KC Chiefs Sign Former Buccaneers LT Donovan Smith
In a major post-NFL Draft move, the Kansas City Chiefs have signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers left tackle Donovan Smith, throwing KC's projected opening-day offensive line projections into uncertainty while adding an experienced starter.
First reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Smith's one-year deal with the Chiefs is worth "up to $9 million," a sign that Smith's deal likely comes with incentives included in his noteworthy price tag.
Adding a veteran offensive tackle to an otherwise-young depth chart isn't a surprise in a vacuum, but the makeup of KC's tackle group now has several positional questions. Jawaan Taylor, who the Chiefs signed to a massive four-year, $80 million deal in March, played right tackle with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Chiefs have mentioned Taylor's flexibility frequently, but he has predominantly been projected to start at left tackle with the Chiefs. Lucas Niang, a 2020 third-round draft pick, has been slotted at right tackle when healthy with KC and was widely discussed as the likely right tackle competition for 2023 third-round pick Wanya Morris, who finished his collegiate career at right tackle at Oklahoma after starting at left tackle at Tennessee.
Where does Smith fit in? He was the Buccaneers' starting left tackle from his rookie year in 2015 through the end of his time in Tampa when he was released this March.
Former Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz noted his surprise with the move on Twitter, offering his hope for how the Chiefs will handle their unique situation:
Didn’t see that coming. But figured the #Chiefs would look to strengthen the OT position in some way before the season started. Hopeful this means Jawaan stays at RT, don’t love the idea of two guys flipping sides.
Nate Taylor of The Athletic tweeted that the Chiefs see Smith starting in 2023, leaving the starting jobs to Taylor and Smith — with their positions still unknown.
The Chiefs are projecting Donovan Smith, who is considered fully healthy, to be a starter next season.
At this point, both options are available to the Chiefs. Smith could start at LT with Jawaan Taylor at RT — or vice versa.
Smith's signing comes after the NFL's cutoff for including free agency deals into next year's compensatory pick formula, meaning Smith's contract will not offset any of the Chiefs' free agent losses nor impact the quality of compensatory picks the Chiefs can expect in 2024.
