The New Chiefs center, Austin Blythe, checks all the boxes – except for a large one

Whenever the Kansas City Chiefs hire a free agent player, there are a lot of boxes that we like to see marked in the affirmative. After Kansas City hired him last week, we already knew that former Los Angeles Rams center Austin Blythe had checked out some of them.

Experience with several NFL teams, allowing him to have an easier transition to a new one? To check.

A solid record of availability across multiple seasons? To check.

A willingness to sign a friendly contact with a candidate for the Super Bowl? To check.

But since Blythe first met the Kansas City media for the first time on Monday, we learned that he checks out a few more – starting with the amplification that he wanted to come to a rival team.

“My mindset is that I just wanted to be here,” he told reporters, “to get in and play for a big organization, a great team – and get in and play on the offensive line. Wherever my piece fits, that’s what I’m going to do. “

To check.

Blythe has not only revealed that he wants to play in the center or on the guard – long considered an important attribute in coach Andy Reid’s offensive lines – but also experience to be effective in doing so.

“I am comfortable with any of those three points,” he explained. “I have experience with all three. I played a lot of center in college, a lot of guard in college. My careers in college and in the NFL kind of mirrored each other; I played a lot as a guard and central in college – and here I am in the NFL, playing as a guard and central. Therefore, any situation in which the team thinks I can help more is one that I will be looking forward to playing. “

To check.

But as the team is already full of experienced guards, the center is the position where it is most likely to be used. And he acknowledged that the most important relationship will be with his new quarterback Patrick Mahomes – whom he said he had just met in the training room.

“He looks like a great guy,” Blythe allowed. “I am very excited to be working with him. With regard to communication and camaraderie between the defender and the defender, I think it is very important; the kind of offense goes as that relationship goes. Being able to communicate well together is something that will be very important – [but] I don’t see any problems there. “

To check.

We had already been able to verify that Blythe had played with two former Iowa Hawkeyes who now wear red and gold Kansas City: linebackers Ben Niemann and Anthony Hitchens. Blythe knows them well.

“I played with both,” confirmed Blythe. “There is a guy on the front office operation / administration side – Brock Baumert – who was actually our offensive line equipment assistant in college. So, I know these three guys very well. All of these guys got in touch. I’ve always had a good relationship with them – and I’m excited to be able to play with them again. Ben and Hitch are great players. “

To check.

We already knew that, as an Iowa native, it was likely that Blythe had grown up as a Chiefs fan. He not only confirmed that this was true, but also exposed another connection.

“I was born in the Kansas City area,” he said. “My parents lived in Liberty at the time. They moved right after I was born. So I have roots in Kansas City. “

To check.

Things were going very well. But then the press discovered a problem: Kansas City’s roots didn’t work quite as deep as we could have imagined.

“I’m not a big fan of barbecue,” he said.

Uh oh.

“I don’t know if I’m going to be roasted for that, ”he added.

Yes, probably.

“I like pulled pork – no barbecue sauce,” he continued.

Oh boy.

“So, I don’t know if this is really barbecue or not,” he concluded.

Uhhh … yes. It is not – at least not in this part of the country.

But cheer up, dear reader. At this point, we are a great the path of Steve Bono-style heresy, in which a newly signed free agent claims to have tried local cuisine – and then rejects it in favor of what was available in his previous city.

Certainly, it is possible that, with the proper education, we can bring this excellent young man to true faith. After all … he can be a key player in an important position on our championship team. As such, it deserves our best effort.

Where should your education begin?