Brett Veach's Maturation Has The Chiefs Primed for Success

The Chiefs rebuilt with a different approach this offseason. Instead of hunting for big prizes, GM Brett Veach planned for the long haul.

On Feb. 7, 2021, the Kansas City Chiefs lost Super Bowl LV to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Everyone knew exactly what the Chiefs had to correct in the offseason: the offensive line. General manager Brett Veach accomplished that mission and built one of the strongest units in football. However, after the Chiefs lost in the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 30, 2022, the offseason picture wasn't as clear, and there were a bunch of tough decisions looming.

The AFC Championship Game loss marked the end of certain players' tenures with the Chiefs, some we knew at the time and others we didn't. It also marked the end of the first iteration of the Patrick Mahomes Chiefs. The team ran its course, got one Super Bowl victory out of it, and Veach made difficult decisions to plan for the next version of the Chiefs.

Aug 27, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) and quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) and offensive tackle Orlando Brown (57) watch play on the sidelines against the Minnesota Vikings during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Step one of Veach's offseason plan was to bring back their young Pro Bowl left tackle. The Chiefs traded for Orlando Brown Jr. before the 2021 NFL draft as part of their offensive line improvement. The Chiefs franchise-tagged Brown this offseason which extended the time the Chiefs and Brown could work out a long-term deal. Due to the tag, Brown will be a member of the Chiefs for at least this season even without a new deal, where he will continue to protect the greatest asset in sports.

After the Chiefs tagged Brown, the next order of business was shedding money to create cap space. Four-year starter and captain Anthony Hitchens was the first to go in a move that created needed room for the Chiefs. The next biggest question surrounded what was going to happen with defensive end Frank Clark. Clark agreed to take a pay cut in exchange for more guaranteed money. It helped the Chiefs create room and keep a veteran pass rusher around at a position where they were in dire need of improvement.

Jan 12, 2020; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) is tackled by Houston Texans safety Justin Reid (20) in the AFC Divisional Round playoff football game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

League-wide free agency began on March 14, and Chiefs fans were left wondering about safety Tyrann Mathieu's future in Kansas City. Reports were conflicting as it seemed that Mathieu was asking for the world, and the Chiefs were barely willing to go double-digits on yearly salary. The speculation ended when the Chiefs agreed to a three-year deal with safety Justin Reid. Though the relationship between Mathieu and the Chiefs ended, the ties did not. Reid came from Houston, just like Mathieu, right before he signed with the Chiefs on a three-year deal in the 2019 offseason. Mathieu was replacing a franchise legend in Eric Berry, and now Reid is tasked to do the same. Reid was in a bad situation in Houston, and there is the belief that better surroundings in Kansas City will bring out the best in him.

After signing Reid, the Chiefs went radio silent for a few days. There were no links to any free agents, leaving fans wondering what the Chiefs were up to. Then, March 18 came along and the Chiefs found their new Sammy Watkins in the form of JuJu Smith-Schuster. The offense hit a roadblock in the 2021 season because outside of Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs had no one else that could win one-on-one matchups consistently. Insert Smith-Schuster. He was going to be a difference-maker for how teams could play the Chiefs, and they practically stole him. Then, the bomb dropped.

Aug 17, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (left) and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (right) talk on the field before playing at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

On the morning of March 23, reports came out that the Chiefs gave Tyreek Hill permission to seek a trade, and less than three hours later, Hill was a member of the Miami Dolphins. Hill was entering the last year of his deal, but Chiefs fans assumed that the Chiefs and Hill would work out a long-term contract. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill will go down as one of the greatest trios to ever step on a football field. Yet that was all over in the blink of an eye. Hill wanted to become the highest-paid wide receiver in football, and the Chiefs balked at that request. By trading him, they recouped the most assets they could and helped set up for the long-term.

Not re-signing Mathieu and trading Hill were the first signs of Veach's maturation as a general manager. Instead of cap-strapping the Chiefs with big-money contracts, Veach understood the long-term goals. Paying Mathieu and Hill top-of-market money might have been beneficial for 2022, but Veach's job is to look into the future, and if he signed those contracts, the Chiefs would be in a drastically different position.

After trading away Hill, the Chiefs' offseason slowed down. They made moves to pick up veterans like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Ronald Jones, Geron Christian, Taylor Stallworth, and others to provide depth to the roster. The roster was starting to take shape prior to the 2022 NFL Draft, holes were being filled, and they entered the draft with very few positional needs.

Dec 19, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling (83)] divers for a touchdown during the second half \HG\ at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Heading to the draft, the Chiefs had an unprecedented amount of picks, and frankly, it frightened me. One thing Veach has struggled with is understanding the meaning of value. Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith, and Nick Bolton are all great players, but they don't play premium positions. Also, Veach tended to overpay in a trade-up and only ever made a trade during the draft if it meant the Chiefs were moving up.

In the 2022 NFL Draft, Veach broke his tendencies. First, he'd never taken a cornerback before day three. Second, Veach showed patience and did not make a panic trade-up to get his guy. He spent the Chiefs' first three picks on a premium position in the form of Trent McDuffie (CB), George Karlaftis (EDGE), and Skyy Moore (WR). Lastly, he made the first trade-down during his tenure as general manager. Now, the players have to perform on the field, but Chiefs fans' confidence in Veach only increased after his excellent draft process.

Apr 28, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis after being selected as the thirtieth overall pick to the Kansas City Chiefs during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft at the NFL Draft Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

A few moves were made after the draft. A trade for Lonnie Johnson, re-signing Jerick McKinnon and bringing in undrafted free agents to round out the 90-man roster. Besides that, the months of June and July were quiet.

The offseason ends with the same person it began with: Orlando Brown Jr. The deadline to get a long-term agreement done passed last Thursday. The Chiefs offered an excellent deal for the organization, but Brown didn't sign it, and they sit here today without a long-term resolution. The hope is Brown will report to training camp on time and play in all the games this year, but nothing is promised as he has yet to sign the tag.

Aug 9, 2021; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) talks with head coach Andy Reid during training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

So where does that leave the Chiefs? The Chiefs are positioned to have upward of $50 million in cap room next offseason, with flexibility they haven't had for years. As a result, they can fill the holes that the developing young players don't. They also have excess assets for next year's draft, allowing them to bring another large crop of young talent. But, most importantly, the Chiefs have reset the timeline. Instead of letting the first iteration of the Mahomes Chiefs get old, they retooled and got younger.

Most of the credit should be given to Brett Veach. He looked at himself in the mirror and learned from his previous experience. This offseason would have never happened with the old Veach at the helm. He would have overpaid for Hill, Mathieu, and/or Brown like he did with Frank Clark in the 2019 offseason. That move has hamstrung the Chiefs for multiple years, and Veach wasn't willing to make that mistake again.

This year isn't only about pursuing a championship, but also about allowing young players to rise to the occasion. In the past, the Chiefs had players such as Daniel Sorenson, Ben Niemann and Demarcus Robinson in the way of young ascending players getting reps. Fans knew those guys shouldn't have been on the field, but those players had the coaching staff's trust. This offseason, Veach put an end to that. He let go of the Super Bowl LIV glory days and injected up-and-coming talent into the system. Talents that give the Chiefs the deepest and most athletic team since Mahomes took over at quarterback. Mistakes will be made, but it won't be for the lack of trying. The Chiefs are set up to win now and long-term because of the quarterback, but the players around him will determine if they can win it this year.

Training camp is nearly here, and we get to see the product that Veach built. The young guys may struggle early, but their reps and snaps will only help the Chiefs later in the season. Having leaders like Mahomes, Kelce and Andy Reid gives the Chiefs the ability to allow the new guys to get their feet wet. Remember, it's not how you start, it's how you finish, and the Chiefs are hoping their season ends on February 12 in Arizona, holding the Lombardi Trophy once again.