The Kansas City Chiefs completely rebuilt their offensive line this past offseason, with the potential to have at least four new starters come September.
One of the biggest moves was a blockbuster trade to acquire new blindside protection for superstar QB Patrick Mahomes. The team sent a package of draft picks to the Baltimore Ravens to acquire LT Orlando Brown Jr. in trade. The team also made a number of investments in the position. They added players like Joe Thuney, Kyle Long and Austin Blythe in free agency. They drafted Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith.
With training camp upon us, Brown believes that the newly-constructed offensive line group has already built great chemistry, both on and off the field.
“Yeah, we’ve actually been communicating all offseason, I would say definitely ever since we all stepped in the building together in OTAs, and it’s a great group,” Brown told reporters on Sunday. “I think that’s one of the most important things to a great offensive line is just the continuity off the field. If the continuity is good off the field, then it’ll be great on the field. We play a position that’s hard, that’s very different I feel like from a lot of positions and sometimes all you have are the guys on that offensive line of scrimmage with you to lean on, and man I think we’ve got a really good group going into this.”
To this point, all of the offensive line work has been theoretical. They’ve participated in padless non-contact practices, but in just a few short days, the pads will come on and the real fun will begin for the Chiefs’ new offensive linemen.
“I’m excited, one of my favorite parts of football isn’t just necessarily just wearing helmets, but the shoulder pads too,” Brown said. “Once we get the shoulder pads on, things get rocking. That’s when the real ball players come out and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Once the pads come on, this group of new players will be able to build an identity. They already seem to have one in mind too. Rookie OL Trey Smith explained to reporters on Saturday that he plays the game for the physical, violent aspect of it. Brown seemed to agree with the sentiment, explaining that the rest of the group shares that same mentality.
“Yeah, man, we’ve got a bunch of renegades up front,” Brown said. “They brought in a bunch of great guys, who love the game of football. Who play this game very emotionally. We’re all emotionally invested in each other, invested in the game, invested in this team. There isn’t any selfish guys on the offensive line that we have here in this group of 15-16 men, however many it is. I’m super excited to get to work. I feel Trey (Smith) on that. It’s definitely time to prove it as opposed to talking about it.”
Brown is right, the Chiefs’ new offensive linemen do have to go out and prove themselves in training camp and the preseason. Before they’ve even taken a snap, analysts have ranked them among the best offensive line groups in the league. For all the hype they’ve received ahead of the season, they have a lot to live up to.
They’ll be tasked with protecting the most exciting quarterback in football and blocking for one of the most talented young running backs in the league. Brown has a lot of confidence in his teammates to execute their assignments no matter the task.
“It’s similar to what Trey (Smith) said, it’s just the mentality of the group of men here,” Brown explained. “I think this will be a great group and I think we definitely will be able to run the ball. . . It’s a bunch of great players here now and man, we’re excited for the opportunity to do whatever coach asks us to do. But, obviously, you talk to any offensive lineman and they’ll tell you that they enjoy running the ball more than they enjoy passing it. But at the end of the day, I’m here to do my job, I don’t really care what they call.”
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