The Kansas City Chiefs are facing the potential reality of losing one of the best players on an offensive line that has already been criticized. One of the latest suggestions circulating is from USA Today’s Jacob Camenker regarding starting right guard Trey Smith.
Camenker says the New England Patriots are a fit for the 2024 Pro Bowler.
“The Patriots desperately need to upgrade their offensive line around Drake Maye. Smith is the best blocker available in free agency, as the 6-6, 322-pounder is a road-grade run blocker who consistently performed well with the Chiefs.” wrote Camenker. “The only glitch for the Patriots is that he and Mike Onwenu play the same position. That said, Onwenu (6-3, 250 pounds) can kick out to right tackle or flip to left guard and give the Patriots a beefy interior blocking unit.”
The two-time Super Bowl champion was drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and has quickly become an impact player on Kansas City’s offensive line. An option that is rumored not to be on the table yet to keep Smith is using the franchise tag to sign him to a one-year deal that would pay $25,156,000.
The Chiefs need cap space to retain Smith and can’t risk losing a high-quality offensive lineman after the challenging Super Bowl LIX loss.