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After showing improvement on the offensive line in their first preseason game, the Kansas City Chiefs look ready to keep Patrick Mahomes on his feet during the regular season. Starters played minimal snaps in Saturday’s exhibition, but in their limited capacity, the development of their new-look line was hard to miss.
Among other additions on the Chiefs’ offensive front, Trey Smith stood out as a body-mover against San Francisco, logging his first NFL snaps and holding his own against the San Francisco 49ers defense. The starting right guard, a two-time All-SEC selection at Tennessee, looks to have found his stride after a strong training camp.
During Monday’s media availability, Smith told reporters he felt more than capable to anchor the offensive interior after his performance against San Francisco. Responding to a question about what he had learned about himself in his first start for the Chiefs, he sounded supremely confident, yet also acknowledged room for improvement.
“I can actually do it,” Smith said, “That was probably the first thing. Just watching the film, got to finish better is the first thing that stood out to me. Finishing my assignment and executing a lot better.”
On the line’s performance as a whole, Smith seemed hesitant to place a definitive grade on the showing, but seemed pleased, even if it was imperfect.
“We haven’t had the chance to go back and watch as a unit,” Smith conceded. “There are some things that we did well, a lot of things we got to work on. We’re working for perfection, but obviously, we’re never going to obtain that. There’s always something we can do better. Getting on our assignment, better technique, there’s always something we can improve on.”
Gradual improvement will be a theme for the line this season. With five new starters and depth galore behind them, the trenches will likely take time to jell completely as a cohesive unit. The limited snaps inherent to the preseason process will leave some suspense for when the games actually count, but Smith told reporters the new-look line was glad to have their presence felt early.
“We take a lot of pride in that in fact,” Smith said of their fast start up front, “We take pride in moving the people in front of us, so we know we have some studs on offense. Our job is just to give him time and space to allow them to do what they do.”
Smith’s role as a space-maker at right guard could be a godsend for Kansas City’s offense, especially in the running game. The Chiefs have lacked a dynamic rushing attack in recent years, putting most or all of the onus on Patrick Mahomes to carry the load offensively, effectively living or dying by the performance of their MVP quarterback.
Though preseason confidence is hardly a guarantee of regular-season success, it’s a good sign that the Chiefs’ offensive front is coming together day by day. There should be little doubt Trey Smith has played a big part in that, even as a rookie.
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