Donovan Smith
The Chiefs lost Orlando Brown Jr. last offseason to rival Cincinnati so they had to find a new left tackle for the 2023 season. They settled on former Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith who was coming off a rough 2022 campaign with Tampa Bay.
Smith's rough streak continued in Kansas City, as he finished the 2023 season with nine penalties and a measly PFF run-blocking grade of 45.1. The Chiefs could still bring Smith back for the 2024 season but as of this writing, it's looking as though either Wanya Morris or rookie Kingsley Suamatala will start at left tackle.
L'Jarius Sneed
It might seem crazy to put L'Jarius Sneed on here given how dominant he was in 2023 but the Chiefs traded him for a reason. That reason is that Sneed was going to be expensive and he was indeed. Sneed signed a new four-year deal with the Titans worth $76 million, which would have made it impossible for the Chiefs to keep Chris Jones.
Some fans were upset with what the Chiefs got in return for Sneed but 610 Sports radio host Carrington Harrison had mentioned that the return was good considering "Sneed's knee is not in good shape". If this truly is the case, this is another reason why moving on from Sneed will be a wise move for KC in the long run.
I don’t think the Chiefs got fleeced.
— Carrington Harrison (@cdotharrison) March 23, 2024
The league knew the Chiefs had no interest in keeping/paying Sneed long term.
Sneed’s knee is not in good shape.
3rd round compensatory picks are not a guarantee. There’s been 7 given out the past 3 drafts. https://t.co/27NqxX6LdH
Sneed was great for the Chiefs and that punch-out he had in the AFC title game in Baltimore helped propel KC to its second straight Super Bowl appearance and fourth in five years but moving on made sense for both sides.