Kansas City Chiefs met with Geoff Schwartz’s agent at Combine, mutual interest
Kansas City Chiefs guard Geoff Schwartz (74) during the first half. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs have a difficult decision to make on the offensive line, as they could have to choose between keeping Geoff Schwartz or Jon Asamoah. Both players are quality starters in this league, and they put together unsurprisingly strong 2013 seasons. While they are essentially a wash in pass protection, Schwartz’s superior run blocking makes him the better player. However, if money gets in the way of things, the Chiefs would likely gladly re-sign Asamoah and simply let Schwartz walk. Left tackle Branden Albert is already set to snag a big contract elsewhere this offseason, and he has more of a chance of signing with the Arizona Cardinals than re-signing with the Chiefs.
Yesterday, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star reported that the Chiefs met with Schwartz’s agent Deryk Gilmore at the Combine, and he stated that there is mutual interest in getting a deal done. However, he also stated that both sides might not be able to agree on the financial terms, so there’s still a good chance of Schwartz leaving this offseason.
That said, the solid 27-year-old really wants to stick around, as his agent said, “Geoff Schwartz loved it in Kansas City and would love to come back in Kansas City. It’s just that he wants to be wanted, and hopefully Kansas City wants him. He’s a starter and he wants to be paid like a starter.”
Schwartz should go for as much money as possible, because he’s been underrated and underpaid for far too long. In fact, his impending free agency is the reason why people are finally starting to catch onto Schwartz’s talent, and he’s definitely one of the better guards in the NFL. It’s going to be interesting to see if the Chiefs are willing to pay whatever it would take to keep Schwartz around, because they already have another solid starting guard hitting FA in Asamoah. At this point, I can’t see both players returning, so it’s a one-or-the-other choice for John Dorsey.