Getty Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid.
The Kansas City Chiefs had plenty of holes to fill prior to the start of free agency and have been diligent in filling them since March 15. But there was one free agent the defending Super Bowl champions signed that a former NFL executive loves: offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor.
“Nobody saw this coming and I love the conviction they showed in their evaluation,” Randy Mueller, a former NFL executive and current Director of Player Personnel for the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons, wrote to Heavy Sports of Jawaan Taylor being the “biggest surprise signing” for the Chiefs this offseason.
“That’s putting money where their mouths were,” Mueller continued. “They said ‘we don’t care what anyone else thinks this is what we are doing.'”
Mueller was also asked who his “favorite” Chiefs signing has been thus far during free agency and named Taylor as well.
“For me it’s Taylor, obviously he has to play well but 1) Defining what you are willing to do, and 2) Actually acquiring the player in this business are both easier said than done. Kudos to them,” Mueller wrote.
Jawaan Taylor Brings Risk to Patrick Mahomes’s Blindside
Jawaan Taylor, 25, entered the NFL as a second-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019. He spent the last four seasons as a full-time starter at right tackle for Jacksonville and surrendered a total of 149 pressures (108 QB hurries, 28 sacks, 4 QB hits) during that timeframe according to PFF.
Taylor’s best performance was no doubt during the 2022 season. In 17 regular season games played, he surrendered a total of just 16 pressures (11 QB hurries, 5 sacks). In Jacksonville’s two playoff games in January, he surrendered 5 total pressures (4 QB hurries, 1 QB hit) but did not allow a sack.
While Taylor is coming off of an impressive campaign, what makes his four-year, $80 million deal with the Chiefs this offseason a risk is that he’s projected to make a position switch.
With Orlando Brown Jr. taking to free agency and signing with the Cincinnati Bengals, Taylor is expected to switch from right tackle to left tackle, a position he has also played a total of 18 snaps at on game day during his NFL career. All of his snaps at left tackle did, however, come during the 2022 season. Yet, the minimal amount of snaps at left tackle leaves little room to have a high amount of confidence that he can make the permanent switch seamlessly.
This is why there have been mixed feelings overall regarding the signing. Mueller applauds Kansas City for trusting its evaluation process, yet other NFL analysts like ESPN’s Seth Walder are already calling Taylor a downgrade over Brown before Taylor has even suited up in a Chiefs uniform.
Time will ultimately tell how the Chiefs’ $80 million signing will pan out.
Chiefs Free Agency Tracker
Here is a list of the players the Chiefs have signed during free agency along with their contracts according to Over The Cap:
- OT Jawaan Taylor (4 years, $80 million)
- DE Charles Omenihu (2 years, $20 million)
- S Mike Edwards (1 year, $3 million)
- LB Drue Tranquill (1-year, $5 million)
- DT Tershawn Wharton (1 year, $2 million)
- OL Nick Allegretti (1-year, $2.5 million)
- OL Prince Tea Wanogho (tendered)
- TE Jody Fortson (tendered)
- P Tommy Townsend (tendered)
- QB Shane Buechele (tendered)
- DT Derrick Nnadi (1-year, $1.2 million)
- TE Blake Bell (1-year, $1.1 million)
- DT Byron Cowart (1-year deal)
- DT Phil Hoskins (1-year, $940,000)
- S Deon Bush (1-year deal)
Here are the players that remain free agents:
- DE Frank Clark
- DE Carlos Dunlap
- DT Brandon Williams
- TE Jordan Franks
- WR Justin Watson
- RB Jerick McKinnon
- LB Darius Harris