.

Would've been Prince.

But to be honest, how many teams can point to backup LT situations appreciably different from that?

LT and QB are the two shallowest positions in football. Any team that loses their starter is in trouble. I'd have been fine rolling with Prince there but Veach wasn't.

Okay.

I bet Kinnard is done taking snaps at tackle.. Its guard or gone for him..

But what if you're also starting Niang at RT?

Yeah but then we won the Super Bowl and had to PAY THEM!!! ****ing stupid Veach!!

Thuney or Morris?

If its a cheap minimum guarantee with incentives , I am OK with it. If not thats a lot of money for a walking penalty LT.

We're ****ed regardless. But now the guy just sucks and eats up potentially 9 million instead of rookie or vet min.

I like that they are loading up with plenty of guys. Hopefully they can get solid performance in the LT & RT spots.

:facepalm:

I bet this and McKinnons deals were done before the draft and just contingent on who we picked.

Who cares what he's making? Who is he keeping us from getting? It's a 1 year deal.

really is a great thing. all you have to do is rewind the tampa sb tape to understand that.

regardless of what we pay i'll never be able to bitch about paying fat guys. mahomes is the chiefs and you do whatever to protect that.

I guess I should have added that I also like it because he can play RT, too and probably is the starter there. He's been pretty good outside of last year and it's not like he's 35.

This signing just goes to show you that Veach is 3 steps ahead of everyone else.

Brady was a stand in the pocket , barely move, and get it out quick guy. Mahomes is not that guy.

Lauren Grove? Would! :)

Don’t disagree I just got spooked by the starting LT talk. I would rather that not happen

Thuney is not playing LT outside of a dire emergency. We're not moving him out of his LG spot, because that'd be ****ing dumb. No way is Reid ok with starting a rookie at LT.

You would think this is the start of free agency the way he's getting worked up about the salary cap.

Did you watch that ****ing SB?

Maybe he's Clark Hunt and didn't want to pay him?

Dante84 driving hard to the hoop with draft & FA updates. Props!

What are we betting?

I bet Smith will be in the starting lineup at tackle in week 1.

Its like people don't realize that Mahomes is one of the best QBs in the pocket. The guy just glides around and makes guys miss effortlessly.

Your asking in emergency. Chiefs have several decent guards. Thuney has played some LT and played well. If Taylor and Smith are out, very possible, who plays? Thuney is an option. Veach and Reid have both stated it in the past. They like flexibilty.

$100, also this only applies if Taylor is healthy.