NFL Analysis
2/11/25
6 min read
2025 NFL Free Agency: 5 Best Fits For Kansas City Chiefs OL Trey Smith
The Kansas City Chiefs have big questions to answer this offseason, including how to bring back Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith.
Smith heads to free agency as arguably the most sought-after offensive lineman on the open market. The 33rd Team's Dan Pizzuta has Smith as the No. 2 available free agent in the league behind only star WR Tee Higgins.
A guard isn't as exciting as a wide receiver, but Smith has shown consistent improvement for the Chiefs. He allowed just one sack in pass protection this year and finished sixth among interior linemen in run block win rate. That, combined with being just 25 years old, makes Smith an extremely desirable free agent for teams in need of an upgrade in the trenches.
Let's take a look at a handful of teams who could afford to bring Smith in but are also ideal fits for the Pro Bowl guard.
Trey Smith Landing Spots
Kansas City Chiefs 
The Chiefs are $2 million over in effective cap space, according to Over the Cap. However, after what happened in Super Bowl LIX, they need to do whatever it takes to keep Smith in the building.
Patrick Mahomes was sacked six times despite never facing more than a four-man rush. That storyline has been hammered in the wake of the Super Bowl, but the team's struggles in the run game were also a concern. It rushed just 11 times for 49 yards.
Trey Smith CLEARING out the B gap in the 4thQ...
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) December 26, 2024
When he gets fired up - make a note and go back to the tape. He knows...
Best RG in the NFL. @BrandonThornNFL @BaldyNFL pic.twitter.com/dDbKDZjmuu
While Smith is only a modest pass-blocking guard, his contributions in the run game are too important for Kansas City, especially considering their lack of an impact running back this season. Even if the Chiefs were able to find a new starting-caliber running back in the draft, the absence of Smith would make it significantly harder for Andy Reid to sustain a balanced offensive attack.
The Chiefs will have to make some tough financial decisions this offseason, but they need to do whatever it takes to keep Smith in the building while hoping he'd be willing to take a hometown discount.
New England Patriots
There probably isn't another team in the market for offensive linemen more than the New England Patriots.
According to ESPN, the Patriots finished the 2024 season 31st in pass block win rate and dead last in run block win rate. The loss of center David Andrews after just a few games made things bad, but the lack of talent across the board made it almost impossible to find any kind of offensive consistency.
Now that the Patriots have a long-term answer at quarterback in Drake Maye, they need to invest heavily in protecting their most important asset. Fortunately, their $120 million in cap space for the 2025 season is far and away the most cap space for any team in the league this year, so they can try to throw money at key free agents to solve their problems.
Mike Vrabel is a head coach focused on physicality, and if he gets his way, the Patriots will be primarily targeting players in the trenches like Smith, whether it's in free agency, the draft, or both.
Houston Texans
The No. 1 priority for the Houston Texans this offseason needs to be upgrading their offensive line. Even after winning a playoff game, the team's divisional-round loss to Kansas City was a tough reminder that the offensive line is a work in progress.
One of the biggest ways the Texans can relieve some of the pressure on their young quarterback, C.J. Stroud, is to continue running the football. Joe Mixon may have rushed for more than 1,000 yards with 11 rushing touchdowns, but the Texans ranked just 31st in run block win rate this season, making things that much harder for the veteran running back.
The Texans are just over the salary cap but will likely be making some pretty significant cuts and contract restructures in the coming weeks to clear enough cap space to make some big swings to upgrade the roster.
Smith would be an expensive investment, but it would be necessary for a team to stay competitive in the AFC.
Chicago Bears
Ryan Poles spent last offseason adding as many weapons as possible for rookie QB Caleb Williams, but what the team really needs is a reliable offensive line to make things easier for the former No. 1 overall pick.
No quarterback in the NFL took more sacks in 2024 than Williams. On top of a league-leading 68 sacks, he had the highest pressure-to-sack ratio in the league among quarterbacks with at least 400 dropbacks, getting sacked on 28.2 percent of his pressures.
Williams spent too much of the 2024 season focusing on making plays, which ended up hurting the offense more than it helped. A more stable offensive line, along with a genius offensive mind in new head coach Ben Johnson, could fix a lot of those problems.
The Chicago Bears have the sixth-most cap space in the league this offseason, so they can afford to make a strong offer to a player like Smith to start filling out the offensive line.
Tennessee Titans
Do the Tennessee Titans plan on taking a quarterback with the No. 1 pick? That question shouldn't matter when it comes to investing in their offensive line because the offense desperately needs to bolster the trenches to start competing again.
The Titans allowed 207 pressures in 2024, ranking 27th in PBWR and 21st in RBWR. That offensive line is expected to get even thinner this offseason, with Dillon Radunz, Daniel Brunskill, and Corey Levin all hitting free agency.
Smith could come in and be an upgrade at one of the guard spots opposite Peter Skoronski, giving them a long-term plan on the interior while still figuring out the two tackle spots. The Titans have a talented backfield with Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears, making Skoronski and Smith an ideal guard duo to open up rushing lanes.
Whether it's Will Levis, Cam Ward, or someone else under center in 2025, the Titans need to make sure they're continuing to invest up front to keep the offense moving.
