The reason they traded for OBJ in the first place was because they didn't want to be in this position.

He's coming back.

The Chiefs were clearly looking at OT prospects at the combine and more were a fit at LT than RT. It'll be interesting to see what transpires on that front.

There is simply no value in trading an underrated guy like Sneed. You're not going to get enough compensation. If they really don't want to pay him, you ride out his rookie deal, franchise him once, and then take the 3rd round comp pick when he walks.

You're not getting more than a 2nd if you trade him outright, and 1-2 extra years of his incredible play is not worth a one round difference in compensation. All that said, I think they'll pay him. He doesn't seem like the type who's going to demand a market setting deal or anything, and he's easily the second most valuable player on this defense.

Veach would be dumb not to have a backup plan in place just in case contract negotiations don't go as he planned. People thinking that he's just going to trade OBJ and then trade up for a LT are a crazy. The more realistic solution, outside of him signing a long term deal, is that they draft an OT in the first couple of rounds and let OBJ play on the tag this year.

Yep.

Everybody was convinced they were going to draft a tackle when they ended trading for OBJ. The Chiefs clearly aren't the type of team to hand the 2nd most important position on offense to a rookie.

Not the worst idea in the world and I wholly support it. There are a few guys I wouldn't mind in that scenario on day 2. At least you know going into the 2024 draft if you have to go get a guy on day 1 or not too.

Steen has really grown on me in that he just might be able to play LT and I think he can play RT at worst. He had a nice short shuttle and broad jump at the combine.

I really don't think playing a rookie comes into play that much, honestly.

I'm more inclined to believe that Veach felt he wasn't getting a LT at 31, ran his mocks, and thought the latest one would be available was to move up to 16. There's no way he thought, nor did anyone else except the Raiders, that Leatherwood was a LT and Darrisaw would instead drop to 23. A move from 31 to 16 is expensive, either at least a future 1st or a 2nd and 3rd. Trading for OBj was just a cheaper deal than moving to 16.

This is an eerily similar draft to 2021 with O-Line prospects but this time around the prospect or retaining OBj is expensive too.