The New England Patriots need to fix their offensive line . However, getting a top offensive lineman in free agency might be harder than anticipated.

This time, it’s Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith , who was expected to be the top overall offensive lineman to hit free agency this offseason.

The Athletic’s Nate Taylor reports that the Chiefs are “optimistic” that they can re-sign Smith to a long-term deal, despite their lack of cap space.

It’s a similar gut-punch to the Patriots' free agency hopes to what we heard Tuesday. That was when Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said the team is “optimistic” that they can re-sign left tackle Ronnie Staley .

Both Smith and Staley could still hit free agency. It’s easy to say you’re optimistic. But when it comes to actually allocating a ton of money to a player, it’s easier said than done.

But for the Chiefs, the discussions regarding Smith have changed in recent weeks -- as has the salary cap.

As Taylor reports, the Chiefs were operating under the assumption that the salary cap would be around $270 million. Last week, the league sent out a memo saying that the cap would be up somewhere between $277.5 million and $281.5 million.

That’s a big difference that gives Kansas City some wiggle room to try and make something work with Smith.

Previously, it seemed like a lock that Smith would hit free agency. Earlier this month, The Athletic reported that Kansas City did not expect to put the franchise tag on Smith .

It’s still unlikely that Smith gets the tag. But with the higher cap opening some wiggle room, there’s now a chance that the Chiefs could work out a long-term deal that has a low cap hit early.