I posted my version of the Kansas City Chiefs top five needs earlier this week and among those needs was offensive tackle. I got some pushback from readers on why that wasn't offensive guard instead of tackle and it's a good question. The truth is I go back and forth on it but let me explain why I have tackle over guard.
I believe the Chiefs value offensive tackle more than guard and thus, if we're looking at this from the Chiefs perspective, tackle is going to be a higher priority than guard.
Look at what the Chiefs have done at tackle.They franchise tagged Branden Albert to the tune of $10 million. They used the No. 1 overall pick on LT Eric Fisher. They made RT Mitch Schwartz one of the highest paid tackles in the game. They're paying Jah Reid more than they are any guard.
Meanwhile at guard, the biggest investment is Ben Grubbs, who was traded for a fifth round pick, given a four-year contract worth $24 million and then cut after one year. The other guards - Paul Fanaika (three years, $6 million) and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (sixth round pick), Zach Fulton (sixth round pick). And after all that, one of their tackles, Jah Reid, looked as good at guard as any of them. The Chiefs also let guards Jeff Allen and Geoff Schwartz walk in free agency.
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The point here is that based on their actions the Chiefs appear to value tackles more than guards. This theory will get another good test next year when the Chiefs have to decide what to do with Eric Fisher and his fifth year option - pay him or let him walk.
The Eric Fisher part of this is key and a big reason tackle was all the way up in my top five in the Chiefs team needs. Fisher's rookie deal is up after this year. The Chiefs will have to decide in May of this year whether they want to pay Fisher $10-plus million next season on his fifth year option. As they have shown us previously, they are willing to spend significant resources on a tackle while they feel they can find a guard easier.
So because tackle requires such an investment, the Chiefs need to be thinking about Fisher's replacement now. Maybe they re-sign him and don't need a replacement. That's possible. However, Fisher hasn't played so well to this point where this isn't a debate.