Cam Erving has become an offensive line substitute for the Kansas City Chiefs

From the quotes given by Laurent Duvernay-Tardif at minicamp on Tuesday, it’s clear the Chiefs have given Erving’s spot at left guard to a new starter, which makes Erving a super sub.

The Kansas City Chiefs had some obvious sorting to do this offseason with the offensive line. Injuries last season to starting right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and starting center Mitch Morse gave way to Andrew Wylie and Austin Reiter, respectively, two players who now suddenly figured prominently into the franchise’s plans. But where did that leave returnees and holdovers at other positions?

The Chiefs allowed Mitch Morse to walk in free agency and he was rewarded handsomely by the Buffalo Bills (to the tune of the highest paid contract for a center in the league). Wylie won the team’s Mack Lee Hill Award for the best rookie performer, and Reiter was given an extension to remain with the team. With Duvernay-Tarid healthy and able to rejoin the team near season’s end, it was clear the future was going to be a bit cramped even with Morse’s projected exit.

From the sounds of Chiefs minicamp, it’s clear that Cam Erving is the odd man out at this point. Certainly the Chiefs know the value of a versatile substitute along the line, since that player is likely to get plenty of reps as the season wears on, but for now, Erving has lost his starting spot. Per Duvernay-Tardif’s words to reporters after Tuesday’s practice at minicamp, it sounds as if Wylie has been inserted as the new starter at left guard, opposite the spot he occupied the majority of last season.

When asked about working alongside Reiter, a new starting center, for the first time, LDT gave a glimpse of the new interior.

“It’s different. You learn the strength and the weakness of everybody and you kind of go from there. Building that chemistry and that relationship with another player and being able to communicate. What’s great with Austin is that you can go talk to him in between plays, in between drives, and just like, ‘How would you approach this? What would you have done differently? What could I have done better to make you better?’ It’s great. I think we’re really gonna grow as a middle three with Andrew [Wylie], Austin [Reiter] and myself in the middle.”

It’s clear that Duvernay-Tardif saw good things in the man who took over his role last year while he was injured. LDT had nothing but high praise for Wylie, who emerged last summer as a darkhorse in training camp.

“Wylie is a tremendous athlete. He’s bringing good chemistry and good energy to the group. It’s been really nice to see him grow as a player. Of course, I think what we want as a unit is the best guys out there to create the competition so we can all get better. I think that’s what happening right now. It’s been fun so far. We all know what’s at stake, but at the same time, we’re all having fun together, which is great.”

All of these changes up front leads to Erving, last year’s starting left guard, being a new versatile substitute, a role he’s occupied before. Erving held the same role with his original team, the Cleveland Browns, and did the same for the Chiefs in his first year with the team in 2017. Last season, Erving played 963 offensive snaps, all exclusively at left guard. During the ’17 campaign, he had 256 snaps at right guard and left tackle. In 2016, Erving had 659 snaps at center. In 2015, Erving had right around 200 snaps at each starting guard position.

That level of experience at each and every position along the line, save for right tackle, allows Erving to fill a vital role as a quality utility substitute in case anything goes wrong—and in the NFL, that is a given. Not every player is a Mitchell Schwartz, a rarity of an ironman who has never missed a single snap. Erving’s presence also allows the Chiefs to take it slower with newer faces like Nick Allegretti, Jimmy Murray, Kahlil McKenzie and other developmental linemen. If they are up for it, that’s great, but there’s no need to rush someone into regular season readiness.