NFL free agency is underway, as the legal tampering portion opened on Monday morning and chaos ensued all over the league. While the Kansas City Chiefs signed someone that could be their left tackle for 2025 and 2026 (Jaylon Moore on a two-year deal), a trade made later in the day proved that there was plenty more they could have done.
The Washington Commanders, who are putting together an incredible free agency so far, made a home run trade by sending a third-round pick in this year’s draft and a second and fourth-rounder in next year’s draft for Laremy Tunsil of the Houston Texans. Houston kicked back a fourth-rounder to the Commanders in the deal.
Brett Veach is an excellent general manager but you’re telling me that he couldn’t have gotten a deal like this done for Tunsil? The Chiefs have had problems finding a stable left tackle in recent years and Tunsil would have given them one. Moore, while solid with the 49ers, has never been a full-time starter at left tackle during his career. This is another example of K.C. not going all-in on someone and instead hoping to find more of a project at the position.
At this point, Chiefs fans are used to seeing the Chiefs not value the left tackle position as much as they should be. The reason the Chiefs have lost both of their Super Bowls of the Patrick Mahomes era is poor play by the offensive line and one would think the recent loss would have made Veach go all-in on someone who’s proven to be more of a franchise player.
It didn’t even take all that much to land Tunsil quite frankly given how well he’s played throughout his career. For a team like the Chiefs who are trying to win as many titles as they can while Mahomes and Andy Reid are in town, this kind of trade would have once again put them at the front of the contenders line.
Ultimately, the Chiefs signed another question mark at left tackle and put a bandaid on protecting Mahomes’ blindside rather than going for the proven commodity. Sooner or later, they’re going to have to swing big and find a left tackle that’s up to the task.