Following their drubbing in Super Bowl LIX, the Kansas City Chiefs made it a priority to bolster the offensive line this offseason. Although they managed to make some significant moves, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach was heavily limited by the team’s salary cap restrictions.
Kansas City was able to retain right guard Trey Smith and acquire offensive tackle Jaylon Moore in free agency, but they were forced to trade All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney in order to do so. Three months into the offseason, Veach is still looking at low-cost options in hopes of finding a hidden gem.
Chiefs recent signing is unlikely to inspire much confidence
The Chiefs signed offensive guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr. on Friday, per NBC Sports’ Charean Williams.
Anchrum has bounced around the league since being selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. The 26-year-old spent time with the New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks last season before signing with the Houston Texans in November. He spent the remainder of the season on Houston’s practice squad but became a free agent after being released in April.
The Saints, Seahawks and Texans fielded some of the worst offensive line units in the league last season. Houston ranked No. 22 in pass block win rate and had the second-worst run block win rate,per ESPN Analytics. Seattle ranked No. 21 in pass block win rate and No. 28 in run block win rate. The Saints finished with the fourth-worst pass block win rate.
Despite woeful performances from each team’s offensive line, Anchrum still wasn’t able to stick to any of their rosters. That likely doesn’t bode well for his potential in Kansas City, who ranked top 10 in both pass blocking and run blocking win rate last season.
Still, Anchrum brings championship experience to the Chiefs. He earned a ring with Los Angeles in Super Bowl LIV, and he also won two College Football Playoff National Championships during his collegiate career with the Clemson Tigers.
Veach is unlikely to find many better options considering the cost of Kansas City’s current offensive line. The Chiefs have $86 million invested in their offensive line, approximately 27.6 percent of the team’s total salary cap space, second-most in the league, per Spotrac. In comparison, they have just $97.8 million of cap space invested in their defense, which is 31.4 percent of their total salary cap.
