Chiefs OG Kelechi Osemele named one of most underrated offensive free agents in 2021
The Kansas City Chiefs have a number of pending free agents slated to hit the market in mid-March. One of those free agents, offensive guard Kelechi Osemele, was recently named to Touchdown Wire’s list of the 11 most underrated offensive free agents in 2021.
Osemele’s 2020 season got off to a great start in Kansas City and you could tell by the type of performance he put together in Week 1. He bullied the Texans’ defensive line and cleared the way for one of Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s best rushing performances of the year. The free-agent acquisition by the Chiefs was looking to be one of the most successful signings of the offseason, but it didn’t last.
Early on in the Week 5 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Osemele went down with dual knee injuries, tearing tendons in both his left and right knee. For the second consecutive season, Osemele’s year was ended early due to injury. Despite valid concerns surrounding his durability, Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield believes that Osemele is one of the most underrated offensive free agents in this crop.
Here’s a look at what he had to say:
“Osemele’s toughness and status as a true road grader up front will make him an asset to almost any NFL offense, and given the Chiefs’ issues with protecting Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, one might expect Kansas City to try and bring him back for the 2020 season. If such a deal is not reached, teams looking for some toughness and the ability to run a course of gap/power designs are going to be calling, even with the injury concerns. Sure, the guard market will be driven by the two players at the top (Brandon Scherff and Joe Thuney) but given what Osemele showed in his brief action last season, there is a lot to love about his game, and it will probably come at a discount.”
Fans will probably like Schofield’s optimism that the Chiefs could still opt to bring Osemele back, perhaps even on another one-year prove-it deal. I’ll play the role of the pessimist and point out that Brett Veach didn’t mention Osemele when talking about the team’s future plans for the offensive line during his Monday press conference. That doesn’t mean a return won’t happen, but it’s worth noting nonetheless, especially when he mentioned a few restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents as if they’d return.
The bottom line is that Osemele might be viewed as a bargain option for the teams that miss out on the big-named guys mentioned like Brandon Scherff and Joe Thuney. That could drive up his market price and put the Chiefs out of range when it comes to retaining him. It’s also possible that Osemele feels at home in Kansas City and gives the team a bargain they can’t refute. We’ll find out once the 2021 free-agency period officially opens on March 17.
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