Chiefs Sign Former Bucs LT Donovan Smith

[Dante84]

Donovan Smith started 124 games over the past eight seasons with the #Bucs. After signing Jawaan Taylor to a big deal in March, Kansas City continues to invest in protecting Patrick Mahomes. https://t.co/CK4z151PD8

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 3, 2023

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief

Reid's philosophy has always been to get the best 5 guys on the field, so in that scenario it's quite simple; Smith is your LT and Taylor is your RT. I really don't see how this is going to play out any other way.

It's pretty clear that the Chiefs insisting Taylor was going to be their LT was nothing more than a smoke screen, just like all the WR videos coming out of top flight guys (except for Rice) practicing with Mahomes.

Quite frankly, it would have been downright irresponsible for the Chiefs to depend on Taylor learning a new position at LT and expecting Niang, Prince and Morris to hopefully figure things out on the right side. We are protecting the best QB ever to play the game here, and I'm personally tired of seeing him hop around on one leg, and I'm sure they are too. They need to have their asses covered. If it turns out Taylor at LT and Niang at RT looks like the best combo, then great, but you sure as hell couldn't go into the year counting on that. This way your floor is relatively high, while keeping the ceiling high as well.

There's no way the Chiefs paid Taylor all that money and won't at least make the attempt to switch him to left. They're also paying Thuney. Creed and Trey won't be playing for peanuts anymore after the 2024 season. You've got all those things to juggle and you STILL don't have the LT figured out for the long term? I reeeeeally doubt the Chiefs think Wanya Morris is the answer there.

Yes, Andy believes in playing the best 5, but he's also not a dummy. He knows Taylor is currently way better at RT than he is LT, and that's how things will be for awhile. Just saying, "That's how the lineup shakes out!" gives him no chance to make the switch, and that's really what they need to try to make happen.

Again, if he can't make the switch successfully, they'll do what's right and readjust next offseason. But ever since they cut Fisher, the team has been in this question mark hole at LT to start each offseason. That's Mahomes' freakin blindside protector we're talking about here, and every offseason is up on in the air. Maybe Morris will be a pleasant surprise and it turns out we got our longterm starter. ****ing great. But you know Veach isn't going to count on that, and we can't afford to pay for a starting LT in FA if we leave Taylor at RT. We will have pigeonholed ourselves into a rookie or a freakin 3rd round pick by default if Taylor isn't the guy.

You gotta admit that scenario isn't ideal.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by staylor26

I prefer Harris, but Wormley would be nice too.

I think Wormley has a little more left in the tank and a little stronger possibility of truly being impactful if/when he gets fully healthy.

And does Harris have any real experience as a 0-technique? I thought he played mostly 1 and 3 technique. Wormley's played a fair amount of that as well but he's spent time as a true Nose. And given that Nnadi is our biggest weakness, I'd lean towards the guy that seems more likely to excel at NT.

Hell, for that matter, I still like both the NTs the Seahawks got rid of.

EDIT: Shit, N/M - Bills signed Poona and the Jets signed Woods. Would've liked to have seen either of them in here.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by O.city

The only issue would be that money would or could have been better spent on depth on the DL, but I think that can still happen so it doesn't really matter.

First of all, wait for the contract details. People are overreacting to the $9M figure. His cap hit is going to be minuscule because his contract is going to be loaded with incentives he likely won't reach.

Second, we just spent a 1st rounder on DE and acquired Omenihu early in FA. Sure we still need depth on the DL but we needed depth on the OL too. That's what Smith gives you and he's going to be dirt cheap in the grand scheme of things.

[Shiver Me Timbers]

Originally Posted by Mecca

They're hedging their bets because Niang has had problems staying healthy all the way back to college.

^ This is EXACTLY the reason

[O.city]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

First of all, wait for the contract details. People are overreacting to the $9M figure. His cap hit is going to be minuscule because his contract is going to be loaded with incentives he likely won't reach.

Second, we just spent a 1st rounder on DE and acquired Omenihu early in FA. Sure we still need depth on the DL but we needed depth on the OL too. That's what Smith gives you and he's going to be dirt cheap in the grand scheme of things.

We drafted T's in the 3rd round a few times, I'd like to see them be the depth on the OL, but draft and develop isn't always the way to go I guess.

[RunKC]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

First of all, wait for the contract details. People are overreacting to the $9M figure. His cap hit is going to be minuscule because his contract is going to be loaded with incentives he likely won't reach.

Second, we just spent a 1st rounder on DE and acquired Omenihu early in FA. Sure we still need depth on the DL but we needed depth on the OL too. That's what Smith gives you and he's going to be dirt cheap in the grand scheme of things.

They had depth before. Even at tackle. Taylor, Niang, Wanogho and now Morris added. Veach even talked about Kinnard being in the mix at RT and showing vast improvement.

I don’t think this was to improve depth. I think Smith was added bc they don’t have faith in that depth especially Niang.

[dirk digler]

He actually looks pretty good here until the last play where he gets hurt.

Here are cutups of LT #76 Donovan Smith in game one of last year against the Cowboys. He hyperextends his elbow on the final clip. #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/IJwnq58Zh4

— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) May 4, 2023

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by RunKC

They had depth before. Even at tackle. Taylor, Niang, Wanogho and now Morris added. Veach even talked about Kinnard being in the mix at RT and showing vast improvement.

I don’t think this was to improve depth. I think Smith was added bc they don’t have faith in that depth especially Niang.

PTW is an unknown. Niang is always hurt. Morris is a rookie that's going to require some seasoning. And who knows WTF is up with Kinnard, they've talked about moving him to guard.

We actually have very little depth at OT. That's why they signed Smith.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

He actually looks pretty good here until the last play where he gets hurt.

Here are cutups of LT #76 Donovan Smith in game one of last year against the Cowboys. He hyperextends his elbow on the final clip. #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/IJwnq58Zh4

— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) May 4, 2023

He got "got" by Micah Parsons. No shame in that.

That player has a lot better movement skills than Orlando Brown, though. Probably a better fit blocking in this Chiefs run game than Brown, honestly.

If he's back to the player he was in 2020 and 2021, it could really pay off.

[AdolfOliverBush]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

He actually looks pretty good here until the last play where he gets hurt.

Here are cutups of LT #76 Donovan Smith in game one of last year against the Cowboys. He hyperextends his elbow on the final clip. #Chiefs pic.twitter.com/IJwnq58Zh4

— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) May 4, 2023

At least he's an actual athlete, as opposed to a giant mound of painfully slow flab stuffed into a football uniform.

[FringeNC]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

First of all, wait for the contract details. People are overreacting to the $9M figure. His cap hit is going to be minuscule because his contract is going to be loaded with incentives he likely won't reach.

Second, we just spent a 1st rounder on DE and acquired Omenihu early in FA. Sure we still need depth on the DL but we needed depth on the OL too. That's what Smith gives you and he's going to be dirt cheap in the grand scheme of things.

Why would this guy sign with the Chiefs if he had little shot at earning playing time? To me, it's clear they signed this guy to be the starter at LT (and that was most likely made clear to the player and agent) for one year until they have a better idea about Morris and whether Taylor can thrive at LT. The Chiefs concluded that Smith - Taylor makes more sense than Taylor - Niang. The Chiefs just dropped fair amount of money to keep Niang off the field, essentially.

Sure, it's possible this was just a depth signing, I just don't see it. The simple explanation that the Chiefs signed a LT to play LT seems clear to me.

[Marcellus]

Does anyone else remember that Veach said he wanted to fix the LT issue long-term this offseason and that's why he didn't even think to franchise OBJ? Yea I remember.

Smith isn't a long term solution, he is insurance and depth.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by staylor26

I prefer Harris, but Wormley would be nice too.

Harris would be tremendous. I assume it's money at this point.

[Pitt Gorilla]

Originally Posted by FringeNC

Why would this guy sign with the Chiefs if he had little shot at earning playing time? To me, it's clear they signed this guy to be the starter at LT (and that was most likely made clear to the player and agent) for one year until they have a better idea about Morris and whether Taylor can thrive at LT. The Chiefs concluded that Smith - Taylor makes more sense than Taylor - Niang. The Chiefs just dropped fair amount of money to keep Niang off the field, essentially.

Sure, it's possible this was just a depth signing, I just don't see it. The simple explanation that the Chiefs signed a LT to play LT seems clear to me.

There's zero chance he was promised a starting job. If he's one of the best five, he'll start. If not, he won't.

[Direckshun]

As usual, you should always watch the magician's hands, not listen to his mouth.

The Chiefs really, really valued Jawaan Taylor, it now looks like, because they believe he's really good at both positions, and it gives them all kinds of flexibility. We know he can play the RT position at a high level, and there's little doubt in my mind that he'd be a better left tackle than Donovan Smith.

The problem, that this move shows us: there's no other tackle on the roster that they trust. This team does not like Niang anymore at all, and Morris/Wanogho are not ready. Hell, I don't even think the Chiefs are confident they have a swing tackle; they may just put Thuney at LT if Smith goes down at some point. That's what this signing tells me.

The draft came and went, the Chiefs didn't move up to get Anton Harrison, and I'm not going to get a bunch of the manchildren on this board upset again as to why I suspect that to be the case.

But now they have no answer, and went out to get the best tackle left on the market.

Should Smith last the whole season, he's going to be better in December than he's going to be in September. But it's going to be a rough ride with him at left tackle for almost the entire season until December comes and Andy Reid has a final-form gameplan for how to manage Smith's side.

You're not going to get a great tackle for $5m-ish in May. You're not even going to get a particularly good tackle for $5m-ish in May.

What you're going to get is a placeholder who is going to get beat a lot.