The best offensive lineman on the free-agent market won’t make it there, after all.
The Chiefs plan to give guard Trey Smith the franchise tag, per ESPN. The tag, which is a one-year, $23.4 million contract, will keep him out of free agency when it begins March 10.
The tag would allow the two sides to negotiate a long-term deal before a mid-July deadline — or perhaps to explore a trade. Last year, the Chiefs tagged cornerback L’Jarius Sneed in March, only to trade him to the Titans later that month. Smith, though, is seen as a higher priority for the Chiefs, particularly after a Super Bowl loss in which the Eagles dominated up front.
Either way, there’s no longer a direct path for the Bears to bid on the best offensive lineman on the open market.
The Bears were among the teams intrigued by the 25-year-old Smith, who earned his first Pro Bowl berth this year. Bears GM Ryan Poles was part of the front office that drafted him out of Tennessee.
Poles demurred when asked for a scouting report on Smith on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
“I’m not going to get into players who aren’t on our roster right now,” he said. “But I’m proud to be a part of that draft process.”
The Bears are likely to replace their center and both starting guards this offseason.
Asked about the Bears during Super Bowl week, Smith said he was simply worried about the game ahead.
“I’m just so focused on getting another championship with the Kansas City Chiefs, I can’t focus on anything else,” he said.