The K.C. Chiefs Fix Scenarios

Now that the combine is over, much of the evaluation process can commence at One Arrowhead Way. In fact, the ranking of prospects is surely reaching a fever pitch. The plan for how to “fix” the team for 2016 is likely emerging but so much of that is dependent upon unknowns: which players will the team be able to re-sign, which prospects will be available when it’s the team’s turn to pick, and last but not least is, what changes in the offensive and defensive designs do John Dorsey and Andy Reid want to make for the next season and what changes will they be forced to make?

Answering those questions will depend upon certain fix scenarios. The fix scenarios will be based on what Reid and Dorsey anticipate they can get accomplished this offseason and not wishful thinking.

+ One scenario about how to fix the offense maintains that the offensive line is fixed first and foremost.

+ Another scenario maintains that another wide out who can match the output of Jeremy Maclin is either drafted early or signed in free agency.

+ Another scenario maintains that the defensive line gets fixed at all costs.

There are compromises to each of these scenarios and that’s the risky part. Also, there are many other scenarios for making the team more potent in 2016 and we’ll look at those here. These are scenarios that Reid and Dorsey are aware of and each has a degree of probability of actualizing.

Let’s sort out each of the K.C. Chiefs fix scenarios.

Fix the Offensive Line

To insure the team is able to accomplish this feat they will probably have to acquire a top lineman, in the draft. Someone like OT Jack Conklin or OT Taylor Decker. For that to happen, the team will probably have to move up in the first round.

To focus on fixing the offensive line more than that will also depend on re-signing Jeff Allen and then promising him one position and leaving him there.

Andy Reid may have to sacrifice some flexibility by leaving Allen in one spot all year long. That will require signing another player — a free agent or in the draft — another player who is willing and capable of playing multiple positions so that Allen will never have to be asked to do that.

Getting Andy Reid to change his ways may not sit well with him so it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the Chiefs allowing Allen to walk in free agency. Although, I’m hoping they can work something out.

I’m tired of watching good football players being allowed to walk away from the team. John Dorsey recently said, “We aren’t going to let good football players go.” Even though he was talking about Derrick Johnson. It’s time they applied that dictum to their own good offensive linemen.

In the last three years this regime has allowed these linemen to go: LT Branden Albert, G Jon Asamoah, C Rodney Hudson, G Geoff Schwartz, OT Eric Winston, and OT Ryan Harris (who just served as a Super Bowl winning RT for Denver).

If the Chiefs sign a free agent offensive lineman it would be a huge surprise if that player was a top rated free agent. However, if the Chiefs are going to make fixing the offensive line a priority this offseason, that’s exactly what they need to do. That is of course, unless they know they can get a good one in the draft… and that’s very difficult to know for sure.

Next: What Will it take to Fix the WR Position?