Nate Taylor: Chiefs targeting OT Ronnie Stanley in free agency

[wazu]

New story. Joe Thuney did everything the Chiefs asked of him — & more.

What’s next for the Chiefs?

They plan to sign Trey Smith to an extension & acquire a new left tackle, targeting Ronnie Stanley.https://t.co/1cKzfqMDbu

— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) March 5, 2025

When free agency begins, the Chiefs will target Ronnie Stanley, the nine-year veteran who is the best left tackle available on the market, according to sources. Stanley, who will turn 31 this month, started all 17 season games last season for the Baltimore Ravens. He earned a 70.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus and allowed just three sacks.

[kccrow]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Paying top of the market for a guy that has missed 40% of games in the last 6 years makes me feel like this is a bad idea.

Stanley is easily the scariest option in FA. He's going to cost a lot and chances are he'll get injured at some point.

Not saying it isn't worth taking the shot but you can't stop at FA.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief

They're still only going to be willing to go so high, and if we just keep upping them eventually they will concede. I'm dead serious, this is one of those times you just don't lose. We let it happen twice now, both with Williams and OBJ. Simply cannot do it anymore.

There isn't going to be a tackle like Stanley available again for God only knows how long. If he actually does hit the market, you simply do not allow him to sign anywhere else. I know that sounds simplistic, but that's because it is. Kick money into future seasons, add void years, whatever, we're in great shape with the cap long term and can afford to do so.

You either pay whatever it takes, or you keep watching Mahomes be 75% of what he could be. No amount of money is worth that continuing.

When did Ronnie Stanley become Jonathan ****ing Ogden?

[Wisconsin_Chief]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Paying top of the market for a guy that has missed 40% of games in the last 6 years makes me feel like this is a bad idea.

He only needs to be healthy for the stretch run. We know we can get by with Morris if needed for a few games. Hell, we almost won it all with a 33 year old guard playing the position.

All these excuses are only going to lead to having jack shit at the position again. This is one of those spots where you just go balls deep and do what the hell needs to be done because you've tried literally everything else. There will be risk, but there's also risk to throwing D.J. Humphries out there and hoping he's still an NFL left tackle. The risk that leads to Mahomes having his best shot to rip hearts out in the playoffs is what I'm picking.

[RunKC]

Cam Robinson has played in at least 14 games in 5 of the last 6 seasons and 6 of 8 seasons overall.

That alone makes me feel like he’s a better option. Stanley may be better but the only year he’s been healthy all season was unsurprisingly a contract year.

[Wisconsin_Chief]

Originally Posted by OnTheWarpath15

When did Ronnie Stanley become Jonathan ****ing Ogden?

I'm not saying he's a generational tackle like Ogden or anything, just that LTs of his caliber rarely hit the market. How long has it been? Probably not since Trent Williams, so 3-4 years ago? You want to wait that long again hoping to find a LT of his caliber while we throw shit at the wall in the meantime?

[Wisconsin_Chief]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Cam Robinson has played in at least 14 games in 5 of the last 6 seasons and 6 of 8 seasons overall.

That alone makes me feel like he’s a better option. Stanley may be better but the only year he’s been healthy all season was unsurprisingly a contract year.

What I'm worried about is getting into a bidding war for Stanley, then losing out on both. That would be epic failure that simply cannot happen.

It's why I'm convinced they're very confident they are going to get their guy, whoever it might be. I just don't think there's any possible way they trade Thuney if they didn't have something up their sleeves.

[Chiefnj2]

LT is the second most important position on the team. Move up and draft one. Spending top dollar on older vets who are unlikely to play a full season isn't the wise move.

[OnTheWarpath15]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

LT is the second most important position on the team. Move up and draft one. Spending top dollar on older vets who are unlikely to play a full season isn't the wise move.

Most years I would agree with this.

But seeing as how we only have 6 picks, it would cost several of them to move that far, this is a defense heavy draft and the majority of our holes are on defense - I'm not seeing it.

Maybe Veach can work a miracle, but if he can't and you skipped out on FA...

[Semichief]

Yup - the year to move up and draft one was last year when the OT class was loaded. Little did we know that Wayna, Kingsley and the veteran scrap heap LT's would all fail to do the job adequately.

If last year's OT class was in this draft, it would not be out of the question to move up to #10 and give up many draft picks to do it. But the return on that type of move just isn't there this year.

[tyton75]

We need to be prepared to move up in the draft to get a cost controlled tackle for the next 5 years. Then Andy needs to start developing a lot of plays that consist of a TE on the left side to help chip.

Kinda how I feel they should have done with Kingsley to start the season.. give the new tackle all the help we can

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by tyton75

We need to be prepared to move up in the draft to get a cost controlled tackle for the next 5 years. Then Andy needs to start developing a lot of plays that consist of a TE on the left side to help chip.

Kinda how I feel they should have done with Kingsley to start the season.. give the new tackle all the help we can

Problem this is a bad OT year.

[htismaqe]

This would be a terrible year to trade up. Hell, if that's the plan, they should have just stuck with Kingsley. He was a rookie once.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by RunKC

Paying top of the market for a guy that has missed 40% of games in the last 6 years makes me feel like this is a bad idea.

"Trust your feelings Luke!"

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by tyton75

We need to be prepared to move up in the draft to get a cost controlled tackle for the next 5 years. Then Andy needs to start developing a lot of plays that consist of a TE on the left side to help chip.

Kinda how I feel they should have done with Kingsley to start the season.. give the new tackle all the help we can

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

LT is the second most important position on the team. Move up and draft one. Spending top dollar on older vets who are unlikely to play a full season isn't the wise move.

It's easy to say "trade up and get the T!"

But the player has to exist. It has to be in range of a pick you (1) have the capital to acquire and (2) a team is willing to move.

That wasn't the case last year and is not the case again this year.

[duncan_idaho]

Re: Stanley's injury history, if you look at it... it really is almost all about the ankle injury he suffered in 2020.

Midseason 2020: Ankle injury (bad)
Game 1 2021: Re-injures same ankle (badly. Misses rest of season)
Games 1-4 2022: Had corrective surgery on same ankle. Sprained it again later that year and missed two more games.
2023 and 2024: Week 1 2023 knee sprain, missed 4 games, came back and played well

If the ankle is sound now after the final corrective surgery, the injury risk could be quite a bit lower than perception.