KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs’ lack of depth on the offensive line last season was exposed during a Super Bowl LV loss to Tampa Bay.
General Manager Brett Veach made it his offseason mission to turn the line into a strength ahead of the 2021 season — and Yasir Durant’s reported trade highlights how well he and the Chiefs accomplished that mission.
Durant was unlikely to make Kansas City’s initial 53-man roster, which must be finalized by 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.
The Chiefs also may have had a hard time getting Durant on the practice squad, which would have required him to go unclaimed by the NFL’s other 31 teams on waivers.
Instead, Veach traded Durant to the New England Patriots in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, according to reports from ESPN’s Mike Reiss and The Kansas City Star’s Herbie Teope.
Durant, a versatile 6-foot-6 lineman with the ability to play guard or tackle, went undrafted out in 2020 out of the University of Missouri.
He appeared in 11 games for Kansas City last season, including a Week 17 start against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Durant became expendable after the Chiefs traded for Orlando Brown Jr. in April and re-signed veteran backup tackle, Mike Remmers.
Kansas City’s third-round pick in 2020, Lucas Niang, also joined the team after opting out of last season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Andrew Wylie also has experience at tackle in case of an emergency.
