The Kansas City Chiefs could have some help coming for the offensive line.
According to former Chiefs offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz, the team is working toward bringing back free agent offensive lineman Jeff Allen. Allen was drafted by the Chiefs in 2012 out of the University of Illinois. Schwartz and Allen were teammates on the Chiefs during the 2013 season. It was Andy Reid’s first year as head coach of the Chiefs.
Allen would go on to leave the team as a free agent in 2016 but returned to the Chiefs last season. Allen alluded earlier in the offseason that he was waiting for the right opportunity to sign an NFL contract. Many suspected that a return to the Chiefs was still a possibility. Now it appears that he’ll be back with the team.
If Allen does return to the team, the timing is very interesting. The Chiefs are currently quite pleased with their group of interior offensive linemen and Andy Reid thought several stood out against the Steelers in preseason Week 2. If you’ll recall, Allen played guard for the Chiefs in 2018. He was quite good too.
The team hasn’t had as much success finding an answer at swing tackle lately. Cameron Erving is the favorite for the job, but he struggled against Bud Dupree on Saturday. Dino Boyd saw some looks with the second team against the Steelers, but he also struggled against TJ Watt. Allen has played tackle in the past for the Chiefs, lining up at RT in 2014 and 2015.
It’ll be interesting to see what comes of this move. It’ll be a popular one in the locker room as Allen is well-liked among his teammates and the offensive coaching staff.
