KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- In their first three seasons with John Dorsey as their general manager, the Kansas City Chiefs watched as a parade of offensive linemen left in free agency.
That's why it's no surprise that Donald Stephenson, a part-time starting tackle since being drafted by the Chiefs in the third round in 2012, is joining them. The Chiefs are losing Stephenson to the Denver Broncos.
The Chiefs have the bodies to cover for the loss of Stephenson and also guard Jeff Allen, another potential unrestricted free agent who could be on his way out. The Chiefs have Eric Fisher and Jah Reid at tackle, Mitch Morse, Zach Fulton and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif at the interior positions, Ben Grubbs and Paul Fanaika coming off the injured reserve list and some developmental prospects.
The Chiefs have invested five draft picks in their first three drafts under Dorsey on offensive linemen. One, Fisher, was the first overall pick in 2013 while Morse was a second-round draft pick last year. Fulton and Duvernay-Tardif were drafted in the sixth round in 2014 while the fifth player, Eric Kush, was released last year.
The Chiefs' general strategy is to allow veteran offensive linemen to leave as free agents and replace them with younger, less-expensive players. Look for the Chiefs to draft one or more offensive linemen this year to replace Stephenson, and perhaps Allen.
