On Thursday, Donovan Smith signed a one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. The deal is not officially complete, but it should be worth $9 Million, per the NFL Network.
Smith previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In Tampa, he started 124 regular-season games from 2015 to 2022.
However, the Buccaneers cut him as a cap casualty this off-season after sustaining multiple injuries and finishing with a dreadful 78.3 percent win-rate on pass blocking and a 64.9 percent win-rate on run blocking in 2022. Smith is likely to see playing time, due to injuries or experimenting with offensive line sets.
Yet, in all the Chiefs have done to reset the offensive line, they have not adequately answered questions about offensive productivity.
Donovan Smith Signing Raises Questions About Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Productivity
Patrick Mahomes and co ran a unit that ranked first in points for, yards, first downs, passing yards, passing touchdowns, yards per drive, points per drive, and conversion percentage to score per drive.
They ranked tenth in average time per drive, indicative of a team that maintains possession of the ball but also does not linger around to score. All those statistically categories are impossibly impressive.
The Chiefs need to maintain that productivity in 2023 as they plan to go for a repeat Super Bowl. Yet, the team no longer has Eric Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator who masterminded a good chunk of that productivity, and offensive tackles Orlando Brown and Andrew Wylie.
In lieu of those two tackles, the Chiefs have signed Jawaan Taylor, drafted Wanya Morris (Oklahoma, 92nd Overall), and now signed Donovan Smith. The other three tackles on the roster are Lucas Niang, Prince Tega Wanogho, and Darian Kinnard. The unit might be average, but productivity remains a major question mark.
The need for an electric offense
The Chiefs offense last year ran on getting down field, quick. This also means getting plays in, on time, and not managing penalties.
The Chiefs offensive line cannot start enduring penalties due to managing an older, possibly hobbled offensive line by mid-season. Donovan Smith might have a comeback season in 2023.
Yet, with a litany of injuries, his speed and consistency potential remain in doubt. This is not only a question about Donovan Smith, but the entire Chiefs offensive line unit. Will they be able to play cohesively with one another and not misalign or misassign blitzes?
Fans and announcers, former offensive linemen withstanding, often do not recognise missed assignments from the offensive line. Yet, a missed assignment could easily lead to a play blowing up, a sack, or a dreadful failed conversion.
