Brett Veach: Good dialogue with Trey Smith, optimistic about chances of re-signing him

Super Bowl LIX was not a good night for the Chiefs offensive line and the prospect of improving their protection would look a lot dimmer if right guard Trey Smith is in a different uniform come September.

That's a real possibility as Smith is set to become a free agent in a couple of weeks. Smith's play over the last four seasons makes him one of the most appealing players set to hit the open market and General Manager Brett Veach said at a Tuesday press conference from the Scouting Combine that retaining Smith is a top priority.

"He’s obviously at the top of the list. We’ve already had some good dialogue with him,” Veach said. “Obviously, a lot to work through. This is the time to do that and, again, we’ve already had some initial dialogue. That will continue on this week a the days to come leading up to free agency. We’ll certainly do what we can and feel pretty optimistic about our possibilities there."

The Chiefs will have a little more time before other teams will be officially able to speak to Smith's camp about a deal and a failure to lock things up by then could lead to a big hole on the offensive line.