Good ****ing God I hope and pray they don't operate this Offseason under the assumption Fisher will just roll back into town at some point next season 100% and ready to play. That'd be ludicrous.

Last year says otherwise.

Last year's line wasn't perfect but they DID beat the 49ers, who had by far the best pass rush in the league.

The sky is not falling. They don't need 5 new starters. They need a couple and they need better depth. They need everybody to stay healthy.

Take a deep breath man, it's nearly as bad as you're making out to be. Yes, it was embarrassing but it's going to be when you're playing in the Super Bowl with your starting center and 4 backups.

They won't. Be patient, have a little faith.

Recovery time is about 9 months.

He’ll probably start the season on PUP, but he could be back by October.

They obviously need to prepare for the worst, but I don’t think it’s crazy to say he should be back at some point.

I bet he's back by late September. He might miss the first three games.

And as I've said multiple times already this assumption that Fisher and Schwartz will just ride in on white horses next season ready to save the OL is ****ing bananas to me. I certainly hope the FO doesn't operate under that assumption for Mahomes sake.

Well, Mitch is definitely not riding in on any horses.

They won't. Relax.

I'm sure they know Schwartz is questionable to even come back at all.

And I'm sure they'll have a contingency plan if they need to sub for Fisher for a few weeks to start the season. And they'll certainly have a plan if it looks like he won't be back at all.

Free agency doesn't start for another month. Draft visits haven't started yet. They need to figure out what's up with Schwartz and what they're going to do about Fisher's contract. Once they've done that, I'm sure they put a plan in place to address it.

I mean, what makes anyone think they're gong to stand pat after what they did after the AFCCG?

They're going to be aggressive, that's Veach's MO. That doesn't mean they're going to overhaul the entire offensive line. That's cost prohibitive. It's probably a 2-season project at this point but they'll make moves.

His plans better not involve Britt Reid

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Chiefs placed OLB coach Britt Reid on administrative leave after he was involved in a 3-car accident last week that left a five-year-old girl in critical condition.<a href="https://t.co/AlyjEWn5ys">https://t.co/AlyjEWn5ys</a></p>&mdash; Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1359323514466107397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Nah, I don't agree. After that disaster of a performance Veach is going to treat that OL like the 2018 defense. Complete overhaul as fast as possible. Not wasting the rest of Mahomes cheap seasons with an OL group like that.

They didn't replace an entire unit. Through a combination of free agency and the draft, they changed out several pieces for sure but they didn't turn over the entire thing.

We're not going to have 5 new starting OL next year. It's not happening.

We'll see. If they decide behind the scenes that Fisher and Schwartz are done it's going to be pretty damn close.

Ortho websites say that it can be anywhere from 9 to 15 months and that it comes with a 26 to 39% never return to play. Looking at various ortho websites the mean is 339 days after the day of surgery to recover out of 71 players tracked.
We have a couple of examples of how these work out. Derrick Johnson and Eric Berry. I don't see how this team should move forward with the thought that Fisher is going to be back this year or even then that he would be the same player. That same player that then would be a FA.

Hopefully that lump of shit is in jail come opening day.

I wonder how much left Antonio callaway has

What part of “prepare for the worst” did you not understand?

Where did I say you were wrong?
Why can't a person expand on another person's post?

Im guessing we can pencil in Allegretti, LDT, and Niang as starters for Week 1.

I think we’ll sign a FA Mike Remmers-type tackle to start until Fisher is back.

I also think we draft a center or guard in the mid rounds. Maybe Allegretti moves over to center.

Wouldn’t expect much more of a change than that.

Seemed like you were, but my bad then.

Fisher tore his Achilles. He didn’t ****ing die.

He’ll be back by Thanksgiving at the worst.

Get that ****er ready for the playoffs and let’s ride.

This SB loss REALLY stings. With that said, I love your guys thoughts and I really feel positive moving forward. Thank you all for the posts and positive outlooks! :thumb:

For a list that long (not sure how long a typical FA list is), that's about as good as you could hope for. Hopefully they can at least reach a deal w/ Breeland. I'd let the rest walk and say good riddance to most of them. I'd take Sorenson back just for his knack for big plays in big moments, but if it's not feasible, I don't think it's a huge loss.

Wrong skew . . .

For a team of the Chiefs' history, that's an amazing resume.

For a player of Mahomes' talent, that's teetering toward a teensy bit of squandered prime, not his fault, everyone else's in the building.

Find out who's planning to opt-out and adjust draft pics, trades, and FA from there.

I thought back this morning to the first night of the 2019 draft. Mahomes was on the screen revealing his new madden cover, but I felt pretty empty and hopeless as it was just minutes before when KCTV5 released the edited audio from Tyreek and crazy lady at the airport. We all kinda thought his days were done in football, and I know I thought we were in big trouble when it comes to ever getting to the SB and winning it in the near future without one of our best players. Maybe even cursed forever after Dee Ford had just happened.

You think back to that night and how you felt then and snap to now and look at what has been accomplished since. Hard to be too upset. Hard not to feel really optimistic moving forward about 2021. Gets me excited for the draft somewhat too.

Damn I just want them to start making some moves and get this thing going. I think we’re gonna take that trophy back next year.

I'm guessing very few will opt out now given how the season went. It's pretty obvious that despite a few outbreaks, mostly because teams failed to follow protocol, that the NFL's plan worked.

Absolutely on the first count.

Don't know how much I agree with the second idea. Yet. He's still only 25 years old. How many QB's his age have been to 3 championship games and 2 Super Bowls?

I think he's being sarcastic there

Niang might just be one of the most important players going into the offseason and next year. If he can be above average at either OT, then that makes Veach’s work MUCH easier.

At this point, they really NEED him to be a starter at one of the tackle positions. If not, things get super complicated.

If you watch the Brian Baldinger clip of our receivers, I think it’s painfully obvious that this team needs a WR more than an OL.

That Robinson disaster in the end zone should have been caught. To get both hands on that and drop is inexcusable.

This team will be fine on the OL. LDT is coming back and he is worlds better than that POS Wylie, even with time off. Niang is a nice development player, Fisher should be back by Thanksgiving and I think we’ll keep Remmers along with some additions for depth.

I can’t stress this enough. Even with a horrible pocket and Patrick running for his life, he was hitting receivers. He was making plays.

The problem was that we basically had Kelce and Tyreek and that was it. None of the other receivers were worth a shit, including Sammy’s broken ass.

Hardman is a fine gadget player who is very cheap. There’s value there for the next 2 years, but we need a bigger receiver who can get open and win jump balls.

They need a tackle and a WR. And a DE. At the very least.

Yeah. We need a couple DEs to be honest. I’m hoping we bring back Taco and draft a couple.

I wouldn't be upset at all if the 1st pick is DE. Our line needs to be addressed but we are getting 2 guys back who will likely be starters.

Need a LB too if we can’t keep Damien Wilson. Ben Neimann should not see to e field unless it’s ST’s or 3rd and long

Orlando Brown requested a trade. Demanding to play LT. Probably wouldn’t be worth the haul they will get.

There will be somebody available in free agency to fill that spot. They don't need to spend big on a LB with Gay and Hitchens here.

Baltimore is going to want a 1st round pick and probably more.

Brown wants a contract similar to what Stanley got.

He's not an option for the Chiefs.

Correct.

Unless the Chiefs are done with Eric Fisher, there is no reason to be moving Heaven and Earth for a long term LT. We need a stopgap type of option there.

If they do want a long term LT, I’d rather draft and develop one who fits out offense best as a great pass protector.

Yep.

My guess is that they fully expect Fisher to be back at this point so a 1-year type guy is what is incoming.

Yeah. I realize it’s not really realistic. Just overreacting to the super bowl. I have my doubts Schwartz has played his last game in the nfl tho.

He claims to not be about the money, but I’m sure that’s bullshit. A 24 year old franchise type LT sounds amazing, but don’t think we’re in a position to make that type of move

Here's the thing-

Fisher's starting to have back problems too.

Over 30, 300+ pound men with back problems don't tend to get better.

Yeah, maybe you can duct-tape in a guy to hold the fort until Fisher comes back from the achilles; but do you really want to be in the same spot next season? Or the one after?

Schwartz missed the last half of the year. I don't see how it's a reasonable plan to count on him either.

There's just too much at stake here.

I love the players, I do, but history says their days of being dependable are probably over.

Yeah I think a full offseason and Gay takes Wilson and Niemann's snaps and we're good there.

Eh I don’t know that I’d say Fisher is starting to have back problem because he had spasms.

That’s a bit of a reach, but I understand the concern.

I have ruptured my achilles. It takes 2 years for it to be 90%. It will never be 100%

This. Plus I wonder what's the history of Pro Bowl LTs tearing the achilles and returning to their former selves? Has that happened before? In Fisher's case he already had tough sledding facing Bosa and Chubb/Miller 2x a year. That sucks as is, now he needs to repeat that when he's over 30 and recovering from one of the shittiest injuries in all of sports?

That's asking alot.

Are you a football player with the best medical doctors available?

My hope for Fisher is just for him to be able to play half the year (the second half and postseason) at an average level.

Just get through one more year, so we don’t have to address BOTH tackles with long term solutions in one offseason. If Niang can be above average at RT, then the situation isn’t as dire as it might seem.

He’s posting on CP, so he’s actually better than that

I just think this-

We have two injured offensive tackles, both over 30, both very questionable moving forward, at least for 2021, and no guarantees after that.

Both are also not inexpensive players.

2021's NFL draft is unusually deep with talented offensive tackles.

The math just sort of seems unavoidable doesn't it?

These guys will all be back on tender level contracts, so cheap. Anyone know what SFA means?

If I were calling the shots, I'd find a way to replace Fisher AND Schwartz.

But that's just not reality.

Schwartz COULD retire but then the Chiefs have to go after what's left of his guaranteed money to get that off the cap. It could happen but it also might not.

With Fisher, they almost certainly would have extended him before the injury and my guess is the the Chiefs aren't just going to fly off and replace him before they know what the situation is. Which means they're going to hang onto him and his cap number and be in limbo until probably mid-next season.

I'd say it's just as likely they draft ZERO offensive tackles as it is they pick up TWO.

My gut says you're looking at Niang starting out at RT with a stop-gap like Remmers or Rankin at LT until they know what they have in Fisher.

Again, not what I would do but what I think they will do.

I wouldn't count on Ward being back. He may get an offer the Chiefs don't want to match. The rest of them will likely be back, including Wylie.

Does to me. We also have a redshirt rookie RT on the roster. Would be fantastic if he is good enough to start next season.

Really? You think Ward is gone? I mean, I would tender him at the 2nd round level but that’s just me.

Dude, Ward isn’t going anywhere. They aren’t going to lose both starting corners.

That’s exactly what they will do.

If Niang can be the starter at RT at an above average level, then Veach’s job just got a whole hell of a lot easier.

That would give us Allegretti, LDT, and Niang starting in Week 1. Filling 2 spots is doable, especially if Fisher can come back mid season.

Bring back:
Daniel Sorensen
Bashaud Breeland
Alex Okafor
Damien Wilson
Mike Remmers
Anthony Sherman
Tanoh Kpassagnon
Mike Pennel
Charvarius Ward RFA
Byron Pringle RFA

Rest can pound sand.

They're not going to cut him. They'll probably tender him at a 2nd rounder, agreed.

It then becomes about what they want to match. If he can get Steven Nelson money, they'll probably take the pick and let him go.

Of course they'll tender him. That's exactly what I said they'd do.

It all comes down to what he gets offered and whether or not they can match.

A team isn’t going to give up a 2nd rounder AND pay Ward. That’s highly unlikely.

We can get younger and more athletic than Sorenson for a fraction of the cost.

Okafor can't even pound sand, he'd get hurt doing it.

And Tanoh is a waste of a roster spot. He can go flip burgers.

It could still happen. All I'm saying is it's not guaranteed he'll be back. He likely will be but we won't know until we see what the market is.

There are dumb teams in the NFL that do stupid shit every year at this time. It only takes one team to do it and he's gone.

Sure, “anything can happen”.

But this won’t. Ward will be a Chief for at least one more year.

I think Fisher will work with Veach and make his cap number smaller this year to help the team. Fisher has been the ultimate team player. He loves Andy, he’s seen Veach take care of his players and he’s been here the whole time this regime has.

I think Fisher has lots of time left. These tackles are playing at a high level in their late 30’s, so I think it’s reasonable to think Fisher can play at a solid level until he’s 34, maybe 35 (barring unforeseen circumstances).

It’s important to remember that this isn’t Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Tyrann Matheiu or L’Jarius Sneed who had this happen. Fisher is an OT and those guys mostly play within a 10 yard box.

This injury isn’t going to ruin him

A LT that relies on athleticism and we don’t think a torn Achilles will hamper that?

So, he’s not going to make a full recovery? I mean what if he does, why panic?

Fisher can either take a paycut or he can be gone. We don’t have the money to be paying him $12 million to rehab on the last year of his deal.

He very well could. I dunno. I’d prefer he did, we extend him and patchwork it for half the year

I would just about bet the farm that we take an OT no later than #64.

Here's my reasoning:

1) We have zero legit proven NFL talent going into 2021 that is healthy to start at OT

2)Reid and Veach always draft college OT's for development regardless of where they play; clearly they value the athleticism of OT's.

3)Both Schwartz and Fisher are question marks going forward, and expensive ones at that. We need to get younger there.

Clearly there will be a vet/stop-gap/experienced swing tackle on the roster. You have to hedge your bets.

I haven’t dived into this draft that much but everything I read says this OT class is so stacked just like last year. I’ve seen 3 mocks that have Cosmi falling to us in the first rd.

This year seems like an excellent opportunity to take one, even if you have Niang. OT classes like this just don’t happen that often.

You can’t afford to wait either bc they’ll all be gone by the early 2nd rd.

I just don’t like the idea of saying we have to draft a T in the first 2 rounds.

Now if you go WR/DE in the 1st and you want to trade up in the 3rd to secure a T? That’s fine.

I just don’t like the idea of passing on a DE/WR in the first 2 rounds because of need.

What's Luke Joeckel up to these days?

we don't HAVE to do anything.

It's a deep, talented draft at a position where he have question marks and glaring weaknesses.

It's need meets value meets supply.

I mean I just don't see how they don't do it.

I wonder if he returns at less than his old ability is it even remotely possible to switch him to different position. Where his (possible) lack of mobility won't kill him or us? Guard perhaps.

I just have a hard time seeing T being BPA at 31. Too many teams with a need at T picking in the 20’s. Mayfield is the only guy I think has a legitimate shot to make it to 31, and I don’t even think that’s likely.

Then in round 2, I’d love for somebody like Dillon Radunz to fall to 63, but again, I just don’t think that’s likely.

I like Walker Little a lot, but I don’t see him being a top 64 guy since he hasn’t played football since getting injured in 2019.

Ideally and realistically, I think you go DE/WR in the first 2 rounds and trade up for a guy like Little on round 3.

McShay’s latest mock has us passing over Cosmi and taking Joe Tryon, DE in the first.

Some guys like DJ and McShay are VERY high on Tryon.

Others have in the 3rd.

It’s going to be a very weird draft with no consensus among the experts.

Shitty year to not have a combine. We could use the draft prep to take a hard look at both lines and the WRs :shake: