Brett Veach’s startling lack of attention to left guard

Brett Veach has patched up even potential holes all over the offense, but he’s left question marks at left guard completely untouched.

Brett Veach would undoubtedly say that the entire roster is his primary concern, but the early returns in his first full offseason show that a primary emphasis for the Kansas City Chiefs right now is to make Patrick Mahomes as secure as possible.

The second-year quarterback and first-year starter already had Kareem Hunt, the league’s returning rushing leader, next to him in the backfield and Spencer Ware, the former starter returning from injury, ready to keep him fresh. That hasn’t stopped Veach from signing Damien Williams to provide competition on the depth chart and even bring in Kerwynn Williams for a recent visit. From top to bottom, the competition at running back will be fierce.

Mahomes also enjoyed plenty of options at pass catcher before this offseason even began. At tight end, Travis Kelce was already in the conversation for best overall player at his position and he’s got several years left in his prime. The Chiefs have Demetrius Harris, Orson Charles and Jace Amaro behind him, but a recent visit from Benjamin Watson and the signing of Tim Wright shows that Veach wants to make this position as competitive as running back.

Then there’s wide receiver, a position at which the Chiefs already had one of the few truly elite wideouts in the game in Tyreek Hill, arguably the fastest player in the National Football League. One year ago, the concerns were about whether or not he was ready (and whether his body was capable) to handle the load of a No. 1 receiver. Hill answered the call with a tremendous season of 75 catches, 1,183 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns that looks even better when you examine the metrics under the hood.

Next to him, the Chiefs were also already anticipating the return of Chris Conley from injury, a player whose NFL Combine performance still stands as one of the best ever and who could finally thrive with a strong-armed quarterback like Mahomes. Demarcus Robinson looked promising at the end of last season, and let’s not forget that John Dorsey traded up in last year’s draft to make sure he didn’t miss out on former Michigan wideout Jehu Chesson. And, of course, De’Anthony Thomas is back in the fold.

Yet that didn’t stop the Chiefs from channeling some serious funds and effort to adding considerable firepower to the offense in the form of wide receiver Sammy Watkins, this year’s big free agent grab. Watkins has his detractors, and for good reason, but when a potential top-tier wideout is available, the suitors will always line up and the Chiefs paid for good reason. Put in tandem with Hill, the Chiefs aerial attack should rank among the NFL’s best unless something goes seriously wrong. Plus Watkins gives Mahomes a strong red zone target, and the Chiefs red zone offense was a point of concern in 2017.

Even more, Veach has shown interest in further help at receiver. He brought in Kendall Wright for a visit as a new potential slot receiver, a position vacated by Albert Wilson who took big money in Miami weeks ago. The Chiefs could be fine given their current depth, but clearly Veach thinks they need further help there. Perhaps the draft will give way to some incoming talent or another free agent, who will likely wait until after the draft.

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The bottom line for all of this: Brett Veach has went position by position to tighten the screws on offense, so to speak, making sure that each cupboard is appropriately stocked for their young phenom.

Is the offensive line next?

A quick glance at the offensive line shows that mostly everything is in good working order. Mitchell Schwartz is quietly among the very best at his position, and he’s hasn’t missed a single snap since 1965. Eric Fisher is a solid, dependable left tackle who forms a nice set of bookends for protecting Mahomes. Mitch Morse and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif are both young interior players who have flashed Pro Bowl potential as long as they can stay healthy, and they should certainly be penciled into starting roles.

But about that other guard position…

Bryan Witzmann is a developmental player who has turned into a very nice find for the Chiefs as a big-bodied option and capable starter. Just how high is his ceiling? He likely will need more starts to find out. The downside is that his current floor is lower than you’d also like. Can the Chiefs take that chance? Better yet, will they?

Parker Ehinger was once the starting option during his rookie year back in 2016, but he sat as a healthy scratch for several weeks in the 2017 season as Andy Reid continued to roll with Witzmann in the line-up. Was Ehinger not the same player after his ACL injury? Was he not as healthy as advertised? Was Reid committed to giving Witzmann a full season in the starting role to then make a real long-term decision?

Together, Ehinger and Witzmann are the options for the Chiefs at left guard and both are question marks themselves. Both certainly have potential, starting experience and could become the answer long-term if given the chance. But Brett Veach hasn’t been acting like a general manager content with question marks on offense. Instead, Veach has been eliminating even potential concerns by stocking like a doomsday prepper.

Veach’s reaction to other positions on the roster make it a bit confusing why offensive line hasn’t been a bigger concern. The Chiefs have lost their most valuable and versatile back-up in Zach Fulton, who found good money with the Houston Texans. The Chiefs didn’t even take a lineman in last year’s draft, leaving them without a rookie to make the second-year leap this coming season. Note: The Chiefs do have Jordan Devey back as a reserve and Cam Erving is an enigma to most in terms of talent and position.

It seems odd, when compared with the rest of the offense, that the Chiefs have not made a move to even bring in potential offensive line help with a free agent visit here or there. They are acting as if all things are settled along the offensive line. Perhaps they are. Perhaps the Chiefs have an internal confidence about one of the aforementioned players to fill that role, and we will all find out in time. Until then, however, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher as to why the position has been left largely untouched.