Chiefs decision on Cam Erving’s option might reveal draft direction

The Kansas City Chiefs have a team option to consider for one player, Cam Erving, before the new league year begins.

On March 17, the Kansas City Chiefs face a fairly inconsequential deadline as far as the casual fan is concerned. They must decide what to do about offensive lineman Cameron Erving’s team option.

Erving has been with the Chiefs for three seasons now, ever since Brett Veach’s earliest days as the team’s general manager. The Chiefs traded a future fifth round draft pick in exchange for Erving during the 2017 preseason, and Erving has gone on to play in 40 games, making 25 starts, in three years in that span.

On March 17, a team option must be exercised to keep Erving on the roster at a cap hit of $4.68 million. If the team elects to keep him, they will have perhaps the single most expensive backup lineman in the NFL, a player with the 13th highest cap hit on the entire roster (just shy of Dan Sorensen for 12th). If they cut him, Erving is still owed one third of his bonus but just over $3 million would come off the books.

Erving has value for his positional versatility given that he’s made starts at left tackle, left guard and right guard during his tenure with the Chiefs. Unfortunately even on a team looking for help in any of those places, Erving could never secure anything more than a spot start here and there due to injury. It seems a foregone conclusion that Erving is out.

Even more, if Erving is gone, it might send an even stronger signal that the Chiefs will be looking for swing tackle help or even a developmental prospect at the position in the upcoming draft. This season offered a look at the reality of losing one bookend when Eric Fisher missed several games due to injury that required core muscle surgery. Erving started those games, so the Chiefs’ decision on March 17 will be telling not only how they feel about Erving’s talent but also his price tag and the general direction they want to go at an overlooked position.

Other than Erving, there’s no much on the roster at the position. The Chiefs clearly protected Jackson Barton as an inactive on the active roster. Greg Senat remains an option, and Martinas Rankin has played tackle before. Together, if Erving is allowed to walk, it looks like the Chiefs are in the market for a young tackle in the upcoming draft, especially given that both starting tackles are nearing or over the age of 30.

The Chiefs aren’t the only team facing such a decision before the new league year begins on March 18. The Patriots face the same on defensive back Jason McCourty, as do the Baltimore Ravens on DB Brandon Carr. The Denver Broncos have three such players including Todd Davis, Von Miller and Brandon McManus.