Mitch Morse, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and a troubling Chiefs offensive line

The Kansas City Chiefs suddenly have a worrisome offensive front after dealing with multiple injuries to Mitch Morse and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.

In a matter of two games, the Kansas City Chiefs have gone from starting line to startling line.

The offensive line was always a bit concerning for the Chiefs heading into the season for a couple reasons. First of all, the rotation at left guard was troubling due to the lack of a perceived starter, although Cam Erving has settled in and seems to be growing into the role. The second concern was about the lack of promising depth. It’s that issue in particular that’s coming back to bite them.

The Chiefs entered the preseason with plenty of experience along their o-line back-ups. Many come with several games of starting experience at a number of positions. In fact, the Chiefs could afford to trade Parker Ehinger and release Bryan Witzmann because there were several other candidates at the ready, guys who are now starting options like Andrew Wylie and Jordan Devey. The experience works well for a player’s ability to step right in to a position of need. It is not, however, a long-term answer.

That’s unfortunate for the Chiefs as they move toward the middle of the regular season schedule. The team has performed admirably in the first half so far, as they are positioned atop the AFC with a full game lead. But at this point, they have lost Laurent Duvernay Tardif to a fractured fibula that could potentially end his season (timeline unknown) and Mitch Morse to a concussion (timeline also unknown). Now they enter a game where Cam Erving is not the question mark but, rather, one of the entrenched starters.

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Devey and Wylie might perform just fine in the short-term but what’s frustrating here is a lost opportunity to develop a promising player. There’s no one in the pipeline intended to be the next great starter for the Chiefs.

The Chiefs drafted Kahlil McKenzie in the sixth round of this year’s draft, but he shouldn’t be regarded as anything more than a late round project since, by definition, that is what he is. Beyond that, the Chiefs have several low-ceiling veterans—waiver wire claims on players who have already tried to make it work with several other franchises in their NFL careers.

Therein lies the issue. Instead of the Chiefs now giving a recent draft pick a chance to earn some reps, they’re plugging in short-term guys who will only generate short-term returns. Out of their last 21 draft picks, only two have been used on offensive linemen: McKenzie and Ehinger. By comparison, the Chiefs drafted four wide receivers in that same span.

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To summarize, the Chiefs have invested two picks—a fourth in 2016 and sixth in 2018—in the offensive front in the last three years for a game in which the oft-quoted maxim is to build the lines first and foremost (for this very reason). It’s an unfortunate position for a team that could use youth and depth at a critical time.

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