We are just about two weeks out from the start of Kansas City Chiefs training camp on July 26. Having said that, do you feel there’s anything general manager Brett Veach and his staff should be focused on in these final hours?
During the July 11th edition of “Let’s Argue,” put together by Chiefs analyst Mark Gunnels and Arrowhead Pride, the KC writer had a strong answer to that question. The “unpopular Chiefs take” that brought this topic to light was that the franchise would “overpay” left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
Gunnels disagreed, labeling a new deal with Brown as the “most important thing” for Veach and his staff before camp.
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Deadline Is Approaching
This should be the hot topic of the week in Chiefs Kingdom, being that the NFL’s extension deadline is on July 15 for players that have been franchise-tagged. Gunnels explained why he’d make locking up Brown the number one task at hand:
When you have the best quarterback in the world, the No. 1 priority is keeping him clean in the pocket. And last season, the Chiefs’ Pro Bowl left tackle did exactly that… To me, overpaying for Brown isn’t a thing, because we know he won’t get Trent Williams money. But you’re still probably looking at a deal in the range of $22-23 million per year — and for a top 10 left tackle who’s only 26 years old, you do that every single time. For the Chiefs, protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blind side is the most important thing.
Fans can agree or disagree with Gunnels on Brown but wherever you stand on this debate, you’ll get a final answer this week.
The last time there was any chatter on Brown, his new agent Michael Portner told The Athletic’s Nate Taylor that this could be a “five-week marathon” that comes right down to the deadline. Mahomes and Brown also commented separately that they were both “very confident” an extension would get done before that.
“He loves football. He loves the Kansas City Chiefs,” Mahomes voiced to reporters. “He loves being here in this organization. So now it’s just kind of the stuff that’s always tough is the business side of this. All of us want to provide for our families in the long term and next generations. So I know he’s trying to get that all handled.”
Brown was more blunt on NFL Total Access: “Simply based off the things that have come into effect within our division, the type of defensive ends that have been brought in, the type of players and all of that type of stuff. It’s not the year to go into the season with a backup left tackle.”
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Backup Options Behind Brown
The Chiefs did prepare for a world without Brown — if some sort of controversy sparked between the two sides and KC was forced to start a backup left tackle as the Pro Bowler threatened.
Lucas Niang is still on the mend from a knee injury but Veach brought in two new potential tackles and one returnee in Andrew Wylie. The fresh faces are rookie Darian Kinnard and free-agent acquisition Geron Christian Sr.
If Brown ever did miss time, whether due to injury or contract disputes, Christian would likely start in his place with either Wylie, Kinnard or a healthy Niang on the righthand side.
Is this a downgrade? 100%. As Gunnels noted, Brown is a top-tier offensive tackle and these players are all hovering around the cusp of a starting job on most rosters, if even.
According to Pro Football Focus, Brown earned a 75.4 overall last season and was pretty well-rounded in both the run and pass game. Wylie and Niang were both decent run-blockers but neither was effective in pass protection with a pass-blocking efficiency of 95.4 and 95.8, respectively (Brown was 97.0).
As for the veteran newcomer, Christian actually outscored Brown in pass pro with a 97.3 efficiency rating — making him the most likely left tackle replacement. Unfortunately, his run-blocking contributions were pitiful with a 39.6 grade.
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Impending Chiefs Decision Called ‘No. 1 Priority’ Before Camp