With LDT opting-out of his contract, the Chiefs added veteran Kelechi Osemele. With LDT starting at guard last season for the Chiefs they have a new challenge ahead to find out who best would fit that role. Does the former all-pro have what it takes to take over that spot?
The LDT news came as a shock to all Chiefs fans, but we can appreciate what he is doing to fight COVID-19. In response, the front office went and signed a veteran in Kelechi Osemele. This move has the potential to be a boom or bust kind of deal for the Chiefs. Luckily, the Chiefs were able to get a team friendly deal in a one year, $2 million dollar contract.
Osemele has proven to be an absolute stud in the NFL. You might remember him when he spent time on the Ravens, but then came to the Raiders in 2016. That very first season, he was a first team all-pro. The only other Chiefs lineman to ever get that recognition is Mitchell Schwartz in 2018. Being only 4 years removed from that season, I think the Chiefs saw the potential upside of signing Osemele and I can’t blame them. A $2 million contract is a win-win situation for the Chiefs. If it doesn’t work out, the Chiefs aren’t locked up long term and don’t have to worry about any dead cap space.
The only thing that can be worrisome if you’re a Chiefs fan is that Osemele has only played in 14 games the past two seasons. This is often the case with boom or bust players. There are a lot of good NFL players that if they could just stay healthy, can end up being some of the best players at their position. The Chiefs definitely have a need on the interior part of the offensive line, so Osemele is going to get every shot at starting this year.
Going off just the information we have to begin this year, my guess is that Osemele will end up being the starting LG for the Chiefs. After that I think have some spots that could be up for grabs. Look for Center and RG to be positions that will be battled for in training camp. The Chiefs did draft Lucas Niang I believe to compete on the interior of the line with hopes to move him out to tackle potentially next year. Don’t forget they also brought in Mike Remmers through free agency, signed Yasir Durant, and Darryl Williams as undrafted free agents. Look for all of these lineman to compete for starting spots in camp and being the next guys up.
The Chiefs offensive line obviously needed work going into this offseason and they addressed this through the draft. The leaving of LDT was unexpected, but luckily when you’re the Super Bowl champs you can go after veterans like Osemele that are in the stage of their careers where they just want to hoist that Lombardi. Kansas City is still in a great position to win it all again this year and should continue to be the favorite going into the season. Look for Osemele to make an impact right away and be the starting LG for Kansas City week one.
