Parker Eihinger: To be honest, I think Parker Eihinger is the eventual starting left guard for the Kansas City Chiefs. An offensive tackle in college, Eihinger projects much better at guard in the NFL, especially on the left side where his technical ability will be a bit more important.
While he wasn’t a good mover as a tackle, at guard he would be considered pretty athletic compared to the traditional phone booth blockers most teams still use. He understands angles and positioning, which will be a huge boost in space when he’s asked to pull. The building blocks are all there.
That said, even at my most optimistic, I have to admit that he will need time to adjust to both the NFL and a new position. Getting a year to learn the ropes should be perfect for him, and…oh hey, whattayaknow?! Ronald Leary has one year left on his deal.
Mitch Morse: It’s an idea that has been floated out there more than a few times, and there is some merit to it. Morse played great at center last year as a rookie, but many feel he has the versatility to line up at guard. But why move him from the spot he was great at? Well, that’s based on the aforementioned play of Zach Fulton when he came on in relief of Morse at the end of the season. Fulton is a wild card, which means that the Chiefs could opt to move Morse in a pinch.
I don’t like this move. I think we saw Morse at his best position last year, and I want to build on that rather than having him move around and risk a set back in his development. When you have a strong piece show itself early, you build around it rather than trying to mold it into something else. If it ain’t broke, don’t move Morse out from center.
The Rest: Filling in the bottom of the group here is a list of guys that, at best, we can say have potential. Jarrod Pughsley and Daniel Munyer look to be the top guys bringing up the rear…which really doesn’t say much for the veteran, Drew Nowak. There may be an UDFA surprise in Garrick Mayweather or Zach Sterup, but I’m not holding my breath on that.
Next: Then How Do We Address This?