3 moves still left for the Kansas City Chiefs to make after the NFL Draft
By Jacob Milham
The NFL Draft has come and gone, settling the Kansas City Chiefs fanbase down until offseason workouts begin in late May. Kansas City had another solid draft, headlined by Texas wideout and speedster Xavier Worthy. In recent years, an above-average Chiefs draft class has been as certain as death and taxes and is part of the franchise culture.
However, this front office never stops working. They demonstrated this by extending Travis Kelce for another two years, likely sealing his status as a Chiefs lifer. It was a cherry on top of the draft weekend, giving fans even more to look forward to in 2024.
The team's 90-man roster is overflowing at the moment, but there are still some quality free agents available, and teams are looking to deal ahead of those spring workouts. National outlets will talk about why the Chiefs need to sign Odell Beckham Jr. or Stephon Gilmore, but we know better here at Arrowhead Addict.
Let's look at three moves that we actually want to see the Chiefs make following the NFL Draft.
1. Re-sign Donovan Smith for another year
Kansas City addressed the offensive line room in this year's draft, spending three of their seven picks on the group. Their highest pick, offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia, is everyone's assumed solution to the tackle room for the time being. But the fact is, a team's three-peat hopes cannot rely on assumptions and unproven players. Bringing back Donovan Smith not only gives Kansas City another short-term option at left tackle but also raises this roster's floor.
Smith wasn't a perfect lineman last season by any stretch, but he is a great bridge option for either Morris or Suamataia. There is scheme familiarity with the former Buccaneer, two Super Bowl rings, and he is a known quantity. Morris is a prime candidate to shift inside, while Suamataia shouldn't have Week 1 starter expectations thrust upon him. Smith, at the very worst, allows Kansas City to not throw one of the two young and developing tackles into the NFL fire.
Let's be clear; Smith is still available for valid reasons. ESPN's Bill Barnwell cited the veteran's penalty track record, drawing 29 flags across the past four seasons. Also, Smith did miss considerable time with a neck injury. He did make an impactful return during the postseason run, but teams struggle to ignore Smith's five missed games.
Kansas City is poised to make one or two more veteran acquisitions, at least this offseason. Retaining Mike Dana on a three-year deal, plus extending Hall of Famer Travis Kelce, all lead to more cap fluidity with the remaining space. Last offseason, the team signed Smith for a one-year deal with a $2.8 million cap hit. His open-market value surely hasn't risen much beyond that.
The Chiefs have compelling reasons to re-sign Smith for the 2024 season. His experience, past performance with the team, financial affordability, and fit within the offensive scheme make him a valuable asset. Kansas City must protect their MVP quarterback and maintain a potent passing attack, both making the offensive line all the more important. Re-signing Smith could be a clever and cheap move to bolster a championship-winning offense.