Getty Chiefs center Austin Reiter has started 32-of-42 games in his three seasons in Kansas City.
Sports media giant Bleacher Report recently released a list of NFL free agents the Dallas Cowboys “should pursue” in the wake of the 2021 Draft.
The list includes three notable names: former San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, who repeatedly has been linked to Dallas this offseason; former Miami Dolphins safety Bobby McCain, whose connection to the needy Cowboys requires no explanation; and former Kansas City Chiefs center Austin Reiter, a new addition to the speculative news cycle.
BR’s Alex Kay wrote of Reiter, and why it would behoove the silver and blue to acquire his services:
The Cowboys were forced to play a combination of Joe Looney (66 percent of the snaps) and Tyler Biadasz (37 percent) at center last season. The former posted a PFF grade of 50.7, and the latter wasn’t much better at 53.5. They combined to give up four sacks.
As of now, it looks like Biadasz will be the starter in his second season, which makes sense. The Cowboys likely drafted him in the fourth round of the 2020 draft with an eye on him starting this year.
However, Dallas should have learned the lesson that it needs a contingency plan, and Austin Reiter would be an addition that makes a lot of sense. He posted a 70.9 grade with PFF in 867 snaps with the Kansas City Chiefs last year.
The 29-year-old would elevate the floor of the unit as a whole, ensuring better protection for Prescott in 2021.
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Background on Reiter
A 2015 seventh-round pick of the now-Washington Football Team, Reiter spent his first two professional seasons in the nation’s capital before joining Cleveland. He made 17 appearances for the Browns from 2016-17.
Waived in 2018, Reiter was claimed off waivers by Kansas City in September 2018 and inked a two-year contract extension with the organization that December. He was named the Chiefs’ primary pivot man in 2019, starting every game en route to a Super Bowl LIV victory.
The Texas native started 12 games last season, including each postseason contest leading up to Kansas City’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV. The team chose not to re-sign Reiter this offseason as it underwent a wholesale rebuild along its offensive line, importing among others Joe Thuney, Orlando Brown, and Kyle Long.
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Potential Fit
If signed, Reiter likely would slide into the Week 1 lineup, starting aside Zack Martin and Connor Williams. Left unchanged, the Cowboys have sophomore C Tyler Biadasz penciled in at center, with 2019 third-rounder Connor McGovern functioning as the direct backup.
Guided by position coach Joe Philbin, Dallas added just one offensive lineman via last month’s draft: former Marshall tackle Josh Ball, who’s expected to open his rookie campaign as the LT3 behind future Hall-of-Famer Tyron Smith and dependable veteran Brandon Knight.
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