After the recent Super Bowl win, the Kansas City Chiefs are eyeing another Super Bowl title in the next season with Patrick Mahomes as well as Andy Reid at the helm, however, the franchise decided to bolster their offense further by adding a new offensive lineman in Jawaan Taylor heading into OTAs.
The free-agent Taylor signed a four-year, $80 million contract with the Chiefs in March, with a hope to move him over to left tackle for the 2023 season, however, the plan had a slight change as the team signed veteran left tackle Donovan Smith recently.
Jawaan Taylor will remain at the RT spot and Donovan Smith will take over the LT position
Former Jacksonville Jaguars member Jawaan Taylor played right tackle in the Jaguars squad over the last four seasons, hence the decision of swapping the position to make him a left tackle was questioned by many football fans.
However, Head coach Andy Reid addressed the concern during the final session of rookie minicamp on Monday saying Jawaan would open organized team activities at right tackle with Donovan Smith taking the left tackle spot.
“Yes, we’ll move him over to the right”, he said about Jawaan.
Andy raved about the newly acquired LT saying he witnessed Smith playing incredibly in the position.
“He’s been a left tackle at a high level, and if you look at last year, he was hurt. The year before that, he was one of the top-rated left tackles in the league. We’ve had a chance to play against him a couple times. I’ve seen him firsthand. Good football player. …He’ll be with the left side, yes, probably with the ones”, the HC added.
Taylor played 22 total snaps at the left tackle spot throughout his four pro seasons with Jaguars in 2022. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran left tackle Donovan started every one of his 124 games throughout the past eight seasons with the team before getting out of their roster in the 2023 season.
The Chiefs’ offensive line has undergone significant changes in the off-season with the departure of Orlando Brown Jr., however, with the addition of Smith and Taylor, the team hopes to provide better protection for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and improve their running game.
The upcoming OTAs will be an important opportunity for the Chiefs to assess their new-look offensive line and build chemistry ahead of the upcoming season. The team is widely expected to be a top contender for the Super Bowl and the success of their offensive line will play a crucial role in their campaign.
