With the initial frenzy of free agency over, we’ll start to take a look here at how the Kansas City Chiefs might line up at the various position groups if they had a game today and analyze whether the Chiefs have more work to do.
Offensive line
Likely starters: LT Eric Fisher, LG Ben Grubbs, C Eric Kush, RG Paul Fanaika, RT Jeff Allen
Top backups: Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Zach Fulton at guard, Donald Stephenson at tackle
Others under contract or protected with a tender offer: Ricky Henry and Jarrod Pughsley at guard, Curtis Feigt and Derek Sherrod at tackle
Analyzing the need: The Chiefs could go a few different ways with their lineup. Another is to put Allen at center and Stephenson at right tackle. So the Chiefs could line up and play a game and survive both with their starters and backups. But would this group be better than last year’s? Unquestionably at guard after the Chiefs traded with New Orleans for Grubbs and signed Fanaika from Arizona. But the Chiefs are weaker at center after losing Rodney Hudson as a free agent to the Oakland Raiders. Anyway, the line might be only as good as Fisher allows it to be, and his performance last year wasn’t good enough. A center in free agency or the draft would be a good idea. Kush is the only true center the Chiefs have. A tackle through the draft also wouldn’t hurt. Another thing for the Chiefs to consider is that Allen and Stephenson are heading into the final seasons of their respective contracts. The Chiefs’ recent history with their own offensive linemen is that they won’t pay them what other teams are willing to.
