Chiefs Have ‘Checked In On’ Russell Okung
The Chiefs have been very proactive in remaking their offensive line this offseason, and they might not be done adding big names. They’ve already cut both of their starting tackles, will possibly let their starting center walk, and have signed Joe Thuney and Kyle Long to play on the interior.
They’ve also re-signed Mike Remmers to presumably man the right side, but are still lacking a clear starter at left tackle. They apparently came very close to landing Trent Williams, but he ultimately opted to re-sign with the 49ers. As they sift through backup plans, the team has “checked in on” Russell Okung, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes (ESPN+ subscription required).
It’s the first known interest we’ve heard of in Okung this offseason. He apparently mulled retirement last summer, but played 2020 with the Panthers. He was limited to only seven games, all of which he started at left tackle for Carolina, and only played in six in 2019 with the Chargers. He’s appeared in 131 games since getting drafted by the Seahawks sixth overall back in 2010, and has started all of them.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Okung is capable of being a very solid starter when healthy and at 32 should have something left in the tank physically. Blood clots in his lungs were what limited him in 2019, and his recent injury history is a bit concerning.
If he managed to play a full (now 17-game) slate in 2021, he could be a nice addition for Kansas City. Fowler also speculates that the Chiefs could be in on a potential Orlando Brown trade to address the left tackle spot. If they don’t make one of these moves, they’ll likely look for a blindside protector for Patrick Mahomes in the draft.
Kyle Love Retires From NFL
Defensive tackle Kyle Love announced his retirement on Sunday (via Instagram). Love, 34, did not play in 2020 and he will not seek NFL employment for 2021. 
Love entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State in 2010. He spent three seasons with the Patriots, appearing in 41 total games before being diagnosed with diabetes and waived with a non-football illness designation. He appeared in only three contests from 2013-14 while playing for the Chiefs, Jaguars, and Panthers, but he eventually reestablished his career with Carolina. From 2017-2019, Love appeared in at least 37% of the Panthers’ defensive snaps. Last year, after six years with the Panthers, he agreed to join the rival Buccaneers.
Love was set to serve as a rotational piece behind of Vita Vea and Ndamukong Suh, but he was released before the final cut in September. We here at PFR wish Love the best in retirement.
Patriots Made Late Push For Joe Thuney
Before Joe Thuney left for the Chiefs, the Patriots made a late push to keep him in New England, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. In addition, the Bengals and Chargers were also in on the standout guard. 
[RELATED: Chiefs Sign Joe Thuney]
The Patriots shocked everyone by tagging Thuney last year. This time around, they opted against cuffing him again at a 20% increase, but they still tried to keep him with a multi-year offer. Ultimately, the Chiefs won out – they were the first team to put an offer on the table for Thuney and it proved to be the most lucrative of the bunch. The longtime starter is now tied to Kansas City for five years at a whopping $80MM. The first two years are fully guaranteed at $32.5MM. Meanwhile, Year 3 goes from guaranteed-for-injury to 100% guaranteed in 2022, so $48MM of the deal is effectively locked in. Thuney didn’t come cheap, but he’ll help to fortify a line that has lost starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz.
When Thuney went elsewhere, the Bengals pivoted towards lower cost moves, such as re-signing guard Quinton Spain. Unless they make a splashier signing like veteran Nick Easton, they’ll probably look to find a starter early on in the draft. Meanwhile, the Chargers managed to ink All-Pro center Corey Linsley and versatile lineman Matt Feiler, so Justin Herbert should be well protected.
In addition to those aforementioned teams, the Jets also tried to land Thuney. He’s long been a target of Gang Green – they were planning to make a big push for him last year, too, up until the Patriots kept him from the open market.
Chiefs Re-Sign Demarcus Robinson
The Chiefs have re-signed Demarcus Robinson, according to his agent (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The wide receiver will return to Kansas City on a one-year deal. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known. Last time around, Robinson re-signed with the Chiefs for fully guaranteed $2.297MM that counted for just $1MM against the cap, per the veteran salary benefit.
Splitting WR3 duties with Mecole Hardman, Robinson finished the regular season with 45 grabs for 466 yards and three touchdowns. Now, he seems primed for a larger role with Sammy Watkins exploring other opportunities in free agency. His return gives the Chiefs a core group headlined by Tyreek Hill, Robinson, Hardman, and Byron Pringle.
The Chiefs did lots of shopping before circling back to Robinson. Just last week, they submitted the highest bid for JuJu Smith-Schuster, who ultimately re-signed with the Steelers for less money. T.Y. Hilton and Josh Reynolds were also among the names on their radar.
Colts To Re-Sign T.Y. Hilton
T.Y. Hilton isn’t going anywhere. The Colts legend will be returning to Indianapolis on a new deal, his agents the Katz Bros tell Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
It’ll be a one-year deal for the veteran receiver worth $10MM with $8MM guaranteed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a nice payday for a player on the back half of his career. Hilton has been with the Colts ever since they drafted him back in 2012, but this offseason for the first time it looked like a divorce was possible. Both sides had insisted they would like a reunion, but we heard right before free agency opened that there had been little progress on talks and Hilton would test the market.
Another team is believed to have submitted Hilton a stronger offer, according to The Athletic’s Stephen Holder (on Twitter). But the 31-year-old wideout opted to stay in Indianapolis. The Chiefs were not the team that offered more to Hilton, per Holder.
Owner Jim Irsay had said back in January he’d want to see the franchise icon return if the financials could be worked out. Hilton had been one of the top receivers left on the market. The wideout market in general has been heating up recently, with big names like Hilton, Kenny Golladay, and Will Fuller all signing over the past week. Teams like the Ravens looking to add a veteran pass-catcher are running out of top options.
He was still dominant as recently as 2018, when he put up 1,270 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games. Injuries limited him to ten contests in 2019, but he bounced back with a healthy 2020.
He wasn’t a true number one option as Indy had a lot of mouths to feed in a diverse offense, but he developed a rapport with Philip Rivers down the stretch and finished with a solid 56 catches for 762 yards and five scores in 15 games.
Hilton made four straight Pro Bowls from 2014-17, and although he’ll turn 32 this season, showed last year he’s still got something left in the tank. He’ll be catching passes from his fourth quarterback in as many years in 2021, this time from Carson Wentz.
Trent Williams: Chiefs Deal Felt ‘Imminent’
Trent Williams opted to re-sign with the 49ers, doing so on a record-setting agreement for an offensive lineman. However, the veteran left tackle said Tuesday he felt a Chiefs agreement was “imminent,” via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner (on Twitter).
The Chiefs were in talks with Williams, who said those discussions reached a point that had him believing he was on track to join the two-time reigning AFC champions. However, Williams placed a call to Kyle Shanahan to relay where his negotiations with the Chiefs stood, and the 49ers later finalized a deal to retain their 2020 trade acquisition.
Signed to a six-year, $138.1MM deal, Williams said he had promised Shanahan he would keep him in the loop on his negotiations. That pledge led to the 49ers giving Williams his long-sought-after third NFL contract. It came in much higher than his second NFL deal — a five-year, $68MM pact in 2015.
Taking over for 13-year starter Joe Staley, Williams made his eighth Pro Bowl last season. The lineman recently told ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (Twitter link) that he believes he can play until he’s 40, and the player “has something to prove” as he looks to play out his six-year pact.
Kansas City was prepared to authorize two monster O-line contracts, having already received a commitment from former New England guard Joe Thuney on a five-year, $80MM accord, but the Chiefs are still in need at left tackle. The team released eight-year starter Eric Fisher earlier this month, with All-Pro right tackle Mitchell Schwartz joining him as a cap casualty. The Chiefs have since re-signed Mike Remmers, their left tackle from Super Bowl LV, and he may have a clearer-than-expected path to becoming Schwartz’s replacement on the right side. While it should not be considered a certainty Remmers will start at right tackle, the team does not have a surefire left tackle starter at this point.
This near-agreement is similar to the Chiefs’ pursuit of Earl Thomas in 2019. The perennial Pro Bowl safety indicated he was all set to sign with the Chiefs on a one-year deal, but the Ravens swooped in at the 11th hour with a better offer.
Chiefs Finalizing Deal With Daniel Sorensen
It looks like the Chiefs are going to be bringing back a key piece of their Super Bowl runs. Kansas City is “closing in on” finalizing a deal to re-sign safety Daniel Sorensen, a source told Herbie Teope of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link).
Teope reports that it’ll be a one-year deal. Sorensen is one of the longest-tenured members of the team, having been with the Chiefs since they signed him as an undrafted free agent back in 2014. The BYU product became a nice diamond in the rough find for Andy Reid, and after a few years as a reserve he became a starter in 2017. He just wrapped up a four-year, $16MM deal that he signed that year.
This past season he played in 15 games and started 11, racking up 91 tackles, five passes defended, two forced fumbles, and three interceptions. He returned one of those for a touchdown. He played 100 percent of the defensive snaps in each of the past two Super Bowls. Sorensen turned 31 a few weeks ago.
The Chiefs have mostly focused on remaking their offensive line this season, but it appears their attention is shifting toward the defense now. They’re set to host defensive end Melvin Ingram, and will also have cornerback K’Waun Williams in for a visit on Tuesday.
Chiefs To Meet With K’Waun Williams
K’Waun Williams will get together with the Chiefs on Tuesday, as Mike Kaye of NJ.com tweets. The Jets are also said to have interest in the former 49ers corner, so he could be on the verge of a deal this week. 
Pro Football Focus graded Williams as the league’s No. 7 overall corner in 2019. In 2020, he was slowed down by knee and ankle injuries. Ultimately, he played in just eight games, compiling 22 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. Of course, he wasn’t the only Niners player to be hit by the injury bug. All in all, eight different players started at corner for the 49ers last year.
The 49ers recently re-upped Jason Verrett on a one-year deal worth up to $5.5MM, so it’s not clear if there’s still room to retain Williams. Meanwhile, the Chiefs could install Williams as their new starting slot corner, push L’Jarius Sneed to the outside.
DE Melvin Ingram To Visit Chiefs
Melvin Ingram has his first reported visit. The veteran pass-rusher is set to visit the Chiefs, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter).
The 18th-overall pick of the 2012 draft had spent his entire career with the Chargers, earning three-straight Pro Bowl nods between 2017 and 2019. Ingram collected at least seven sacks per season between 2015 and 2019, and his 49 career sacks ranks fourth on the team’s all-time leader board.
However, after missing three regular season games in 2019, Ingram missed nine games in 2020 thanks to a nagging knee injury. He started the seven games he did appear in, but he didn’t show his normal burst, finishing with only 10 tackles and zero sacks. He ultimately appeared in only 35 percent of his team’s defensive snaps, his lowest percentage since an injury-riddled 2013 campaign.
The Chiefs make sense as a landing spot for the 31-year-old. The team’s currently eyeing a depleted depth chart with defensive ends Alex Okafor and Tanoh Kpassagnon sitting on the open market
Eagles To Meet With Adoree’ Jackson
Adoree’ Jackson is going on an NFC East tour. After his scheduled meeting with the Giants, the former Titans cornerback will get together with the Eagles (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). In addition, the Rams, Chiefs, Raiders and Cardinals have also shown interest, according to Mike Jones of USA Today (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Giants To Meet With Jackson]
The Eagles have yet to add a cornerback this week, even though it’s one of their biggest needs. The group is headlined by Darius Slay, but they don’t have much after that. Also, Slay was less-than-stellar in 2020. With Avonte Maddox set to return to his preferred slot duties, the Eagles will need to find a CB2 one way or another. Jackson, who looked to be one of the league’s best young corners in 2019, wouldn’t be a bad choice.
Jackson would also be a good fit for the Rams, who have yet to make their mark in free agency this year. They probably won’t be able to offer him the best deal, but the USC product could be swayed by the opportunity to return home.