It is no secret in Cincinnati that protecting franchise QB Joe Burrow is the key to success for the Bengals. After suffering a devastating knee injury that ended his season last year in week 11 against the Washington Football Team, he is on track to begin the year fully healthy.

There are still numerous talented offensive linemen on the free agent market that could provide a much needed boost to the Bengals line. The Bengals had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last season, and they must continue to improve this group, to keep Burrow upright.

The player that stands out above all is OT Mitchell Schwartz, who could provide leadership and solidify the RT position for the Bengals. Schwartz has been a staple of the Chiefs offensive line for the last five seasons, and after battling injuries throughout 2020, he is a free agent, and the Bengals should aggressively pursue him.

Schwartz is 31 years old, and played 357 snaps last season, and only recorded one penalty and allowed two sacks. He recorded a PFF grade of 74.7 last season, while being Second-Team All-Pro in 2019. The Bengals desperately need consistency and leadership on their offensive line, and Schwartz is the perfect match, and would not be overly expensive to bring in on a one-year deal.

Schwartz is a former Super Bowl champion, and still has plenty left in the tank. That type of playoff experience could prove to be just what the Bengals need as they are trying to take the next step as an organization.

Bengals Additions to the OL

The Bengals lone outside signing on the offensive line during free agency was Riley Reiff, who has the ability to slide into guard, while Schwartz could make an immediate impact at RT. Reiff is 32, and along with second round pick, OG Jackson Carman, will be the only additions to the Bengals offensive line.

The Bengals still have over $20 million in cap space, and they have not done enough in the offseason to drastically improve the offensive line to ensure Burrow stays healthy.

After missing on multiple top tier free agent offensive lineman, and selecting WR Ja’Marr Chase over OT Penei Sewell, the Bengals offensive line remains a concern. They did improve the line by bringing back OL coach, Frank Pollack, who is a massive upgrade over his predecessor, Jim Turner.

Pollack was the OL coach in Cincinnati in 2018, when RB Joe Mixon had the best seasons of his career. The players and coaching staff are elated to have Pollack back in the building, and hopefully he can contribute to improving this group.

The Bengals have the talent to be a much improved group in 2021, led by LT Jonah Williams. Williams had his season cut short due to injury last year, but the former first round selection showed he has the potential to be an elite LT for years to come if he can remain healthy.

They will also be relying on C Trey Hopkins to make a full recovery after tearing his ACL in week 17 last year. It is concerning that the Bengals best offensive linemen and quarterback are coming off serious injuries, and they have to rely on them to bounce back next season.

Adding more offensive lineman, regardless of the cost, has to be the priority for this franchise. They cannot be complacent with just bringing in Reiff, and drafting Carman, they have to continuously look to improve the OL, to keep Burrow satisfied. The Bengals bringing in Schwartz would show they are committed to winning and keeping Burrow healthy, and could prove to be a steal if Schwartz remains healthy.

The post Why the Bengals should consider signing Mitchell Schwartz appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

by: Chris Thomas

Following the end of Super Bowl LV, the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line has been under the microscope because of their poor play during that game. The Chiefs were without their Pro Bowl tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz due to injuries and the rearranged line limited one of the leagues best offenses.

It doesn’t take looking at the numbers to see the impact of the offensive line on a team who went 14-2 and made it to the Super Bowl. Anyone who watched the game could see how important their bookend tackles were to their success. However the numbers also pointed out how limited the Chiefs offense was with their makeshift offensive line that night. During the regular season the Chiefs offense averaged 29.6 points per game during the regular season and 30 points per game in the first two games in the playoffs. But during the Super Bowl was only able to put up nine points. Former league MVP Patrick Mahomes averaged 316 passing yards, 2.4 passing touchdowns, 24.4 completions, 36.8 passing attempts, and 0.38 interceptions per game during his 15 regular season starts. During the Super Bowl with a limited offensive line Mahomes had a stat line with 270 passing yards, zero passing touchdowns, 26 completions, 49 passing attempts, and two interceptions.

What happened during that game made upgrading the offensive line a major priority for the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason. The moves Kansas City made this offseason to retool their offensive line not only has a major impact on the teams success next season but the rest of the league.

What the Chiefs did to their offensive line this offseason

In shocking fashion the Chiefs decided to cut both Fisher and Schwartz early in the offseason that saved the team $18.3 million. It was shocking to see Kansas City cut both of them because if left them with the same unit that essentially cost them the Super Bowl. However Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach, decided to use that cap space to retool their offensive line. The headline addition to the offense from free agency was former Second Team All-Pro and New England Patriot Joe Thuney. They also signed former three time Pro Bowler Kyle Long out of retirement along with former Rams starting center Austin Blythe. Kansas City will also have two players who opted out of the 2020-21 season returning to the team who could start for them in guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and 2020 Third Round pick Lucas Niang.

Less than a week before the draft Kansas City made a blockbuster trade with the Baltimore Ravens acquiring Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Brown Jr., 2021 second round pick (Nick Bolton), and a 2022 sixth round pick for their 2020 first round pick (Jayson Oweh), 2020 third round pick (Ben Cleveland), 2020 fourth round pick (was traded back to select 2020 fifth round pick Shaun Wade and add a 2022 fourth round pick), and a 2022 fifth round pick. The Ravens traded Brown Jr. away because he wanted to make the full time transition to left tackle which the Chiefs will allow him to do.

During the draft Kansas City also added Oklahoma Center Creed Humphrey, who many considered to be the best center in the draft, with the 63rd overall pick in the second round. They also drafted Tennessee Guard Trey Smith with the 226th pick in the sixth round. If not for the concerns created by the blood clots in his lungs he would have likely been a Day 2 pick.

How the additions to the offensive line impact not only the Chiefs but the rest of the league

It isn’t farfetched at all to say that Chiefs revamped offensive line could be a lot better than the line they had last year or even the unit from their Super Bowl season. They have added two former Pro Bowlers, a former Second Team All-Pro, and three promising young players via the NFL Draft. Kansas City has upgraded their starting line and has added some great depth to back them up and avoid what happened late last year.

So if the Chiefs offensive line is that much better than they have been the past two seasons it begs the question, what is stopping Kansas City from being better in 2021-22. A better offensive line can only mean better overall offensive production for the Chiefs passing and running game. If the Chiefs offense plays better next season than they have the past two seasons Patrick Mahomes could win his second MVP in four seasons and the Chiefs could play in their third straight Super Bowl.

Barring injury, if the Chiefs offense is more dangerous next year than they have the past two seasons there is no one that could stop them in the AFC and possibly the entire league. The fate of the Super Bowl contenders in the AFC rest in the hands of the Chiefs offensive line. If the Chiefs offensive line plays at an elite level it would be hard to imagine another team stopping or limiting Kansas City’s offense enough to defeat them late in the year. It may be harder to imagine many teams outscoring the Chiefs offense as well.

The post why the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line is the most important unit in the nfl appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Pat Pitts

The 2021 offseason has brought us a lot of different scenarios and storylines before the season starts. The skill positions hog the spotlight. 

There have been few headlines in the past few months about record setting offensive linemen contracts. There has been little mention of a top rated PFF guard leaving to sign with a conference rival. Also, why haven’t Fisher or Schwartz been signed yet after unexpectedly being released. 

The biggest head scratcher is Schwartz. Schwartz has been named to multiple All NFL teams along with a few Pro Bowls with two different teams. A player with that resume should not be waiting for a call. His phone should be buzzing constantly. 

Maybe it’s time to drop a few hints to the league on where Schwartz needs to sign in 2021. A lot of teams need help at the position, but these three in particular need it the most. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence brings a lot of hope to a crumbling franchise. It will not matter when he suffers the same fate as Joe Burrow in 2020. 

The Jaguars offense ranked 28th last season. If they did not have James Robinson, it would be the worst offense in the league. They have great weapons such as DJ Chark and newly signed Marvin Jones. However, a car can’t drive if it has no gas. 

The Jagaurs need to protect their golden child as much as possible. Schwartz provides a huge assistance in that. 

Cincinnati Bengals 

The Bengals drafted their future in 2020 then proceeded to watch him be carted off the field with a torn acl after being sacked. Karma sucks. 

With the fifth pick in the draft, they’ll select the best offensive lineman in the draft, Penei Sewell. They will not draft Ja’marr Chase. They better not. 

Schwartz brings a leadership element to the team. He acts as a mentor to Sewell eventually transforming him into an All NFL team selection himself. A massive difference from a year prior. 

It is fun to Chase the idea of Burrow throwing passes to Ja’marr, but he can’t do that being buried into the turf every other down. 

Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Herbert took the NFL by storm in 2020. The unanimous rookie of the year showed that he belongs in the league. He threw for over 4300 yards and 31 touchdowns. Not too shabby. 

Hebert’s biggest enemy last season was his own head coach. Anthony Lynn made bad decision after bad decision taking his team out of games before they had a chance to make a comeback. Also, the run game declined with the Chargers having one of the worst offensive lines in the league. 

Corey Linsley is a huge upgrade, especially making him the highest paid center in the NFL. Pair Schwartz with him and Herbert has time to capitalize on opportunities. It will also bring an improvement to the run game that will allow Herbert to move down the field faster. 

Every team in the NFL could use a guy like Schwartz. He brings a lot to the table with his ability to protect the quarterback and create space for the running backs. He finished 2020 with only one penalty. The teams above had a linemen commit one penalty a game. 

The post Top Landing Spots For All-Pro Tackle Mitchell Schwartz appeared first on Pro Football Mania.