The Kansas City Chiefs are only a few weeks away from the start of training camp and beginning the defense of their Super Bowl title. The 2023 NFL offseason has resulted in some roster changes, most notably on the offensive line with the departure of left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. in free agency.
The former Chiefs Pro Bowler signed with the rival Cincinnati Bengals, which was a shocking move to many considering the battles between the teams in recent years. Brown Jr. was a guest on Monday’s episode of ESPN’s NFL Live shared his thoughts on the transition and compared the offensive schematic differences between the teams.
“It’ll be very different for me personally,” said Brown Jr. “Obviously, a lot of these drops by Patrick (Mahomes), right here in the Super Bowl were similar kind of what I’m gonna see in Cincinnati, but so many different concepts that we run in Cincinnati compared to Kansas City, from a from a pass standpoint, with the receivers, you know, it’s gonna be a lot (firmer). It’s going to be a lot quicker. I’ll be able to be a lot more aggressive in certain situations, just given the personnel and the way that they call plays in Cincinnati.”
One of the key differences between the schemes that Brown Jr. thinks will be advantageous to his game is dropback depth. Patrick Mahomes has been known to take deeper drops in the passing game, while Burrow takes fewer steps. Arrowhead Report’s Jordan Foote captured Brown Jr.’s comments on that:
Orlando Brown Jr. on blocking for Joe Burrow:
“Now, as opposed to having to play in a lot more space with guys on my edge, guys have got to rush through me because Joe isn’t necessarily at 12-1/2 or 13 yards on certain drops. He’s going to be at 7-1/2 getting the ball out.”
— Jordan Foote (@footenoted) June 26, 2023
Brown Jr. spent the last two seasons in Kansas City after being traded from Baltimore in 2021. He and the Bengals will return to Arrowhead Stadium against the Chiefs in Week 17 on New Year’s Eve.
