How does this year’s Kansas City Chiefs roster compare with 2017?
By Drew Brooks
2017 offensive line: Eric Fisher, Mitch Morse, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Mitchell Schwartz, Bryan Witzmann, Cameron Erving, Jordan Devey, Zach Fulton, Parker Ehinger
2018 offensive line: Eric Fisher, Mitch Morse, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Mitchell Schwartz, Cameron Erving, Jordan Devey, Andrew Wylie, Kahlil McKenzie, Ike Boettger, Austin Reiter
The Kansas City Chiefs weren’t able to bring Zach Fulton back, traded Parker Ehinger just last Friday, and released Bryan Witzmann on Monday, but drafted Kahlil McKenzie and claimed Ike Boettger and Austin Reiter off of waivers. The Chiefs 53-man roster this year also includes Andrew Wylie, who signed with them late last year.
Losing Zach Fulton left a decent sized whole in the Chiefs’ offense line. When Fulton was with the Chiefs, he started 46 games in four seasons. He was a versatile lineman who played both guard and center.
With Fulton gone, the Chiefs have three new linemen who could replace him: Kahlil McKenzie, Ike Boettger, and Austin Reiter. McKenzie was actually a defensive lineman, but the Chiefs converted him to offensive lineman. Currently, McKenzie has great potential to start for the Chiefs, especially after they waived Bryan Witzmann.
The Chiefs signed Ike Boettger off waivers from the Bills on Sunday. Boettger, a former Iowa hawkeye, played at several different lineman positions when he was at Iowa before going down with an Achilles injury in his senior year. He has the potential to solidify his roster spot down the line if he shows he is better than Andrew Wylie or Austin Reiter.
Speaking of Austin Reiter, let’s talk about the Chiefs’ latest signing. The Chiefs just signed Austin Reiter on Monday and released Bryan Witzmann. Reiter played in all 16 games last season with the Cleveland Browns, but did not start. He’s played primarily at center, but has experience at guard. He will likely be a backup to Mitch Morse and Jordan Devey, but has the potential to see time at guard if he proves to be better than Andrew Wylie or Cameron Erving.
Next, let’s look at the guys the offensive line will be protecting: the quarterbacks.