Chiefs' Early Report Card for Most Impactful Offseason Decisions

A little more than a month after winning Super Bowl LVII, the Kansas City Chiefs have already turned their attention to the future.

With the offseason in full swing, the team is focused on trying to remain a championship contender during the 2023 NFL season and beyond.

The Chiefs' roster isn't going to look the same next season, though. In fact, they've lost several key contributors in the past week and have brought in multiple new players to try to upgrade positions of need.

As long as Kansas City makes the right moves, it should be a threat to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since the New England Patriots in the 2003 and 2004 seasons. But the Chiefs may still have some work to do to put themselves in the best position to do that.

Here are some grades for the most impactful decisions Kansas City has made early this offseason.

Can Taylor Take over for Brown at Left Tackle?

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KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 21: Jawaan Taylor #75 of the Jacksonville Jaguars defends against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 21, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

It's never great to lose a left tackle as talented as Orlando Brown Jr. The 26-year-old, who is a four-time Pro Bowler in his five-year NFL career, has signed a four-year, $64 million deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.

However, the Chiefs may have already found his replacement. They have signed Jawaan Taylor to a four-year, $80 million deal, and he will be switching teams for the first time in his NFL career after spending his first four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The biggest unknown regarding the 25-year-old is whether he can transition from right tackle to left tackle. He started all 66 games for the Jags from 2019-22, but he mostly played on the right side. Taylor feels he's capable of switching, though.

"I'm very, very versatile, so I feel like I can go out and make the switch pretty seamless," he said, per Kaden Chumbley of the team's official site.

If it works out, then Taylor should a great addition. If Kansas City ends up having to move him back to right tackle and finding another solution on the left, it may wish it wouldn't have paid him quite this much.

Grade: B+

Omenihu Has Potential to Upgrade Pass Rush

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LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 1: Charles Omenihu #94 of the San Francisco 49ers rushes the quarterback during the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on January 1, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 49ers defeated the Raiders 37-34. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)

Charles Omenihu isn't a star edge-rusher, but he has flashed his potential at times over his first four NFL seasons. Because of that, it was a fairly low-risk, high-reward move for the Chiefs to sign him to a two-year, $20 million deal.

During the 2021 season, the 25-year-old was traded from the Houston Texans to the San Francisco 49ers. That led to him having a career-best showing in 2022, when he recorded 4.5 sacks in 17 games for the Niners.

Kansas City likely still needs to bolster its pass rush this offseason, as it isn't yet clear who will start opposite George Karlaftis on the edges. But Omenihu is a solid rotational player who may not have yet reached his full potential.

It's possible the Omenihu signing will end up being a steal if the Chiefs can get him to build on his 2022 campaign and take his game to another level. But he should be a decent contributor for their defense at the very least.

Grade: B+

Receiving Corps Could Take a Hit, Pending Other Moves

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KANSAS CITY, MO - JANUARY 21: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (9) signals first down in the first quarter of an AFC divisional playoff game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs on January 21, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

JuJu Smith Schuster was Kansas City's No. 1 wide receiver during the 2022 season, when he recorded 78 catches for 933 yards and three touchdowns.

Now, the 26-year-old is on the move again after just one year with the Chiefs, as he signed a three-year, $33 million deal with the New England Patriots.

That leaves Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore as the top three receivers on the Kansas City depth chart. Of course, the team also has tight end Travis Kelce, who remains one of the top playmakers in the NFL and will continue to be the top pass-catching option for quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Still, the Chiefs haven't yet done anything to fill the hole in their receiving corps left by Smith-Schuster's departure. Perhaps they'll rely on their returning receivers to take on larger roles in 2023, but they likely need to at least bring in one WR to strengthen the unit.

So, for now, Kansas City gets an incomplete grade on its decision to let the USC product go, as it isn't fair to judge it until seeing what other moves the team may still make this offseason.

Maybe the Chiefs will even bring in a new No. 1 wide receiver to insert atop their depth chart.

Grade: TBD