Barry Richardson has started in every game for the last two seasons at right offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs but now that his rookie contract is up and he's an unrestricted free agent. In a recent article on SI.com, Richardson is listed as one of the players entering free agency that has ruined their chances of getting big contracts with poor play on the field in the 2011 season.
NFL teams are constantly searching for young talent at the offensive tackle position, something that should have worked in the favor of the 25-year-old Richardson, whose rookie contract is up.
Unfortunately for him, there's not a huge market for overmatched young tackles, and that's what Richardson has shown himself to be. He did start all 16 games for Kansas City for the second straight season, but that says more about K.C.'s lack of line depth than Richardson's ability. Over the 2011 season, Richardson was flagged for nine penalties, gave up eight sacks and allowed an astronomical 36 quarterback pressures. Any team relying on him to be more than a backup going forward is asking for trouble.
The Chiefs are one of the teams with the most money to spend this offseason and they can some help on the offensive line in free agency and they're also expected to address the position early in the draft as well.
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