Joe Thuney brings intelligence, versatility, and dependability to K.C. Chiefs

With their first major move in free agency for the 2021 season, the K.C. Chiefs brought in one of the biggest fish in the free agent pond with the signing of Joe Thuney. The longtime New England Patriots offensive lineman was heralded as one of the best overall players available, and the Chiefs reeled him in with a five-year deal worth up to $80 million.

In order to bring Joe Thuney in, the Chiefs decided to release veteran players like Eric Fisher, Damien Williams, and Mitchell Schwarz while also restructuring the contracts of Patrick Mahomes and Chris Jones, among others. Thuney’s addition is part of an offensive line overhaul in which the free agent guard will serve as the veteran leader and cornerstone of a new level of pass blockers intended to keep Mahomes upright and leading the Chiefs dynamic offense.

We recently sat down to ask Adam Weinrib, site expert for Patriots blog Musket Fire, about Joe Thuney’s career in New England, his big contract, and what the team will miss most about having him around.

Were you surprised at how high the market went for Joe Thuney?

I wasn’t. I was more surprised the Chiefs were able to fit him into their magic cap puzzle. Rumor had it Thuney was going to command a massive sum last year when he ended up on the tag, so we’ve sort of been girding for the number to be a little shocking ever since then.

The Chiefs have holes at other positions with the release of Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz. Does it seem silly to you to hypothetically task Thuney with a positional switch after such a great body of work at guard?

It’s a bit silly, sure, but Thuney is nothing of not versatile. He floated to center in 2020 and looked like David Andrews Lite. Signing someone and moving them is a somewhat strange thing to do for a high dollar amount, but Thuney in particular can handle it.

With his exit, what will the Patriots miss most about not having Thuney around?

Thuney and Cam Newton wasn’t as wonderful a marriage as Thuney and Brady; after all, he’s one of the best pass-blocking guards in the league, and Newton tended to make his own frantic pocket a lot last season. Basically, New England will miss his dependability and willingness to be a cog in a Bill Belichick-led machine the most. Patriots fans always knew exactly what they were getting from Thuney; namely, an upright quarterback (three sacks allowed since 2018).

Thuney seems like a well-rounded guard with no real weaknesses. Is that accurate or are there some concerns to pass along?

He’s not excellent in a power run scheme; his bulk has always been his biggest issue, though he uses his quickness to shield against the best interior rushers anyway. But really, not a significant weakness to be found. He’s too smart for his own good, and got advised to bomb the Wonderlic so teams wouldn’t be threatened by his intelligence. You got a good one.