Chiefs Expected To Tag Orlando Brown Jr., To Meet With Tyrann Mathieu’s Camp
Orlando Brown Jr.‘s quest to become a full-time left tackle led him to Kansas City, and the Chiefs will soon be forced to carve out a sizable portion of their cap space to ensure he stays.
Chiefs GM Brett Veach said the team using its franchise tag on Brown is “likely,” as the team plans to work toward a long-term extension with its left tackle, Herbie Teope of the Kansas City Star tweets. With all offensive line positions grouped together on the tag, Brown’s tag figure is expected to come in just below $17MM. Given the going rate for upper-echelon left tackles, that is not an especially steep price. Tagging Brown would give the Chiefs until mid-July to work out an extension.
[RELATED: Assessing Brown’s Offseason Value]
Having spent two-plus seasons as the Ravens’ right tackle, Brown maneuvered his way to the Chiefs after demanding to play on the left side — where he finished the 2020 season after Ronnie Stanley‘s first major injury. Last season, Brown made his third Pro Bowl and was a central figure in the Chiefs’ O-line overhaul. He will certainly push for an extension north of $20MM per year. Three left tackles — Trent Williams, David Bakhtiari and Laremy Tunsil, whose 2020 extension reshaped the position’s market — now earn more than $22MM annually.
Brown’s status clouds Tyrann Mathieu‘s. The Chiefs have been prepared to tag Brown since acquiring him last year, leaving their top secondary piece unsigned. The Chiefs have two more weeks of exclusive negotiating rights with the All-Pro safety before the legal tampering period begins. Veach plans to meet with Mathieu’s agent at the Combine, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. It is far from a guarantee the three-time All-Pro stays in Kansas City.
Mathieu will turn 30 in May, but the nine-year veteran would still generate widespread interest on the open market. The Chiefs signed the versatile defender to a three-year, $42MM deal in March 2019, and he led the way in reshaping a then-bottom-tier defense. Given the deals handed out to Justin Simmons and Jamal Adams last year, Mathieu will be in good shape to score another monster payday soon. No active safety matches Mathieu’s three first-team All-Pro honors.
Sitting $11MM-plus under the cap, the Chiefs will need to continue to make moves to carve out space for a Brown tag and other moves. The team already released four-year linebacker starter Anthony Hitchens and can keep restructuring Patrick Mahomes‘ 10-year contract. The team created $17MM in cap space by restructuring Mahomes’ deal last year.
NFL To Discuss Potential OT Changes
The NFL’s Competition Committee had their first in-person meeting of the offseason today and, according to Judy Battista of NFL Network, proposed changes to the league’s overtime rules are on the agenda. The Committee’s chair, Rich McKay, confirmed as much, claiming there was no question it would be brought up.
Battista continued her reports in a series of tweets. She claims that there will be proposals for the rules to change both for the playoffs only and for regular season and postseason games together.
The argument for changing the rule in the playoffs only are centered around the expectation that the league’s best quarterbacks will be the ones participating in these games, increasing the likelihood that the team that wins the coin toss will score on the first possession of overtime and end the game without the opponent getting a chance to touch the ball. An example of this occurred this past postseason when the Chiefs defeated the Bills on the first possession of overtime in the AFC Divisional Playoff round. Unfortunately for fans rooting for a potential rule change, an example of the opposite of the above example happened just a week later. In the AFC Championship game, the Chiefs once again won the coin toss and were granted the first possession of overtime. This time, the Chiefs were forced to go three-and-out by the Bengals’ defense, and Cincinnati went on to win the game on a walk-off field goal.
According to Battista, the Colts have submitted a proposal that would guarantee each team a possession in overtime that would apply to both the regular season and the postseason. The Colts didn’t make the postseason this year but had two regular season games go past regulation. Indianapolis lost both games. An overtime loss to the Titans on Halloween saw both teams possess the ball twice each in overtime, but an October loss in Baltimore saw Lamar Jackson and the Ravens dink-and-dunk their way to a touchdown in overtime that kept the Colts from ever seeing the ball after the fourth quarter.
Battista notes that there is still a ways to go in the discussions for a change to overtime rules. It won’t be discussed by the Committee for another two days. Even when it does come up, it’s not yet known how much support is out there for the potential change. In order for the rule to be adjusted, 24 owners would have to vote in favor of a change to the rule. That’s a high bar to pass, but something worth keeping an eye on as discussions proceed.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Chiefs OT Orlando Brown Jr.
In November, we wrote a Free Agent Stock Watch on Chiefs’ blindside tackle Orlando Brown Jr. Three months later and the situation is starting to clear up a bit. In case you don’t feel like reading the older piece, here’s a quick recap: 
A unanimous All-American at Oklahoma, Brown was selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Ravens. Despite being considered a first-round pick for much of his last year in college, a poor performance at the NFL Combine plummeted the young tackle’s stock. Brown quickly made sure that the football world knew he was not going to be defined by his combine performance and became widely considered as one of the biggest steals of the draft.
Brown went to his first Pro Bowl in 2019, after his first full season as the Ravens’ starting right tackle. The next year, an injury to newly extended left tackle Ronnie Stanley pushed Brown to the left side of the offensive line for the last 10 games of the season. Brown made his second Pro Bowl that year after playing most of the year at left tackle.
At that point, Brown made it clear to the Ravens that he intended to be the best left tackle in the NFL. Brown’s determination to play on the left side of the line stemmed from his late father’s wish that he not settle for any other position in the NFL, so Brown requested a trade to an organization that would allow him to live that dream.
The Ravens honored Brown’s request and traded him to the Chiefs. It was initially thought that Kansas City would extend the young stalwart tackle and lock down their future at the position, but the Chiefs held off, allowing Brown to play out the final year of his rookie contract. Brown’s first year as a Chief ended with him becoming the only offensive tackle in the NFL to be in all of the last three Pro Bowls.
At this point, it’s not expected that Kansas City would let their blindside blocker walk away after only one year. Brown is a talented and, perhaps more importantly, young left tackle who not only dominated in the Ravens’ run-game-centered offense, where they passed the ball 44.96% of the time, but also dominated in the Chiefs’ pass-heavy offense, where they passed the ball 62.36% of the time.
Spotrac.com estimates a calculated market value for Brown at a five-year deal worth $116.58MM. That would give Brown the NFL’s highest average annual salary for an offensive tackle at $23.32MM per year, over the likes of Trent Williams ($23.01MM), David Bakhtiari ($23MM), Laremy Tunsil ($22MM), and former teammate Ronnie Stanley ($19.75MM).
In an article by Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, Chiefs’ general manager Brett Veach was quoted saying, “As far as Orlando, he was a guy that had a dream to play left tackle and had a small sample size of him playing left tackle at Baltimore. He’s another unique character, too, where when you talk about a culture and when you talk about a guy that does everything the right way, Orlando Brown is in the category.”
A conversation will likely need to be had with quarterback and former MVP Patrick Mahomes as his cap hit is expected to jump from $7.43MM in 2021 to $35.79MM in 2022. If the Chiefs are not able to figure out a long-term deal with Brown, they are likely to use their franchise tag to give both parties an extra year to come to an agreement. In the unlikely event that neither of those options play out, Brown will certainly become one of the top offseason priorities for any team interested in a franchise left tackle.
Chiefs Monitoring Packers’ Za’Darius Smith?
The Packers have said they will not bring Za’Darius Smith back at his current cap number. Unless the team plans to add money to future caps via a void years-driven restructure, Green Bay will need to work out a new contract with its Pro Bowl edge rusher.
The prospect of Smith becoming a Packers cap casualty also looms. If that happens, the Chiefs are expected to pursue the veteran outside linebacker, according to Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com. Kansas City has its own cap-casualty candidate in Frank Clark, who is on the suspension radar after two gun-related arrests in 2021, and midseason trade acquisition Melvin Ingram is on track for free agency.
Kansas City has recent experience revamping its pass rush under Andy Reid, having disbanded its Justin Houston–Dee Ford setup to bring in Clark in 2019. Clark has enjoyed successful spurts but has not lived up to the $20.8MM-per-year extension he inked in 2019. Clark totaled just 4.5 sacks in 14 games last season. The Chiefs should not be expected to carry Clark’s $26.3MM cap charge on their books in 2022, especially with a suspension on the radar. Kansas City could save nearly $20MM by designating Clark as a post-June 1 cut.
The Chiefs’ 31 sacks ranked 29th last season, though Smith would be an interesting addition given his age (30 in September) and injury-marred 2021. A back injury sidelined Smith for 16 games last season. The ex-Raven totaled 26 sacks from 2019-20, making the Pro Bowl in each season, and was effective upon return in the Packers’ divisional-round game. Still, his value likely took a hit after back surgery sidelined him for nearly the entire season.
A return to Baltimore could also be in play for Smith, per Pauline, but it may take an underwhelming market to make that happen. The Ravens frequently let edges walk in free agency, rather than dole out big money to retain vets at the position. Pernell McPhee found his way back to Baltimore after injuries slowed him elsewhere, but Smith’s market — if he is, in fact, released — likely will not reach that level. Indeed, Pauline adds Smith should expect to generate extensive interest if cut.
Green Bay continues to move down toward the salary cap, but the team still does not know Aaron Rodgers‘ plans and may need to carve out an extra $20MM for a Davante Adams franchise tag. The team restructured Smith’s contract to create space last year, creating his current untenable cap charge ($27.7MM) and irking Smith in the process.
Chiefs Hire Matt Nagy As QBs Coach
One day after the Bears’ former general manager found a new home, their ex-head coach has landed his next NFL job. The Chiefs have hired Matt Nagy as their new quarterbacks coach, adding the title of senior offensive assistant, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). 
[Related: Chiefs To Retain OC Eric Bieniemy]
The move marks a reunion for Nagy and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. The pair worked together with the Eagles, as Nagy began his coaching carer in Philadelphia immediately after his playing days were over. Reid brought Nagy onto his Chiefs staff as well, hiring him to be the team’s QBs coach in 2013, a position he held for three seasons.
Nagy then got promoted to OC, the role he had for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. The latter campaign saw the Chiefs transition from Alex Smith to Patrick Mahomes as their starting QB, so there will be a degree of familiarity on that front for Nagy.
The 43-year-old’s success in Kansas City got him his first HC gig with the Bears. After winning Coach of the Year in his first season, though, things started to go south. A 12-4, division-winning campaign was followed up by consecutive 8-8 seasons, as it became clear that Mitch Trubisky would not be the franchise signal caller he was drafted to be. The 2021 campaign, which saw the team go 6-11 and featured an underwhelming rookie season for Justin Fields, led to an increasing amount of blame for the offense’s struggles being shouldered by Nagy, who was fired at the end of the year.
Interestingly, Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson reports that Nagy “had several coaching opportunities with similar titles”. He adds that Nagy “was passionate about getting back into coaching” right away, leaving Kansas City as the most logical location for him to do so. He will replace Mike Kafka, who was hired to be the new OC for the Giants earlier this month.
Chiefs To Retain OC Eric Bieniemy
Eric Bieniemy‘s status with the Chiefs briefly entered murky territory, with the longtime Kansas City offensive coordinator’s contract expiring. The sides will continue to work together, according to NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha, who tweets Bieniemy will be back for a fifth season as Chiefs OC.
Bieniemy agreed to a one-year extension with the Chiefs, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. A Chiefs assistant throughout Andy Reid‘s nine-year tenure, Bieniemy has been the team’s OC throughout Patrick Mahomes‘ QB1 run.
A fixture on head-coaching carousels in recent years, Bieniemy has been unable to land a top job. This year, interest was not as widespread; only the Broncos and Saints interviewed the veteran Reid lieutenant. Bieniemy, 52, was not a finalist for the Denver job, and New Orleans went with an in-house promotion (Dennis Allen). As a result, the Chiefs will once again ensure continuity.
For the first time in Bieniemy’s Kansas City OC stint, some doubt surfaced about his role. A report indicated the 2021 season was somewhat trying for Bieniemy mentally and the prospect of sitting out 2022 or returning to the college ranks emerged. Bieniemy’s inability to secure a head-coaching job has been a lightning-rod topic for a bit now. Given the Chiefs’ performance on offense over the past four seasons, Bieniemy should not have been expected to be readying for a fifth year as K.C.’s OC. Reid promoted Bieniemy from running backs coach to OC in 2018, after Matt Nagy became the Bears’ head coach. Nagy followed Doug Pederson in being a Reid OC to land a coaching job.
The Reid-Mahomes-Bieniemy partnership has delivered one of the NFL’s all-time great aerial attacks, with Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill having a significant say in the Chiefs’ success as well. Kansas City’s offense hit a bit of a road block this year around the midseason point, but the team still ended the season in the top five in total offense and points scored.
The Chiefs have boasted a top-six offense in each year of Bieniemy’s OC stay, though Reid being the team’s primary play-caller has undoubtedly affected Bieniemy’s chances of being hired as a head coach elsewhere. Kansas City is also coming off a shocking ending to its season, which featured Cincinnati erase an 18-point deficit in the AFC championship game.
Latest On Chiefs’ Frank Clark
There are likely to be a number of changes to the Chiefs’ defense this offseason. One of the biggest factors in their process of reshaping that unit is defensive end Frank Clark. With plenty of cap-related manoeuvring to do, ESPN’s Adam Teicher identifies Clark as a cut candidate. 
[Related: Chiefs Release LB Anthony Hitchens]
The process of shedding costs has already begun, with the team moving on from veteran linebacker Anthony Hitchens. Clark could be next in line, Teicher notes, as the Chiefs “appear headed for a rebuild of their defensive line” not unlike the o-line overhaul of last year. The 28-year-old has another two years left on his contract, with cap hits of $26MM and $27MM upcoming.
Cutting Clark before June 1st would save the team $12.7MM, clearing a piece of the team’s third-highest cap charge off the books. If the team is able to wait until after that date, though, the savings would climb to $19.5MM. Kansas City could use the added flexibility to re-tool their defensive front, as fellow edge rushers Melvin Ingram and Alex Okafor, along with defensive tackles Derrick Nnadi and Jarran Reed are all pending free agents. There appears to be mutual interest for Ingram to remain, but several moves will likely be needed along the defensive front.
The other benefit to moving on from Clark is that it would free up cap space to try and retain at least one of the team’s top two free agents: left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and safety Tyrann Mathieu. With the latter recently suggesting that he is headed elsewhere, priority could be placed on Brown, especially considering the draft capital invested in acquiring him from Baltimore last offseason.
Clark totalled eight sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception in 2019, his first year in Kansas City. Since then, though, he has combined to produce 10.5 sacks and two forced fumbles; despite three straight Pro Bowl selections, then, the Chiefs could find his recent production insufficient to justify his large contract.
Chiefs Promote Staffer To Safeties Coach
- Donald D’Alesio will move from defensive assistant to safeties coach with the Chiefs, the team announced Tuesday. D’Alesio came to Kansas City in 2021 after a stint as Youngstown State’s defensive coordinator.
Chiefs Release LB Anthony Hitchens
The Chiefs have made a cost-cutting move on defense. Per a team announcement, they are releasing veteran linebacker Anthony Hitchens. 
“When I first became general manager, one of the first moves I wanted to make was to bring in Anthony Hitchens”, said Brett Veach. “We knew how intelligent, hard working and consistent he was as a player, and we knew he’d become a selfless leader. He was that and more. He has all the intangibles and was an integral piece in our franchise winning a Super Bowl title. We appreciate everything he’s done for the organization and wish him the best as he continues his career”.
Head coach Andy Reid added: “I really enjoyed the opportunity to coach Anthony over the last four years. He’s as tough as they come in this league and is a team-first player. I appreciate the way he came to work… but also his willingness to teach the younger guys around him”.
Hitchens was scheduled to have a base salary of $7.8MM in 2022, the final year of his contract. His cap hit, however, would have been just over $12.6MM. The move saves the Chiefs more than $8.4MM, nearly tripling the cap space the team had prior to today.
The 29-year-old signed a five year, $45MM deal with Kansas City in 2018. That came after four seasons in Dallas, who drafted him in the fourth round out of Iowa. He flashed plenty of potential with the Cowboys despite only playing a full season once. His inaugural campaign in Kansas City saw him record a career-best 135 tackles, including seven for a loss, along with two QB hits and one forced fumble. In the proceeding years, he proved to be a consistent presence in the middle of the defense, albeit with a reduced snap count.
With fellow linebacker Ben Niemann a pending free agent, this move opens the door to Willie Gay Jr. and Nick Bolton taking on even more responsibility moving forward. Second round picks from the past two drafts, Bolton in particular has shown he is capable of a larger workload in the future. Linebacker could, of course, also be a position of focus in the coming weeks as well as the draft.
AFC Notes: Raiders, Chiefs, Dupree, Weddle
First-round draft pick Alex Leatherwood had an up-and-down rookie season in Las Vegas. After struggling a bit at right tackle, Leatherwood was moved to guard to fill in after injuries to starters Richie Incognito and Denzelle Good. According to Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the Raiders’ former staff intended to move Leatherwood back to his drafted position next season.
The decision is now out of their hands and in the hands of new offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. With Kolton Miller set at left tackle and Andre James filling in admirably this season with the loss of center Rodney Hudson in a trade to the Cardinals last year, the Raiders have three offensive line spots with which to play around. Bricillo’s placement of Leatherwood will likely depend on how they choose to address those open positions.
Here are a few more notes from around the AFC, starting with another note from the West:
- Adam Teicher of ESPN reported that Chiefs’ reserve cornerback Chris Lammons is facing charges of battery resulting in substantial bodily harm and conspiracy to commit battery in connection with the incident involving Alvin Kamara. The special teamer was a practice squad member for the Saints back in 2018. Lammons didn’t enter a plea, posting bail after turning himself in. He is set to appear in court again on March 8.
- In other legal action, Titans’ linebacker Bud Dupree turned himself in on a misdemeanor assault charge this past Friday stemming from an incident last month in a Nashville Walgreens, according to Natalie Neysa Alund of the Tennessean. Dupree reported for booking, was fingerprinted, had his mugshot taken, and was released. He will return to court for a settlement hearing on April 22.
- Lastly, former NFL safety Eric Weddle, who recently retired from the league for the second time, has taken on the head coaching position at Rancho Bernardo High School near his old home of San Diego. The team announced the hire on their Facebook page earlier today. I know, I know, technically Weddle was most recently an NFC player, but, having spent 12 of his 14 NFL seasons in the AFC, I’m going to count it. Always known as one of the more cerebral players in the NFL, it will be interesting to see if Weddle pursues coaching beyond the high school level at some point in the future.