The Kansas City Chiefs chose the younger Trey Smith over Joe Thuney this offseason. Now, the goal is to get a long-term deal done with Smith to ensure he’s in K.C. for the long haul.
The Chiefs used the franchise tag on Smith in February, and the $23.402 million value for one year already makes him the highest-paid guard in the NFL.
During his pre-draft news conference Thursday, Kansas City general manager Brett Veach said the club believes a long-term solution is forthcoming, acknowledging that both sides are waiting for the draft to conclude to focus on negotiations.
“Hopefully we get that done. There’s no lack of interest or will or desire on our end,” Veach said, via team transcript, noting he had talks with Smith’s agents at CAA during the NFL Scouting Combine and the Annual League Meeting. “Also, CAA has a ton of draft prospects, and they have a ton going on, so we’ve exchanged multiple phone calls (and) multiple emails. My guess is once the draft’s over and our focus is back on taking care of the players that are here and trying to get those guys locked up. CAA, on their end, they are one of the leading agencies in regards to the players they produce every year, so I’m sure once things settle down on both ends, we’ll be in a position to continue this dialogue and hopefully make some progress there. There’s no secret there that we’d like to get Trey locked up.”
A sixth-round pick in 2021, Smith has worked his way into one of the best right guards in the NFL. An excellent run blocker and solid pass protector, the 25-year-old still has room to grow. The Chiefs are betting he will.
Already paying center Creed Humphrey big money, right tackle Jawaan Taylor $20 million per year, and inking free agent Jaylon Moore to a sizable sum, the Chiefs had a tough decision at guard. Ultimately, they traded the 32-year-old Thuney to Chicago this offseason and kept Smith.
As Veach has said multiple times over the years, they can’t pay everyone. Smith is one they want to pay.
The GM also noted that in addition to Smith’s potential contract extension, the club would also look into deals with pass rusher George Karlaftis and corner Trent McDuffie. Both former first-rounders, however, are eligible for the fifth-round option, which gives the club more buffer time to get deals done.
“Once this [draft] process ends, we’ll be in discussions with Trey trying to get him done and then I’m sure at some point here (with) George and Trent,” Veach said. “We’re going to have dialogue with them. To your point, as the years go on and we hope to keep this winning tradition up and have sustained success, it only becomes more difficult. (We) knew early on that we would be limited and that was obviously the reason why we had to make that trade with Chicago with (Joe) Thuney. I mean, that was a player that we loved, and it was gut-wrenching to have to do that, but you had to do it.”
Veach has deftly maneuvered his roster over the years, not shying away from parting with big-time players, including Tyreek Hill and L'Jarius Sneed. The Chiefs have continued to march to Super Bowls despite the turnover, partly because of Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid’s brilliance and partly because Veach has drafted well. For now, the GM will focus on hitting another home run in the draft, then return to the extension game.