Two teams, widely presumed to be the best in the AFC, are working together in the short term. The two-time conference champion Kansas City Chiefs agreed to trade a slew of draft picks to the Baltimore Ravens for offensive tackle Orlando Brown. The deal includes the Chiefs’ first-round pick in next week’s 2021 NFL Draft.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter broke the news on Twitter Friday afternoon.
Chiefs Address Glaring O-Line Weakness in Orlando Brown Trade
It comes as no surprise that Orlando Brown has been dealt, and the Chiefs have long been an ideal destination. The 24-year old offensive tackle had openly requested that the Ravens move him because he wanted to play left tackle. He will have the opportunity to do just that for Andy Reid and the Chiefs.
This deal is certainly one that members of Chiefs Kingdom should welcome. Offensive line deficiencies proved costly to Kansas City at the end of last season. Although the Chiefs managed to reach the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season, they had no answers for the bevy of veteran pass rushers and myriad of blitz schemes that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers threw at them in the Super Bowl. The team released both Eric Fisher and Mitchell Swartz last month due to both injuries and salary cap hits. The Chiefs have now found a more than suitable replacement through this Orlando Brown trade.
Of course, when you have a half-billion-dollar man at quarterback like the Chiefs do in Patrick Mahomes, ensuring that he is protected is crucial. The left tackle is the most important position on the offensive line seeing how it protects Mahomes’ blindside. This deal comes just a few days after Reid expressed confidence in Kansas City’s tackle personnel as it stood. No doubt he has a whole lot more now with Brown, a Pro Bowl selection in each of the last two seasons, joining the mix.
The Chiefs also received the Ravens second-round pick in next week’s NFL Draft and a sixth-round selection in 2022. Kansas City will now only make two second-round selections over the first two nights of the 2021 draft. That said, they likely found a far better tackle in this Orlando Brown trade than they could’ve hoped to draft at the tail end of the Round One.
Orlando Brown Trade Sees Ravens Bolster 2021 NFL Draft Capital
With the offensive line not exactly being the Ravens’ Achilles Heel, they decided to bite the bullet and part ways with Brown. Baltimore made out pretty good in terms of a return, with the highlight being the rights to the Chiefs’ first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Ravens now own both the Nos. 27 and 29 overall selections in this year’s draft.
In addition to the first-rounder, Baltimore also expanded their draft capital in the middle rounds. The Ravens obtained both and third and fourth-round selection from Kansas City in this Orlando Brown trade. Overall, those picks are Nos. 94 and 136 overall. The Ravens now have five total picks in the first three rounds of the 2021 draft.
The Ravens are in an interesting situation right now as a franchise. While they have the talent to compete for a Super Bowl championship, they also have a glaring uncertainty at quarterback. It’s impossible to take away from Lamar Jackson’s video game-like statistics that earned him the 2019 NFL MVP Award, he is yet to show that he can help Baltimore take the next steps in the postseason. With this in mind, the Ravens accomplished more than just moving the disgruntled Brown in Friday’s NFL trade. By acquiring more draft capital, Baltimore is now in a position to both draft for the present early but also stockpile more talent in the middle rounds for the future.
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