Chiefs Trade Offensive Lineman Yasir Durant to Patriots
The Kansas City Chiefs are trading offensive lineman Yasir Durant to the New England Patriots and will be getting a 2022 seventh-round draft pick in return, per Herbie Teope of The Kansas City Star.
Durant, a local fan favorite for some due to his local collegiate playing days, went undrafted out of the University of Missouri and joined the Chiefs last season. As he prepared to potentially enter his second year with the team, he is now being shipped to New England and will receive a fresh start.
The Chiefs completely revamped their offensive line this offseason, adding left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. into the fold via trade, signing guard Joe Thuney to a massive contract and drafting both center Creed Humphrey and guard Trey Smith. They also have right tackle Lucas Niang returning after opting out of the 2020 campaign and swing tackle Mike Remmers coming back on a one-year deal. In a game of numbers, Durant was the odd man out.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently reported that the Chiefs had "become a place for teams to look for" offensive line help due to their solid depth. Guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was singled out as a potential trade chip but late on Monday night, the team struck a deal with the Patriots and recouped a pick in the final round of next year's draft in exchange for a different lineman.
Durant, who started Week 17 of last season at right guard for the Chiefs, is capable of playing either guard or tackle as needed. He joins an offensive line corps that projects to be one of the better units in the league, but teams can always stand to add depth. When factoring in how successful Brett Veach has been with Day Three draft picks, this deal makes good sense for both teams involved.
