I was actually just thinking about that.

What if Veach just let all the defensive players walk? Then resign Smith and Brown. Sign Alaric Jackson.

OL is set for this year and likely next. Some combination of Kingsley/Wanya/Nourzad take over for Thuney/Taylor the following year.

Then draft all defense and a running back.

I mean, you'd have to go almost full defense in the draft with that plan in free agency. 20+ million to Smith, 20+ million to whatever free agent LT they want, and a contract that hovers between the 7 to 8 figure range AAV for a 3rd WR and you're forced into letting most of the talent on defense go. Omenihu, Bolton, Reid, all gone, and there really ain't much to backfill it with on the roster.

I really hope Smith hits the open market and forces Veachs hand into a pivot. We've got a couple guys on the roster right now that should be able to step in at RG and not crater the offense.

I’ve said several times I think we need a RG on a rookie deal. And I think that guy needs to be on the roster already.

I just don’t see how Veach signs Smith without a major plan for LT. You can’t hope the draft falls right and you can’t rely on that guy to start right away.

It has to be a free agent or a major development from someone already on the roster.

Thuney, Kelce and Jawaan are all gone after 2025. That’s a shit load of money that’s being taken off the cap. At that point it would only be Mahomes, Creed, Trey and a vet LT being paid big money on offense.

Mahomes will also be “revisiting” his contract in 2026 as stated when he did his last restructure. They will likely do what they did last time pushing the cap back to void years and lowering his cap hits again which will open up even more money.

Add in the projected impact of rookie starters from this upcoming draft to replace Bolton, Watson and Omenihu/Danna.

They will have plenty of money. A Trey Smith contract doesn’t kill our cap situation at all

And none of that makes paying a B+ pass blocker at a position of nominal importance top of the market money.

I just don't understand how 'because we can' has become a proxy for 'we actually should'

It's just a poor use of resources.

Yeah but think about how cool it would be to have a $60mil interior O-line! When you have an opportunity to spend 20% of the cap on the least valuable positions on offense, you have to take it!

You have to be hunting for DTs and DBs early in this draft. Be patient and pick your spot on RB

Very real possibility that the entire OL in 2025 is composed of guys that got paid big money contracts by Veach.

If that happens, heaven help Jawaan Taylor.

This fanbase will be blaming him for the Kennedy assassination by the end of the season...

Well, there is a clear picture of him getting trucked on the grassy knoll...

IF it keeps you from addressing LT, then absolutely not.

IF you're committed to signing, say, Alaric Jackson, then you're also committing to churn and burn on defense and going young again THERE. Like letting Bolton, Reid, and Omenihu ALL walk.

And I'm not sure that isn't the best plan given the strength of the draft.

I'm not sure it IS, but I see the logic.

I expect ALL of this to be academic though, as I think Trey Smith gets too big of an offer for KC to match. I think Veach has a line in the sand and it won't be far enough.

Yep. If Smith hits free agenvy, Chicago is gong to back up the Brinks truck and park it on his lawn for this one.

Couldn’t agree more with this post.

Cowherd has been trying to make the case for a few years now that teams should pay offense and draft defense and kinda uses the Rams as an example of what it looks like. And to their credit, that approach got them out of the their “F them picks” rebuild in just one year.

I dunno, I do think we kinda put our foot in our mouths when we say, “the OL got us killed in the Super Bowl again!!!!” And then simultaneously get pissed when rumors indicate that’s where they wanna spend their money….

I get asset allocation and all that, but can you ever truly overspend on OL/DL?

Andy has kinda already told us he thinks the main issue in LIX was not being able to run the football. Trey Smith does help that issue, regardless of if you think he’s just average or good pass blocker. I too suspect he won’t be back though once they hear what other teams will give.

Who's been saying the OL as a whole got Mahomes killed all season? The LT in particular has been the bone of contention for at least a couple years now, and rightfully so. Spending 16 million on Thuney, 20 million on Taylor, 18 million on Humphrey, and potentially 20+ million on Smith while you're band aiding the most important position with half ass measures like Donovan Smith and the carousel of sadness that was 2024 needs to stop now.

If, IF, they've actually given up on developing Kingsley at OT because of a couple of games where he expectedly got overmatched and exploited then they need to just overpay out the ass for a mediocre LT long term in the tampering period and be done with it. Alaric Jackson or Cam Robinson. Pick your fancy and be ****ing done with it.

Yeah I can definitely see the logic there. I would let both Bolton and Trey walk and collect the comp picks but in terms of “this contract will cripple us!”…it won’t by any means.

If Trey gets paid he’s gonna fall in line with the rest of the OL that have been shit on. Fisher was a legit LT for like 5 years and people still hated him.

Guarantee that if Trey Smith, a B+ caliber player, gets paid then this board will immediately condemn him as if he’s Frank Clark when the reality is he’s not a bad player.