Why Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and the Chiefs are a perfect marriage

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Nov 27, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (76) in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

The most obvious place to start is the fact that Duvernay-Tardif is a solid lineman. According to Pro Football Focus, he has the fifth best pass blocking efficiency in the league. He sits only .26 behind free agent guard T.J. Lang who’s expected to sign a large free agent deal this off-season. Tardif is only 26 years old, compared to Lang who is 29. Those three years are the prime years of an interior lineman that you would lose with a player like Lang. While LDT is still improving as a run blocker, he fits well in the Chiefs pass-heavy offensive scheme.

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was on fire in pass protection for most of 2016. It's a small sample for a large contract, but he has promise pic.twitter.com/XK5rKf2PPz
— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) February 27, 2017

Continuity is a major factor in the success of an offensive line. With this contract the entire Chiefs offensive line is under contract for the next three years. Four of the five played all this season together, giving the line four solid years together.

Andy Reid runs one of the most complex offensives in the league and keeping a line together like that is huge. Tardif has been on the roster since 2014 so he knows the system inside and out. An outside free agent would have a learning curve that a team in the middle of a contender window can’t afford.

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