Demarcus Robinson To Visit Raiders
After the Chiefs added a new receiver in JuJu Smith-Schuster, they may be close to losing another. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter) that Demarcus Robinson is meeting with the Raiders. 
[RELATED: Raiders Acquire Adams From Packers]
Robinson, 27, has spent his entire six-year career in Kansas City. He started 42 of 97 games during that span, as his playing time fluctuated over the years. After reaching a peak snap percentage of 70% in 2019, his playing time has dropped for two straight years. The former fourth rounder has yet to miss a game in his NFL career.
Robinson’s best statistical season came in 2020. He posted 45 catches for 466 yards and three touchdowns in that campaign, operating as always as a secondary piece in the Chiefs’ passing offense. Overshadowed by Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, he has been in competition with the likes of Mecole Hardman for targets, but averaged just over 45 per season in the five years in which he has been involved in the offense.
If he were to land in Vegas, Robinson would of course mark the second significant addition to the Raiders’ WR room. Having already traded for Davante Adams, the team also has reliable slot man Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller in the fold. Robinson would therefore likely continue to rank third or fourth in terms of targets amongst pass catchers. Much of his role in Kansas City, meanwhile, would go to the more accomplished Smith-Schuster.
Chiefs Re-Sign DT Derrick Nnadi
The Chiefs are bringing back another piece of their defensive front. As his agency announced (on Twitter), defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi is re-signing in Kansas City.
[RELATED: DE Clark Staying In KC On Reworked Contract]
Nnadi, who will be 26 by the beginning of next season, was a third round pick of the Chiefs in 2018. In the four seasons spent on his rookie contract, he has started 52 of 64 games, establishing himself as an important piece to the teams’ defensive line. Playing between 448 and 599 defensive snaps each campaign, he has carved out a consistent role on the team.
In 2021, Nnadi recorded 38 tackles and a career-high three sacks. In his career, he has only missed one game, meaning a new deal with the Chiefs should come as no surprise. While his PFF grades have fluctuated greatly during his career, his consistency in terms of availability, workload and production has certainly rubbed off on the Chiefs.
With Nnadi under contract, along with the two biggest pieces of the front seven in Chris Jones and Frank Clark, Kansas City’s defense looks to be capable of replicating its performance as a top-ten scoring unit from last season. For Nnadi personally, he will continue his stay playing a notable role on a team with which he already has a Super Bowl ring.
Chiefs Sign OT Geron Christian
The Chiefs have signed free agent OT Geron Christian, per Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network (via Twitter). It’s a one-year, $1.187MM deal for Christian, with $1.04MM guaranteed, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
A third-round pick of Washington in 2018, Christian missed significant time due to injury in his rookie campaign and in 2020. Washington selected Samuel Cosmi in the second round of last year’s draft and signed Charles Leno shortly thereafter, and with those new blockers in place, the club subsequently released longtime right tackle Morgan Moses and waived Christian on the same day.
The Raiders and Dolphins put in claims for the Louisville product, but the Texans had higher waiver priority and therefore were awarded Christian for the last year of his rookie deal. He wound up appearing in 14 games (eight starts) in 2021, and while Pro Football Focus assigned him a below-average grade of 59.5, he did allow just one sack.
Given his draft pedigree and the interest he generated when Washington parted ways with him last year, it’s clear that talent evaluators see something in the 6-6, 315-pounder. In Kansas City, he will provide insurance in the event that complications should arise in Lucas Niang‘s recovery from a torn patellar tendon, and even if Niang is fully healthy, Christian could theoretically push him for playing time.
If nothing else, Christian represents a young swing tackle with upside on what is likely a low-cost pact.
Chiefs To Sign JuJu Smith-Schuster
After long being linked to one another, a deal has reportedly been made between the Chiefs and wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, he is signing a one-year, $10.75MM contract (Twitter link). NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo adds that the deal carries a base value of $3MM, with the remainder being available through incentives (Twitter link). 
The 25-year-old has spent his entire five-year career with the Steelers. A second round pick, he established himself as the ultimate compliment to Antonio Brown during his rookie season, posting 58 catches for 917 yards and seven touchdowns. He took a step further the following campaign, totalling 111 receptions for 1,426 yards and another seven scores. That production earned him a Pro Bowl nod.
He failed to match those totals in the proceeding three years, however. Taking on an increased role in Brown’s absence, he has still put up noteworthy totals, but has generated a reputation as being best suited to a secondary workload. He played in just five games in 2021, totalling 15 catches.
On Kansas City, he certainly won’t need to be the focal point of the offense. The team already has All-Pro pass catchers in Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill, but they have made it clear adding a third piece to compliment them was a priority. The Chiefs were named as a serious contender for Smith-Schuster last offseason, who ultimately chose to remain in the Steel City on a one-year pact to play his way into a new, more lucrative deal.
While this contract is also only one year in length, it is still a raise compared to the $8MM he earned in 2021. With the likes of Allen Robinson, Davante Adams and Chris Godwin off the market, the USC product was one of the top remaining options at the position. Now, he will join a team long interested in acquiring him, and which is likely to remain a Super Bowl contender.
Chiefs To Re-Sign OL Andrew Wylie
Although the Chiefs reconfigured their offensive line after Super Bowl LV, they still depended on Andrew Wylie frequently as a substitute last season. They will bring back the veteran for 2022.
The Chiefs reached a one-year, $2.5MM agreement to re-sign Wylie, Ari Meirov of Pro Football Focus tweets. Wylie sought a Kansas City return, per the KC Star’s Herbie Teope (on Twitter), and this will be the versatile blocker’s fifth season with the team.
A UDFA addition in 2018, Wylie worked as a near-full-time starter at guard from 2018-20. The Chiefs used Wylie at guard in Super Bowl LIV but needed him to play right tackle in Super Bowl LV. The Buccaneers’ pass rush made most Chiefs O-linemen’s nights miserable in that game, but the Chiefs kept Wylie on a one-year, $920K deal in 2021. Wylie, 27, started games at both guard spots and right tackle last season.
While Wylie has been unable to turn his extensive first-string work into a lucrative contract, he has been a regular despite coming into the league undrafted out of a mid-major program (Eastern Michigan). The Chiefs have locked-in starters at four of their five spots (Orlando Brown, Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith) but still have questions at right tackle. Wylie’s experience here figures to make him a swing option, at worst, for 2022.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/16/22
Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:
RFAs
Tendered:
- Bills: OL Ryan Bates
- Broncos: OLB Malik Reed
- Commanders: K Joey Slye
- 49ers: LB Azeez Al-Shaair
- Jets: K Eddy Pineiro, QB Mike White
- Rams: LB Travin Howard
- Saints: DL Shy Tuttle
Non-tendered:
- Bills: DT Justin Zimmer
- Broncos: DL DeShawn Williams
- Chiefs: CB Chris Lammons
- Giants: QB Jake Fromm
- Jets: DE Kyle Phillips, OT Greg Senat
- Raiders: CB Keisean Nixon
- Jaguars: RB Dare Ogunbowale
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Commanders: C Keith Ismael, K Brian Johnson, DE Bunmi Rotimi
Chiefs To Re-Sign Chad Henne
The Chiefs will bring Chad Henne back for another season. On Wednesday, the veteran quarterback agreed to a new one-year deal worth $2MM (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo).
For Henne, this will mark his fifth season as Patrick Mahomes‘ backstop, though he did not see a single snap in 2019 due to injury and a lack of need. All in all, he’s made eight appearances for Kansas City with just one start, a 2020 late season loss to the Chargers.
Henne will get a slight pay bump from his previous deal, a two-year, $3.25MM pact signed in March of 2020. He might not see a ton of action, but he’ll look for an opportunity to improve on his career marks of 75 appearances, 13,290 yards, 60 touchdowns, and 63 interceptions.
NFL Announces Compensatory Picks For 2022 Draft
The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2022 draft. These picks are awarded to the teams that suffered the most significant free agent losses during the 2021 offseason.
This year, the NFL awarded 39 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks.
This year’s formula also includes the changes made last year, when teams began receiving third-round comp picks due to the hiring of minority head coaches and general managers. Seven such picks were awarded this year. The 49ers landed two additional third-rounders this year, obtaining the extra selections for the Jets’ 2021 Robert Saleh hire and the Dolphins hiring Mike McDaniel this year. Miami’s McDaniel hire will give San Francisco another third-rounder in 2023.
The Chiefs obtained a third-rounder for the Bears’ Ryan Poles GM hire, while the Browns landed a third because of the Vikings’ Kwesi Adofo-Mensah GM hire. The Ravens collected their second third-round for the Texans’ 2021 David Culley hire; Culley has since been fired. The Saints and Rams obtained one apiece after seeing the Falcons and Lions hire minority execs Terry Fontenot and Brad Holmes as GMs in 2021. New Orleans and Detroit also landed thirds because of players given high-value contacts last year (Trey Hendrickson and Kenny Golladay, respectively).
Here is the full list of 2022 compensatory selections:
By round:
Round 3: Lions (No. 97 overall), Saints (98), Browns (99)*, Ravens (100)*, Saints (101)*, 49ers (102)*, Chiefs (103)*, Rams (104)*, 49ers (105)*
Round 4: Steelers (No. 138), Ravens (139), Packers (140), Ravens (141), Rams (142), Titans (143)
Round 5: Cowboys (No. 176), Lions (177), Cowboys (178), Colts (179)
Round 6: Rams (No. 211), Rams (212), Falcons (213), Chargers (214), Cardinals (215), Colts (216), Lions (217), Rams (218), Titans (219), 49ers (220), 49ers (221)
Round 7: Chargers (No. 254), Chargers (255), Cardinals (256), Cardinals (257), Packers (258), Chiefs (259), Chargers (260), Buccaneers (261), 49ers (262)
By team:
San Francisco 49ers (5)
Los Angeles Rams (5)
Los Angeles Chargers (4)
Arizona Cardinals (3)
Baltimore Ravens (3)
Detroit Lions (3)
Dallas Cowboys (2)
Green Bay Packers (2)
Indianapolis Colts (2)
Kansas City Chiefs (2)
New Orleans Saints (2)
Tennessee Titans (2)
Atlanta Falcons (1)
Cleveland Browns (1)
Pittsburgh Steelers (1)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1)
* = special compensatory selection
Frank Clark Reworks Contract, Staying With Chiefs
Frank Clark will be sticking around Kansas City after all. The Chiefs have reworked the defensive end’s contract to keep him in Kansas City, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
Clark inked a new two-year pact worth $29MM with upside of $36MM. This will greatly reduce Clark’s cap numbers, which were set at $26MM in 2022 and $27MM in 2023.
Considering those pricey charges, Clark was mentioned as a cut candidate heading into the offseason. Cutting Clark before June 1st would have saved the Chiefs $12.7MM, and that number would have climbed to $19.5MM after that date. Instead, Clark was willing to take a significant pay cut to stick with the team.
Clark has earned three Pro Bowl nods during his three seasons in Kansas City, but his numbers have continued to decline. After totaling eight sacks during his first season with the Chiefs, he’s collected 10.5 sacks over his past two seasons (29 games).
Chiefs To Sign S Justin Reid
Justin Reid is leaving Houston. The veteran safety is signing with the Chiefs, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). It’s a three-year deal worth $31.5MM, including $20MM in guaranteed money (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Twitter).
The younger brother of Eric Reid, Justin Reid was a third-round pick out of Stanford in 2018. He spent his entire four year career with the Texans, snagging seven interceptions and collecting 23 passes defended. This included a 2021 campaign where Reid started all 13 games and collected 66 tackles and two picks.
Both Reid and the Texans were interested in a reunion, but it sounds like Reid may have ultimately priced himself out of Houston. We heard previously that the market for Reid could be so robust that it’d be “financially inadvisable” for the player to stick around Houston, indicating that the Texans had a limit to what they’d offer.
In addition to the Texans, the Bears, Eagles, and Ravens were mentioned as potential suitors. Instead, the 25-year-old will be heading to one of the top teams in the AFC. This move would seemingly confirm that Tyrann Mathieu will indeed be playing elsewhere in 2022.