KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Guard Jeff Allen joined tackle Donald Stephenson in the burgeoning membership of the group of offensive linemen who have left the Kansas City Chiefs as free agents.
Allen, who started eight games last season plus both playoff contests, has agreed to contract terms with the Houston Texans according to multiple reports. Stephenson has agreed to terms with the Denver Broncos.
This continues the pattern for the Chiefs since the arrival of John Dorsey as general manager in 2013. When an offensive linemen hits free agency, he is gone. The Chiefs in 2013 retained Branden Albert for one season as their franchise player but lost him as a free agent the following March along with two other starting linemen, Jon Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz.
Last year, the Chiefs lost four offensive linemen who started for them the previous season: Rodney Hudson, Ryan Harris, Mike McGlynn and Jeff Linkenbach.
Allen and Stephenson increase the count to nine in three years.
The Chiefs, though, have enough bodies to cover for their latest losses. They have Eric Fisher and Jah Reid at tackle, though no obvious candidates to be a backup. They have Mitch Morse, Zach Fulton and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif for the interior positions. They also have Ben Grubbs and Paul Fanaika coming off the injured reserve list and several promising developmental candidates.
The Chiefs also have eight draft picks and they've used at least one choice on a linemen every year with Dorsey running their draft.
With their latest departures, the Chiefs appear certain to keep that streak going this year as well.
