As January nears its end, the Kansas City Chiefs once again find themselves preparing for more football, a familiar position for the team in recent years.
However, with success comes the challenge of keeping their roster intact, as other teams seek to replicate their winning formula by targeting their top talent in free agency.
This offseason, one of the Chiefs’ key players set to hit the market is guard Trey Smith. Ranked as the second-best impending free agent by Pro Football Focus (PFF), Smith is projected to command a lucrative four-year, $79 million deal, according to Spotrac. At 25 years old and standing 6-foot-6, 321 pounds, he is among the top offensive linemen available.
A major concern for Kansas City could be the possibility of a former playoff rival swooping in to acquire Smith. PFF’s Mason Cameron recently identified the New England Patriots as an ideal landing spot for the standout guard in free agency.
“Trey Smith enters free agency at the perfect time to maximize his value, and with the most projected cap space in the NFL ($120 million), the Patriots are well-positioned to make a move,” Cameron noted.
New England faces significant offensive line issues, having ranked 29th in the league in pressure rate allowed (39%) and conceding the second-most interior pressures (118) in 2024. With young quarterback Drake Maye’s development at stake, the Patriots must act quickly to rebuild their protection.
Once the dominant force in the AFC, the Patriots made eight consecutive conference championship appearances from 2011 to 2018. Since then, the Chiefs have taken over, reaching seven straight AFC Championship Games, starting with the final year of New England’s streak.
Although the Patriots finished with a disappointing 4-13 record this season and are far from competing with Kansas City, acquiring Smith to bolster their offensive line would be a crucial step in their rebuilding efforts.
