The Kansas City Chiefs plan to use the franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.

The 25-year-old will become the first pending free agent this year to get the franchise tag, with the deadline for such designations set for Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.

KC acquired Brown from Baltimore shortly before last year’s draft and gave up four picks, including their 2021 first-rounder. He started all 16 regular-season games and the three postseason tilts to earn his third Pro Bowl selection.

Baltimore’s 2018 third-round pick started 52 games for the team, with the majority coming at right tackle. However, he wanted to play left tackle, but that position was set so he asked for a trade. Hence how he ended up on the Chiefs.

Brown’s eponymous dad was a longtime NFL offensive lineman.

The two-time defending AFC champions will be looking to make the Super Bowl for the third consecutive time and hope to win it for the second time in three years. However, two of the big obstacles for the team will be the up-and-coming Buffalo Bills, who they met in the AFC title game the last season, as well as the Tennessee Titans. The Chiefs were able to easily beat the Bills, but they should still beware of Buffalo’s potential to rival them. Meanwhile, the Titans just got a whole lot better after the addition of Julio Jones. They will give the Chiefs a run for their money.

One of the biggest offseason moves was trading for Pro Bowler OT Orlando Brown Jr. Adding Brown is a good addition for a team that is looking to rebuild its offensive line. Brown is a young offensive tackle who will provide the necessary coverage for Patrick Mahomes to work his offensive magic. After all, Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill won’t do the Chiefs any good if Mahomes doesn’t have enough time in the pocket to locate them downfield. The addition of Brown should boost Kansas City’s offensive line immensely.

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Kansas City Chiefs Schedule:

• Week 1: Sun 09/12 vs Cleveland Browns
• Week 2: Sun 09/19 at Baltimore Ravens
• Week 3: Sun 09/26 vs Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 4: Sun 10/03 at Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 5: Sun 10/10 vs Buffalo Bills
• Week 6: Sun 10/17 at Washington Football Team
• Week 7: Sun 10/24 at Tennessee Titans
• Week 8: Mon 11/01 vs New York Giants
• Week 9: Sun 11/07 vs Green Bay Packers
• Week 10: Sun 11/14 at Las Vegas Raiders
• Week 11: Sun 11/21 vs Dallas Cowboys
• Week 12: BYE
• Week 13:Sun 12/05 vs Denver Broncos
• Week 14: Sun 12/12 vs Las Vegas Raiders
• Week 15: Thu 12/16 at Los Angeles Chargers
• Week 16: Sun 12/26 vs Pittsburgh Steelers
• Week 17: Sun 1/02 at Cincinnati Bengals
• Week 18: Sun 01/09 at Denver Broncos

AFC West: It will be another easy division title for Kansas City. Last season, there was no real battle for the division because other teams struggled. The Chiefs cruised to another easy division title. The Chiefs were very rarely challenged during the regular season, finishing with a 14-2 record.

Matchups: In regard to the matchups, the Chiefs will face tough opponents when they play the Ravens, Bills, Titans, Packers and Steelers. But the most hyped game on the Chiefs’ schedule will be their Week 5 meeting with the Bills. It will be a rematch of last year’s AFC Championship game. Surely, Josh Allen and Buffalo want to redeem themselves after last year’s heartbreaking postseason loss.

Overall: Kansas City should be able to win most games in a dominating fashion. However, they should still prepare because their schedule has them facing AFC contenders this season. Aside from facing AFC Contenders, it should still be a fair schedule for Kansas. The Chiefs should be able to win a majority of their games except against a few contending teams such as the Bills and Titans.

Prediction: The Cheifs will finish with a 14-3 record, good for first in the AFC West.

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Offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James, who just last month tore his Achilles and was declared out for the season, filed a $15 million grievance against his former team, the Denver Broncos, and also managed to agree to a contract with a new team, the Baltimore Ravens. James filed this grievance after suffering his injury in a facility away from the team. At the time, he had been guaranteed $10 million for the 2021 season, but because the injury took place off-site, it was designated as a non-football injury, meaning the Broncos were not obligated to pay his salary. The team later released him.

In his grievance, James is seeking his $10 million salary for the 2021 season, and his entire argument centers around the fact that he was working out away from the facility under guidance from the Broncos. Even if James is unable to accomplish this lofty goal, he has a very solid backup plan in place. James is set to sign a two-year deal worth up to $9 million with the Ravens. The contract includes $500,000 in guaranteed money this year while he rehabs from his Achilles injury, with his sights set on a return for 2022. The Ravens will have him under contract at north of $8 million next season.

For the Ravens, this move seems to be a smart one, as they attempt to fill the void of recently traded Orlando Brown Jr. He was a Pro Bowler and widely regarded as one of the best young tackles in the league, so replacing him was never going to be easy. James, along with the recently signed former Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, are both solid tackles. Villaneuva was signed to a two-year, $14 million deal and moved to the right side of the line to immediately fill that void. Next season, the Ravens can go with James on the right side if he is fully healthy and if Villanueva struggles to make the transition to right tackle. But given that James has played only three games since 2019, Baltimore has the option to keep Villanueva, who is scheduled to make $4 million in 2022, as insurance.

Pro Bowl offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. has made it clear that he would like to be traded away from the Baltimore Ravens – and he would like to play left tackle.

Brown, 24, started at left tackle last season after he spent his entire career on the other side of the offensive line. As a result of his dismay, he has requested the trade so he can remain at the more valuable position, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Rapport also reported that the Ravens are seeking a major haul if they end up trading Brown.

Brown expressed his desire to play at left tackle via Twitter, as he tweeted his thoughts on the situation. Also, when speaking with the Baltimore Sun, Brown Jr. made it clear that he wants to stay at left tackle to honor his later father, and former Raven Orlando Brown Sr.

“Growing up in my household, if you were going to play O-line, my dad didn’t want you being on the right side,” Brown told the paper in November. “It was one of those deals where he felt as though the right tackle — and especially at the time when he played — he felt the right tackle was not considered the best tackle on the offensive line and in the offensive line room. And his mentality and approach were, ‘I want you to be better than me.’ So from Day 1, when I started playing offensive line, it was always him working me on the left side.”

Considering Brown’s skill set, he will surely attract potential suitors for a trade. It all comes down to seeing if Baltimore is given the large haul they desire.