Kansas City Chiefs Rumors & News

Chiefs Sign Patrick Mahomes

July 20th, 2017 at 4:19pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Chiefs have signed their first-round pick, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). It’s a four-year deal worth a guaranteed $16.4MM, including a $10MM-plus signing bonus.

Mahomes, the 10th overall selection, went to the Chiefs after they paid a heavy price in a deal with the Bills to move up for him. Kansas City was originally in line to pick 27th, but then-general manager John Dorsey boldly packaged that choice with a third-rounder this year and a first-rounder in 2018 to go up 17 spots for Mahomes. In doing so, Dorsey surrendered a whopping 170 cents on the dollar, according to Chase Stuart of Football Perspective.

Formerly a star at Texas Tech, where he combined for 93 touchdowns, 29 interceptions and 11,252 yards from 2014-16, Mahomes will sit behind veteran Alex Smith initially. But if the Chiefs, who went to the playoffs for the third time in four tries under Smith in 2016, don’t take a step forward this season, Mahomes could grab the reins under center by 2018. The Chiefs have gone just 1-3 in the playoffs with Smith at the helm (they were one and done last winter after a 12-4, AFC West-winning campaign), and releasing him after the season would save the team $17MM of his $20.6MM cap hit in 2018 – the final year of his contract.

With Mahomes under contract, Solomon Thomas (49ers), Corey Davis (Titans), Jamal Adams (Jets), Gareon Conley (Raiders) and Jabrill Peppers (Browns) are the only members of this year’s draft class who haven’t signed yet.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Offseason In Review: Kansas City Chiefs

July 16th, 2017 at 8:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Plenty changed in Kansas City since the Chiefs’ narrow divisional-round defeat. High-profile moves came after the Chiefs missed out on another opportunity to advance to an AFC championship game, a round the franchise hasn’t seen in 23 years.

The changes — severing ties with John Dorsey, cutting Jeremy Maclin, and drafting a first-round quarterback for the first time in 34 years — have the defending AFC West champions’ future in question. After being one of the top challengers for AFC supremacy this season, it’s tough to make a case the Chiefs are markedly improved for 2017.

Considering most of the moves the Chiefs made in previous offseasons were about immediate success, and they helped create a team on the rise over the past four years, the team took a bit of a different approach this offseason.

Notable signings:

Eric Berry, S: Six years, $78MM. $29.8MM guaranteed. Had been assigned franchise tag.
Bennie Logan, DT: One year, $8MM. $7.68MM guaranteed.
Gavin Escobar, TE: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Mike Person, G: One year, minimum salary benefit. $50K guaranteed.
Cairo Santos, K: One year, $1.797MM. Signed original round RFA tender.
Albert Wilson, WR: One year, $1.797MM. Signed original round RFA tender.
Donald Hawkins, OL: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Jarvis Jenkins, DL: One year, minimum salary benefit.
C.J. Spiller, RB: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Cam Thomas, DT: One year, minimum salary benefit.
Andrew Tiller, OL: One year, $690K.
Josh Mauga, LB: Contract terms unknown.
Steven Terrell, S: Contract terms unknown.

During an offseason that became known more for the men the Chiefs parted with than those they acquired, Kansas City did sign Berry to an extension at long last. Berry was attached to an old-CBA rookie contract until 2016, and he played last season on the franchise tag. But the Chiefs’ indecision on Berry last summer ended up costing them financially. The sides reportedly never got close on a deal by July 2016, leading to the tag season, but said campaign ended up being Berry’s best.

He came up with game-saving turnovers in road wins in Atlanta and Charlotte and helped the Chiefs to their first division title in six years. And with the marketplace changing in between Berry negotiations, thanks to the Cardinals’ landmark deal for Tyrann Mathieu in August of last year, Berry’s camp — representing one of only two active three-time first-team All-Pro safeties — could talk from a greater position of strength. Berry is now the highest-paid safety at $13MM AAV, and his deal will take him well into his 30s. The Chiefs continued their Dorsey-era style of backloading contracts, with Berry’s 2017 cap number sitting at $5MM. That jumps to $13MM in 2018 and $16.5MM in ’19.

Kansas City’s only notable March outside acquisition came in Logan, who will be the rare Philadelphia-to-Kansas City transplant that did not have an Andy Reid connection. Logan joined the Eagles as a third-rounder in 2013, months after Reid headed for western Missouri. Logan will take over starting nose tackle duties from Dontari Poe and return to the 3-4 scheme he played in for three seasons in Philly. Kansas City has used a 3-4 scheme since 2009, but Philadelphia switched to a 4-3 look last season that had Logan slightly out of position.

The Chiefs were up against the cap entering free agency again, limiting their ability to spend on multiple players. But for a third straight year, the team did walk away with a proven starter acquired. They signed Maclin in 2015 and Mitchell Schwartz last year despite limited funds. But this offseason, not much else transpired for the team during free agency’s premier month.

T.J. Barnes, DL
Jamaal Charles, RB: Released
Knile Davis, RB
Nick Foles, QB: Team declined option
Jaye Howard, DL: Released
Jeremy Maclin, WR: Released
Dontari Poe, DT
Kendall Reyes, DL

Despite the Chiefs parting with one of the most popular players in franchise history in Charles, that move was expected. Their June 2 release of Maclin doubled as one of the most surprising transactions of the NFL offseason. And their receiving corps is now in an uncertain spot.

Maclin missed four games last season due to injury, one the 29-year-old wideout recently revealed was a torn groin, but he was working with the Chiefs’ starters during OTAs in May. Kansas City did not ask its previous No. 1 receiver to take a pay cut, which made for an interesting all-or-nothing move from a team that could use a healthy version of Maclin. The Missouri native having played well in 2015 (1,088 air yards, eight receiving TDs — eight more than the 2014 Chiefs receiving corps collectively compiled) before multiple injuries in 2016 put his value in question.

The ankle and groin maladies Maclin suffered look to have changed the way the franchise viewed him, but given the bidding war that ensued once Maclin became available, other teams appear to believe he can still have a solid future. Regardless of how it’s spun, cutting Maclin two seasons into a five-year deal does not present favorable optics. The Chiefs will incur dead money hits of $2.4MM this year and $4.8MM in 2018 as part of the five-year, $55MM pact Maclin signed. Although it’s not quite the misjudgment the 2013 Dwayne Bowe extension was on the Chiefs’ part, they signed Maclin to replace a rapidly declining Bowe as the nominal No. 1 wideout. They no longer have a surefire successor.

Reid’s offense funneled through first-team All-Pro Travis Kelce last season, and Tyreek Hill became either a dangerous deep threat or a lethal gadget player (depending on one’s view of the polarizing performer). But Hill is not exactly a proven pass-catcher at this point. Beyond Hill, the Chiefs still have their committee of supporting-casters — rookie Jehu Chesson joins Chris Conley and Albert Wilson here now — and it’s hard to argue Maclin couldn’t have helped this attack. Alex Smith seemed to think so.

While Kansas City missed Charles as Spencer Ware proved capable but unspectacular, his $7MM cap hit made the release and easy call. It’s hard to envision the Broncos coaxing peak-level Charles performance again, and it’s uncertain he will be healthy enough to contribute. But the franchise’s leading rusher got by with substandard offensive lines for the most part and is still the NFL yards-per-carry kingpin. As the Chiefs close the door on the 2008 third-round pick’s Kansas City tenure, they may soon give the reins to another Round 3 selection in Kareem Hunt.

Poe became a fairly obvious defection candidate once Berry was retained on a record deal. Although still a volume dynamo, playing extensively for a nose tackle, Poe has slipped a bit since his dominant 2014 season. The offseason back surgery Poe underwent in 2015 provides a line of demarcation. A prolific pressure artist from the nose position in 2013 and ’14, Poe registered just 2.5 sacks over the past two seasons. Kansas City’s run defense also dropped to 26th last season, despite Poe playing 16 games again.

Once thought to be set to land a contract similar to the one the Ravens gave Brandon Williams, the mammoth defender settled for a one-year pact that reunites him with Scott Pioli (who used his final first-round pick as Chiefs GM on Poe in 2012). The Dorsey-led front office didn’t get far with Poe on extension talks in 2016, and the Chiefs’ defensive line will lose its steadiest presence from the past five years. However, Logan’s addition and the emergence of Chris Jones won’t make Poe’s departure nearly as damaging as it once looked like it could have been.

A breakout player for the 2015 Chiefs, Howard (5.5 sacks that season) is gone midway into a two-year deal viewed as a team-friendly pact last March. A hip injury ended Howard’s 2016 season and led to a failed physical prompting the Chiefs to release him in April. Jones looked the part of Howard’s replacement, becoming one of the league’s top rookies last season.

Trades:

Acquired a 2017 first-round pick (No. 10; QB Patrick Mahomes) from the Bills in exchange for a 2017 first-round pick (No. 27; CB Tre’Davious White), a 2017 third-round pick (No. 91), and a 2018 first-round pick.
Acquired a 2017 third-round pick (No. 86; RB Kareem Hunt) from the Vikings in exchange for a 2017 third-round pick (No. 104), a 2017 fourth-round pick (No. 132) and a 2017 seventh-round pick (No. 245; CB Jack Tocho).
Acquired a 2017 fifth-round pick (No. 183; LB Ukeme Eligwe) from the Patriots in exchange for TE James O’Shaughnessy and a 2017 sixth-round pick (No. 216).
Acquired a 2017 fourth-round pick (No. 139; WR Jehu Chesson) from the Vikings in exchange for a 2017 fifth-round pick (No. 170; WR Rodney Adams) and a 2017 fifth-round pick (No. 180; OL Danny Isidora).

The succession of quarterbacks to come through Kansas City over the past generation made this one of the more unique position groups in the league, the franchise’s small-market status notwithstanding. The parade of ex-49ers filling this spot (Joe Montana, Steve Bono, Elvis Grbac and now Smith) forged the kind of pipeline that will be difficult for two other teams to create. And Trent Green also pieced together some solid years during this veteran procession, one that did help the Chiefs to a steady run of playoff berths in the 1990s, a 13-win 2003 season and three playoff berths in the past four years. That said, it’s been strange to watch the Chiefs repeatedly avoid attempting to build around a young passer.

Making the Mahomes trade even more interesting: neither GM who orchestrated it is in power less than three months later. (The Bills fired Doug Whaley after the draft.) The Chiefs had better opportunities to select a franchise passer in the past (having top-five picks in 2008, ’09, ’10 and ’13) but opted to make a seminal trade up to select a tools-heavy Texas Tech passer. Mahomes was viewed as a second-round pick before the workout process — and the supply-and-demand crisis the NFL’s seen at quarterback — vaulted him up to No. 10 overall. This may well end the Smith era after 2017, with the 33-year-old signal-caller’s contract leaving the Chiefs on the hook for just $3.6MM in dead money next year.

Mahomes, though, may take time to develop. Smith being under contract for two more seasons would allow for this to happen. But the Chiefs made past moves to augment their starter’s chances of leading this franchise to prominence, only this offseason they’ve suddenly veered the other way. Never an aesthetically impressive passer, Smith could find himself in a tough spot in keeping a player with superior raw skills on the bench while a large sect of Chiefs fans — who saw mostly middling veterans start for this franchise for more than 20 years — eagerly awaits Mahomes’ debut.

This impending overlap of eras makes for an intriguing backdrop in Kansas City this season.

Draft picks:

1-10: Patrick Mahomes, QB (Texas Tech)
2-59: Tanoh Kpassagnon, DL (Villanova)
3-86: Kareem Hunt, RB (Toledo)
4-139: Jehu Chesson, WR (Michigan)
5-183: Ukeme Eligwe, LB (Georgia Southern)
6-218: Leon McQuay III, S (USC)

For the second straight year, the Chiefs opted to upgrade their defensive line in the second round. Kpassagnon registered 21.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks as a senior, and at 6-foot-7, 289 pounds is quite the athletic specimen. It’s unclear how ready he will be to help Kansas City’s front this season, but the Division I-FCS product likely will have the same role the Chiefs prepared Jones for last year: physically imposing rotational presence. But with Allen Bailey‘s contract becoming easier to shed in 2018 ($6MM in cap savings), Jones-Kpassagnon could be the Chiefs’ look at end beginning next season.

Hunt may relegate Charcandrick West to a roster-spot battle after once being the first candidate used to replace Charles as a starter. A former Mid-American Conference standout, Hunt is only 21 and is coming off a consistent college career. He averaged 8.0 yards per carry and surpassed 1,600 on the ground in 2014, and last season added some aerial production to a resume that was light in that department previously. Hunt totaled 1,878 yards from scrimmage and scored 11 touchdowns. He may start the season behind Spencer Ware but will be a good bet to push the incumbent soon.

Chesson figures to vie for time alongside Wilson and Conley in Reid’s revolving WR2 carousel. Each figures to receive opportunities, and now that Maclin’s out of the picture, there could be more work available for the oft-overlooked group.

Extensions and restructures:

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, G: Extended through 2022. Five years, $41,264,500. $14MM guaranteed.
Daniel Sorensen, S: Extended through 2020. Four years, $16MM. $4.69MM guaranteed.
James Winchester, LS: Restructured contract. Created $400K in cap space by converting 2017 roster bonus into a signing bonus.
Derrick Johnson, LB: Accepted pay cut. Reduced 2017 base salary of $4.75MM to a guaranteed $1MM. $1MM signing bonus.
Anthony Sherman, FB: Accepted pay cut. Reduced 2017 base salary from $1.55MM to a guaranteed $1MM. Reduced 2017 per-game roster bonuses from $200K to $100K.

After what amounted to a redshirt rookie year, Duvernay-Tardif’s served as a constant on the Chiefs’ offensive line. Despite being a sixth-round pick, the Canadian doctor-in-training started 27 games over the past two seasons. He would not have been anyone’s first guess regarding which of Dorsey’s 2014 draft picks would be the first to be signed to an extension, but after a solid 2016, Duvernay-Tardif is now earns upper-echelon guard money.

In Duvernay-Tardif, Schwartz, Mitch Morse and Eric Fisher, the Chiefs have their best offensive line foundation since a dominant crew that housed Hall of Famers Will Shields, Willie Roaf. While a sizable gulf exists between the Chiefs’ top-flight 2000s group and this one, Kansas City’s line play has taken a step forward after the quintets that bridged the gap between these blocking contingents did not fare especially well. Now, the Chiefs have four linemen locked up through at least 2018 and three through ’19.

Although Johnson is signed through 2018, this season could be his Chiefs swan song. The 2005 first-round pick’s been one of the best defenders in team history and made the Pro Bowl as recently as 2015, but a second severe Achilles injury in three seasons forced the 34-year-old inside ‘backer to go through another lengthy rehab process.

Like Tamba Hali‘s, Johnson’s deal will be easier to jettison from the 2018 payroll. But the Chiefs need Johnson to make another comeback this season. They don’t have much of an answer beyond the veteran on the inside, and after Le’Veon Bell carved up the Chiefs with repeated interior jaunts with Johnson sidelined in January, the team could use its top tackler to deliver another quality campaign. Johnson hopes to be ready by training camp.

Other:

Hired Brett Veach as general manager to replace John Dorsey.
Extended head coach Andy Reid through 2021.
Promoted co-offensive coordinator Brad Childress to assistant head coach.
Exercised 2018 fifth-year option for LB Dee Ford ($8.718MM).
Signed, and then waived, S Marqueston Huff. Chiefs will carry $40K in dead money.
Signed 12 undrafted college free agents.

Dorsey and Reid turned Kansas City from a 2-14 team — one that produced five Pro Bowlers — into an 11-5 playoff entrant within a year, and each successive Chiefs playoff team was a bigger threat to advance. This culminated in another divisional-round shortcoming — the franchise’s sixth straight Round 2 defeat — after the Chiefs’ first division title in six years.

Prioritizing Reid in this arrangement isn’t shocking based on the longtime coach’s consistent track record, and he’s now signed to potentially coach into his fourth decade. But parting with Dorsey after the franchise’s ascent occurred under his watch was curious. Various reasons — from his management style to his attire decisions — emerged in the wake of this oddly timed bombshell, but that timing left the Chiefs with little choice but to promote from within.

Previously a co-player personnel director, Veach resided below Dorsey and Chris Ballard within the Chiefs’ previous chain of command. But the 39-year-old exec is now the top front office man in Kansas City after following Reid from Philly in 2013. While the better course of action for chairman Clark Hunt — had he known a Dorsey extension was not going to be in the cards — would have been to keep Ballard from defecting to the Colts, this realization clearly didn’t come until later in the offseason. The Chiefs hiring a GM from inside the organization marks a change of pace from semi-recent outside additions of Dorsey and Pioli before him, but it should also help establish some continuity from an operation that helped revive the franchise.

After two years featuring scant contributions, Ford broke out when the team needed him most. With Houston sidelined and Hali declining, Ford nearly doubled his previous career sack total by registering 10 last season. Now with Houston back in the fold and Hali likely relegated to more of a part-time role, the Chiefs could have their deepest collection of edge rushers in years. Ford’s extension window will seemingly open when Hali’s deal is off the books, opening a slot for a No. 2 pass rusher’s salary.

Top 10 cap charges for 2017:

Justin Houston, LB: $22,100,000
Alex Smith, QB: $16,900,000
Eric Fisher, T: $9,457,977
Tamba Hali, LB: $8,583,333
Bennie Logan, DT: $7,953,125
Mitchell Schwartz, T: $6,900,000
Allen Bailey, DL: $6,156,250
Ron Parker, S: $5,600,000
Travis Kelce, TE: $5,418,400

Sweeping changes coming for a team that had been a beacon of stability in recent years affects the Chiefs’ viability as a contender this season. Considering how close Kansas City was to booking an AFC championship game appearance last season, a few additions to bolster this year’s team could have been the prudent moves — especially given the recent offseasons spent enhancing this core. But it’s debatable how close the Chiefs were to a Super Bowl, factoring in Smith’s limitations and a defense that has peaked at good but not dominant. Depending on how you view the 2012 Ravens, that formula hasn’t produced many modern-era championship contenders.

The Chiefs will be asked to defend their AFC West title against a loaded division. And they’ll be doing so as probably the least improved team among that quartet. Guiding the Chiefs back to the perch on which they hovered in January won’t be an easy task for Reid.

Information from Over the Cap and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Veach Hire Does Not Change Alex Smith's Status With Team

July 16th, 2017 at 10:17am CST by Rory Parks

It was former Chiefs GM John Dorsey who ultimately pulled the trigger on the team’s draft-day trade that allowed Kansas City to climb all the way up to the No. 10 overall spot and draft quarterback Patrick Mahomes. But now that Dorsey is out and Brett Veach is in, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report says it is fair to question what the new hire means for incumbent signal-caller Alex Smith.

But according to Miller, not much will change with respect to the team’s approach to Smith. After all, Veach has been with the Chiefs for the past four years, so it’s not as if he’s coming to Kansas City with a fresh take on the situation. Plus, Miller’s league sources all said effectively the same thing: “nothing changes in Kansas City while Andy Reid is the head coach.” As such, you can still expect the team to move on from Smith after the 2017 season — and save $17MM in the process — as long as Mahomes appears ready to assume control.

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Chiefs Complied With Rooney Rule

July 11th, 2017 at 6:04pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs did in fact interview a minority candidate for their general manager position — in compliance with the Rooney Rule — but that individual does not wish to be identified, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. As such, the Fritz Pollard Alliance approved of Kansas City’s GM search. “The Chiefs left it up to the individual candidates and their agents whether they wanted their names out there or not,” chairman John Wooten told Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. “But I can assure you that they complied. We are comfortable [with their interview process].”

Aside from Brett Veach, only three other contenders’ interviews were public knowledge: Seahawks co-director of player personnel Scott Fitterer, Titans director of player personnel Ryan Cowden, and Chiefs co-director of player personnel Mike Borgonzi. All personnel interview requests must be made to the league office, meaning the unnamed candidate may work in the media, according to to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who speculates ESPN commentator Louis Riddick — who was linked to the Kansas City vacancy — may have been the interviewee.

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Chiefs Name Brett Veach As GM

July 10th, 2017 at 3:55pm CST by Zach Links

The Chiefs have promoted executive Brett Veach to the role of GM. Veach is now the seventh GM in franchise history.

“After a comprehensive search process, I am pleased to announce that we have hired Brett Veach to serve as the next General Manager of the Kansas City Chiefs,” Chairman/CEO Clark Hunt said in a press release. “Brett has a sharp football mind, a tremendous work ethic and a keen eye for finding talent. Over the last four seasons he’s played a critical role in building our football team. I look forward to working with him to continue to build on the strong foundation we have in place.”

The Chiefs, to the shock of the football world, found themselves with a GM vacancy this summer when they fired John Dorsey. From the get-go, Veach was identified as a frontrunner for the job. After considering other internal candidates plus some out-of-house types, the Chiefs have found their man.

Veach will report directly to Hunt on all player personnel matters, according to the team. Only time will tell whether that will be the true chain of command in Kansas City. It appears that coach Andy Reid had a good amount of say when it came to the 53-man roster and Veach will probably have to negotiate between his own vision for the team and what Reid wants to do. Fortunately for Veach, he has plenty of experience in that department. The two have a relationship that goes back several years to their time in Philadelphia, including a stint where Veach served as a coaching assistant for Reid.

Before deciding on Veach, the Chiefs also considered co-director of player personnel Mike Borgonzi. Titans director of player personnel Ryan Cowden and Seahawks co-diretor of player personnel Scott Fitterer were among the outside candidates to interview for the job. Vikings assistant GM George Paton turned down the team’s request to interview and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick was reportedly in the running, though he denied that he was interested in the position.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Chiefs Waive Marqueston Huff

July 6th, 2017 at 5:41pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Chiefs have made their fourth roster move of the day, waiving safety Marqueston Huff with a non-football injury designation, reports Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. Earlier Thursday, the Chiefs signed two players, linebacker Josh Mauga and safety Steven Terrell, and waived punter Josh Monday.

Huff wasn’t long for Kansas City, which signed the three-year veteran in March. The Chiefs were the fourth NFL team for the 25-year-old Huff, who entered the league in 2014 as a fourth-round pick of the Titans. Huff spent the first two years of his career in Tennessee, where he totaled 30 appearances and one start, before logging time with the Jaguars and Ravens in 2016.

Huff only saw action in Baltimore last year, when he appeared in 11 games and served almost exclusively as a special teamer, tallying 223 snaps with that unit. He played a meager 11 defensive snaps with the Ravens, who issued a tender to the then-restricted free agent in early March but withdrew the offer a week later.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Chiefs Sign Josh Mauga, Steven Terrell

July 6th, 2017 at 4:36pm CST by Connor Byrne

After an injury kept Josh Mauga off the field in 2016, the linebacker re-signed with the Chiefs on Thursday, his agent, Michael Hoffman, announced (on Twitter).

Mauga, who made his NFL debut with the Jets in 2010, joined the Chiefs after the 2013 campaign and played a prominent role with the team from 2014-15. The 250-pounder started in all 30 regular-season appearances during that span, piling up a career-high 103 tackles in 2014 and then notching 57 more stops and a pair of interceptions in 2015. Mauga’s performance ranked an impressive 34th among Pro Football Focus’ qualified linebackers in ’15, but he wasn’t able to build on that last year after suffering a labral tear in his hip during the summer.

Now, the 30-year-old Mauga will rejoin a Chiefs inside linebacker corps that includes Derrick Johnson and Ramik Wilson in starting positions. Mauga, who filled in well for an injured Johnson two years ago, brings more experience than fellow reserves Justin March-Lillard, Terrance Smith and D.J. Alexander.

In other moves, the Chiefs signed safety Steven Terrell and waived punter Will Monday, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Terrell, a three-year veteran, was a notable contributor as a role player in Seattle last season. He appeared in each of the Seahawks’ regular-season contests, combined for 560 snaps (384 on defense, 176 on special teams), tallied the first five starts of his career and totaled a personal-high 23 tackles. He’s now among four reserve safeties in Kansas City, which also has Daniel Sorensen, Eric Murray and sixth-round rookie Leon McQuay III behind starters Eric Berry and Ron Parker.

The Chiefs added Monday back in May. He spent some of last offseason with the Steelers after signing with them as an undrafted free agent from Duke. Monday hasn’t appeared in an NFL game.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Andy Reid Not Involved In Chiefs GM Search

July 5th, 2017 at 9:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has played “little to no role” in the club’s general manager interview process, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who reports owner Clark Hunt and president Mark Donovan are leading Kansas City’s search.

As La Canfora notes, Reid’s lack of presence in the Chiefs’ GM quest further confirms previous reports that it was Hunt — not Reid — who was responsible for firing general manager John Dorsey. Indeed, sources told Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star last month that Dorsey’s ouster was prompted by Hunt’s concern about Dorsey’s lack of internal communication and casual management style.

“[Dorsey]’s not a big disciplinarian or big on chain of command,” one source said, “so people did what they wanted.”

Although Reid is not overly involved in the Chiefs’ GM search, and reportedly won’t take on a larger personnel role, that doesn’t mean his fingerprints aren’t on the club’s hunt. Kansas City co-director of player personnel Brett Veach and ESPN commentator Louis Riddick, considered the top candidates for the Chiefs vacancy, both have professional ties to Reid. Earlier today, La Canfora indicated Veach could be promoted LINK to general manager before the start of training camp.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Chiefs Could Promote Brett Veach To GM By Training Camp

July 5th, 2017 at 5:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs could potentially promote co-director of player personnel Brett Veach to general manager before the beginning of training camp, sources tell Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

After firing John Dorsey last month, Kansas City reportedly set a “loose goal” of finding a new GM prior to the start of training camp, so promoting Veach in the coming weeks would accomplish that goal. Veach, along with ESPN commentator Louis Riddick, have been considered the favorites for the Chiefs vacancy, as both offer familiarity with head coach Andy Reid. In addition to serving alongside Reid in Kansas City, Veach spent several seasons working with him in Philadelphia.

As our Chiefs GM Search Tracker indicates, six candidates have been linked to the Kansas City position. Veach and fellow co-director of player personnel Mike Borgonzi, Riddick, Seahawks co-director of player personnel Scott Fitterer, Titans director of player personnel Ryan Cowden, and Vikings assistant general manager George Paton have all been mentioned in connection with the Chiefs job, although Paton declined to interview.

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Poll: Which 2016 Division Winners Will Miss Playoffs?

July 4th, 2017 at 5:19pm CST by Connor Byrne

A year ago at this time, the Broncos, Panthers and Cardinals were popular picks to rank among the NFL’s elite teams in 2016. Denver was the reigning Super Bowl champion, after all, while Carolina was coming off a 15-1, conference-winning campaign and Arizona was second to the Panthers in the NFC. Each of those teams won their divisions two years ago, and not only were they unable to repeat that feat in 2016, but all three watched the playoffs from home last winter. They were among a whopping six division-winning clubs from 2015 that failed to qualify for the playoffs last season, joining the Bengals, Redskins and Vikings.

If the volatility from 2015 to ’16 is any indication, some of the league’s eight division champions from last year are in trouble as the upcoming season approaches. Once again, both Super Bowl representatives won their divisions in 2016, with the Patriots coasting in the AFC East and the Falcons knocking the Panthers from the NFC South throne. Like the Pats and the Falcons, the Chiefs, Steelers, Texans, Cowboys, Seahawks and Packers are aiming to repeat atop their divisions this season.

Of those teams, the Patriots look as though they’re in the best position to secure their division again. The Bill Belichick– and Tom Brady-led outfit has ruled the AFC East eight consecutive times, and during New England’s latest Lombardi Trophy-winning season, the club was a 14-2 juggernaut that easily led the league in point differential. While Brady’s a year older, set to enter his age-40 season, he hasn’t shown any signs of mortality, and even if he suffers an injury or falls off dramatically in 2017, the Patriots may have a starting-caliber quarterback behind him in Jimmy Garoppolo. Of course, there’s also plenty of talent on hand elsewhere on the Pats’ roster, including new additions in wide receiver Brandin Cooks, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, defensive lineman Kony Ealy, linebacker David Harris, tight end Dwayne Allen and running back Mike Gillislee.

There might not be any shoo-ins to repeat among the league’s seven other returning division winners, but it’s hard to bet against clubs with franchise quarterbacks. In the cases of the Falcons (Matt Ryan), Packers (Aaron Rodgers), Seahawks (Russell Wilson) and Steelers (Ben Roethlisberger), there’s little reason to expect anything other than excellence from under center, which makes potential playoff berths more realistic for each. The Cowboys also seem to have an outstanding signal-caller in sophomore Dak Prescott, who was so stunningly great as a fourth-round rookie that he took Tony Romo‘s job and essentially forced the four-time Pro Bowler into retirement.

Kansas City (Alex Smith) and Houston (Tom Savage) aren’t as well off under center, though the Chiefs have done plenty of winning in the regular season since turning to Smith in 2013. But if he and the untested Savage disappoint this year, they have first-rounders behind them in Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, respectively. Poor performances or injuries could force either Mahomes or Watson into action, perhaps paving the way for the emergence of a Prescott-like rookie this year in KC or Houston and making another postseason appearance more likely.

While some of these teams look to be in enviable shape at QB, the game’s most important position, things could still go awry. The Panthers had the reigning MVP 12 months ago in Cam Newton, but his play took massive steps backward, as did the team’s, en route to a 6-10 season and a last-place NFC South finish. The likelihood is that some of last year’s division winners will end up in similar situations in 2017, going from playoff teams to bitter disappointments overnight.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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