By Marc Lawrence — The Kansas City Chiefs reworked their offensive line like they were on a post-pandemic diet trying to get ready for swimsuit season. The team cut the fat by getting rid of the bloated contracts previous paid to veteran offensive tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz and then strengthened its core by building up the offensive interior.
The Chiefs are impressive up the middle after the additions of Joe Thuney, Kyle Long and Austin Blythe to go along with the returning Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who sat out the 2020 campaign to help fight the coronavirus.
Tackle is suspect, though.
Last year’s third-round pick, Lucas Niang – who opted out last season – could take over at right tackle. As of now, the Chiefs don’t have a legitimate blindside protector unless the staff surprises everyone and bumps Thuney to left tackle.
Chiefs brass saw what happened to quarterback Patrick Mahomes during Super Bowl LV. The team’s decision-makers didn’t make excuses. Instead, they went about improving the situation and should continue to do so during the draft.
To read the most important position needs of the other three teams residing in the AFC West click here.
Goose Bumps
In one final follow-up to this year’s Masters, golf-crazy Japan has been waiting at least 85 years for a major winner in men’s golf.
Starting in 1968, there has been at least one Japanese golfer in every edition of the Masters. Until yesterday none of them had slipped on the green jacket. Nice job, Hideki Matsuyama.
And in one final note, after Matsuyama tapped in his final putt to win the Masters, his caddie Shota Hayafuji bowed to the course at Augusta National after replacing the flagstick on 18.
The respectful and humble celebration was a fitting end to Matsuyama’s masterful Masters performance and a beautiful moment that won’t soon be forgotten
