Mitchell Schwartz to Chiefs: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

The Kansas City Chiefs added a piece to their offensive line on the first day of the NFL's new calendar year.

Offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz announced that he has reached a deal with the Chiefs:

Rand Getlin of NFL Network initially reported an agreement was in place. Adam Schefter of ESPN confirmed the deal and noted it was for five years.

Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports also said the contract was for five years despite the fact the Cleveland Browns "were making offers earlier to retain him."

This signing concludes something of a turbulent day for Schwartz. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com noted earlier Wednesday there was a "decent chance" Schwartz would return to the Browns at "about $7.5 million a year." However, Pro Football Talk later cited multiple sources and said the Browns pulled their offer to the lineman.

Alas, Schwartz will be leaving the team that drafted him in the second round in 2012 and joining a Chiefs squad that reached the AFC Divisional Round last season before bowing out to the New England Patriots.

His brother and fellow offensive lineman, Geoff Schwartz, took to Twitter following the news:

The thing that immediately jumps out about Schwartz’s game is his durability. According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, he started all 16 games in each of the past four seasons for the Browns. Matt Claassen of Pro Football Focus ranked him as the third-best offensive tackle free agent heading into the offseason and pointed to his ability to stay on the field:

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On a per-snap basis, Schwartz's 95.3 pass-blocking efficiency ranked 27th out of 75 qualifying tackles. He has earned positive pass-blocking grades each of his four years in the league, and three of four years as a run blocker. Schwartz has also not missed a single one of the Browns' 4,427 offensive snaps since he was drafted.

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The Chiefs are adding a talented piece to their offensive line, but this was also important for depth purposes. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and NFL.com reported offensive lineman Jeff Allen went to the Houston Texans, while Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star and Schefter both reported offensive tackle Donald Stephenson went to the Denver Broncos.

Kansas City lost two critical players up front in Allen and Stephenson and needed reinforcements, which is exactly what it received with Schwartz.

Schwartz joins an offensive line Football Outsiders ranked as the fifth-best unit in the league in terms of run-blocking but only the 28th-best in pass protection last season.

Alex Smith is a mobile quarterback who can escape pressure when the pocket breaks down, but the Chiefs need more consistent pass protection in 2016 if they hope to eclipse the defending Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos in the AFC West next season.

Adding a consistent force like Schwartz to the offensive front will help them do just that, and his track record suggests he will be on the field for the entire season.