Does Kansas City Chiefs center Mitch Morse deserve an rich extension? Or is he just another guy?
Let me get this article rolling with a simple statement: Mitch Morse is a top young center in the NFL.
By now we all know a little about Morse, the undersized offensive lineman from Missouri who converted permanently to center upon arriving in Kansas City. Chances are that if you watch enough games, you will have heard broadcasters gush over a block here or there. But is Morse really one of the best young linemen in the game? What makes him so valuable to this offensive unit? Lets head to the film and find out!
The above is a play during the first quarter of Morse’s first NFL game. Notice how quickly Morse swims over the defensive tackle and gets down field to block for Charles. This is very impressive work on a key 3rd-and-13 conversion. These types of plays by offensive linemen tend to be overlooked. But remember, this block was key on a 3rd down conversion on a drive in which Kansas City would go on to score. The Chiefs won that game by 7 points. Poor execution on the part of Morse could have been the difference in this game.
Morse has rare speed at the center position. The above is only a small example of the ability Morse has in space. His speed is incomparable with any center in the game.
Morse is also able to utilize his quickness on inside blocks. This is another example from early on in his rookie season. This is such an impressive move. Morse is not the strongest guy, but he makes up for it with very quick, solid footwork. It is hard for the casual fan to appreciate just how difficult that play is. There are very few centers in the game who can lay down a hard smack to assist the left guard and quickly transition back to block the nose tackle without loosing a step. Blocks like this take excellent footwork.
The physical aspects of Morse’s game are very impressive. But something that has been nearly as impressive is his ability to control the offensive line. This is something you can not track on a stat sheet. Since day one we have seen Morse step up and take control as the leader of the offensive line. Centers are called upon to be the proverbial “Quarterback” of the line, and Morse has executed that responsibility to a tee. This, in turn, has contributed to a building of trust throughout the entire offense as a group. That trust is evident the most in Alex Smith.
Morse has and will continue to build upon these traits as time goes on. Already, after only two full seasons he has shown enough to gain consideration as a top young center in this game. With a year or two more to hone his skills, I have no doubt Morse will be considered a top 10 center. If I were Brett Veach, one of my top priorities would be locking up Morse with a long-term deal. Lets take a minute to consider what an extension for Morse might look like.
For this article I have considered the contracts of the top 15 centers in the game in terms of contract. (Numbers courtesy of Over The Cap, you can find the list here) Of those 15 players, eight of them signed multi-year extensions at or below the age of 25. Morse turned 25 this spring. The eight players whose contracts we are discussing are:
Brandon Linder: 5 years, 51 Million
Travis Fredrick: 6 years, 54 Million
Mike Pouncey: 5 years, 44 Million
Maurkice Pouncey: 5 years, 44 Million
Jason Kelce: 6 years, 37 Million
JC Tretter: 3 years, 16 Million
Ben Jones: 4 years, 17 Million
David Andrews: 3 years, 9 Million
Where does Mitch Morse fit in to all this? To answer that we need to know a little more about the players who were given these extensions. The first two on the list, Linder and Fredrick, are the two highest paid centers in the game. Jason Kelce comes in at number ten in terms of contract value, while David Andrews rounds out the Top 15.
Morse is a very good center, but he is not yet near the level of Travis Fredrick. Given what I’ve seen reviewing his film, and considering the extensions given to other talented centers his age, I would expect Morse to receive a 5-year extension worth in the area of $34 million.
Eleven of the top 15 centers signed their extensions after their third full season in the league. Morse is entering his third season here in Kansas City, don’t be surprised if he signs an extension this spring.
Mitch Morse has been one of the few constants along the Chiefs offensive line the past two seasons. A line that, thanks in part to him, is finally finding some continuity. Morse has played very well up to this point, and I expect an even better performance here in year three. For a new general manager such as Brett Veach, locking up a guy like Morse to a long term deal is a no-brainer.