Chiefs To Sign Antonio Hamilton
The Chiefs are finally making a move. The defending Super Bowl champions will sign cornerback Antonio Hamilton to a one-year deal, his agent Drew Rosenhaus told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Rosenhaus told Schefter that his client turned down more money from another team, so it sounds like competing for a championship was his priority. As Schefter points out, this is the first free agent the Chiefs have signed since the frenzy started a few days ago. Kansas City has already lost a few guys in free agency, including starting corner Kendall Fuller to the Redskins, so this move will help bolster the secondary.
The Chiefs’ pass defense improved greatly last year, and is one of the main reasons they won the Super Bowl. They’re very low on cap space at the moment, so they’ve got to find value deals like this. Hamilton entered the league as an UDFA back in 2016, and started two games for the Giants this past year. The South Carolina State product was also a key player on multiple special teams units.
Giants Interested In Matt Moore?
The Giants appear to be eyeing quarterback Matt Moore to serve as Daniel Jones‘ backup next season, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. Obviously, Eli Manning served as Jones’ backup last season but has since retired.
Moore has been one of the league’s most popular backup quarterbacks since entering the league in 2007. Aside from the 2011 season, when Moore started 12 games for the Dolphins, he has never started more than 5 games in any one year. With that said, the Panthers, Dolphins, and Chiefs have all been comfortable using Moore as a primary backup.
Backing up Patrick Mahomes last season, Moore appeared in 6 games (2 starts), completed roughly 65 percent of his passes for 659 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.
Chiefs Rework Frank Clark’s Deal
The Chiefs are clearing up some cap space. Kansas City is restructuring defensive end Frank Clark‘s contract to convert $5MM of his base salary into a signing bonus, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
The move will give the Chiefs some extra wiggle room with cap flexibility as the cap hit will now be spread over the course of the contract rather than all being charged for this year. Kansas City currently has very little cap space, and this move was necessary just to get them under the cap. Not surprisingly, they’ve been very quiet in free agency as a result.
The only move the defending Super Bowl champions have made so far is re-signing backup quarterback Chad Henne, and they’ve had to watch as some of their own guys like Kendall Fuller walk out the door and sign big deals elsewhere. This likely isn’t where the maneuvering will end, as the Chiefs have to clear up even more space for some possible extensions, like the one they want to give Patrick Mahomes.
For example, they’ve confirmed that they want Sammy Watkins to take a paycut if he’s going to come back to the team in 2020. Kansas City gave up first and second-round picks to acquire Clark last offseason, and he finished with eight sacks in 14 games. After the trade he signed a five-year deal worth a whopping $105.5MM, and he’s locked up through the 2023 season.
Chiefs Re-Sign QB Chad Henne
9:25pm: The two sides have agreed to a two-year deal, according to Paylor (via Twitter).
8:24pm: After spending the past two years in Kansas City, Chad Henne and the Chiefs could be heading towards another contract. Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo reports (via Twitter) that the organization is interested in re-signing the veteran quarterback.
Henne hasn’t started an NFL game since the 2014 season, but he’s embraced his gig as Patrick Mahomes‘ backup. The 34-year-old didn’t get into a single game during the Super Bowl-winning 2019 season, and he appeared in only a single game during the 2018 campaign. In fact, since 2015, he’s only seen the field for four games.
In total, the veteran has appeared in 68 games during his career, connecting on 59.3-percent of his passes for 12,960 yards, 58 touchdowns, and 63 interceptions.
Other than Mahomes, the Chiefs are also retaining quarterback Kyle Shurmur on their offseason roster.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/16/20
Monday’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions will be posted below. Deals will be updated throughout the day.
RFAs
Tendered at original-round level:
- Bengals: TE Cethan Carter, G Alex Redmond, DT Josh Tupou, S Brandon Wilson
- Broncos: WR Tim Patrick
- Dolphins: LB Vince Biegel, P Matt Haack
- Raiders: QB Nathan Peterman, LB Nicholas Morrow
- Seahawks: WR David Moore, C Joey Hunt, DE Branden Jackson
Non-tendered:
- Bills: WR Isaiah McKenzie
- Dolphins: S Adrian Colbert, LB Deon Lacey
- Eagles: RB Corey Clement
- Giants: C Jon Halapio
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Broncos: S Trey Marshall, WR Diontae Spencer, CB Shakial Taylor
- Browns: Pharaoh Brown, RB Dontrell Hilliard, WR KhaDarel Hodge
- Chiefs: G Andrew Wylie
- Colts: DB Rolan Milligan
- Lions: CB Dee Virgin
- Ravens: RB Gus Edwards
Non-tendered:
- Chiefs: TE David Wells
Broncos Notes: Harrises, Wolfe, OL, RBs
The Broncos both traded for A.J. Bouye (and a $13MM salary) and used their franchise tag on Justin Simmons, signaling Chris Harris‘ time in Denver was almost certainly up. The four-time Pro Bowler said during an NFL Network appearance the door is “pretty much” closed on a 10th Broncos season (Twitter link via The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala). The decorated cornerback is expected to have at least 10 teams pursuing him, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. The Browns, Cardinals, Chargers, Chiefs, Cowboys, Jets, Lions, Raiders, Seahawks and Texans are expected to have “strong” interest in signing the 30-year-old defender, Renck adds. This list interestingly omits the Eagles, who have been linked to Harris at multiple junctures over the past five months.
Although Harris is arguably the best slot cornerback in NFL history, his consistent usage as a boundary player as well will likely push his market near the current corner standard of $15MM per year. He turned down the Broncos’ three-year, $36MM proposal before the trade deadline.
Here is the latest out of Denver:
- Denver’s Week 1 starting defensive line consisted of Derek Wolfe, Shelby Harris and Adam Gotsis. All three are poised to hit the market, with Gotsis doing so after being benched early in the season. Shelby Harris would prefer to stay in Denver but has acknowledged, at 28, this is his lone chance at a big payday. The Colts are among the teams interested in the late-blooming D-lineman, Renck notes.
- On the Wolfe subject, the eight-year veteran has been the most vocal about returning to Denver. His agent’s Combine meeting with the Broncos led him to believe he will hit the market. “[The Broncos] talked to my agent at the Combine. … It looks like they’re going to let me hit free agency, see what the market is,” Wolfe said during an interview with KOA Radio (via DNVR Sports’ Andrew Mason, on Twitter). “… It’s a nice way of saying, ‘We like you; we love you, but not for that kind of money.” The Broncos may bring back Wolfe or Shelby Harris, but not both. The team drafted Dre’Mont Jones in Round 3 last year, so it may be covered at one of its defensive end spots. Wolfe, 29, said during an interview with Sirius XM Radio (audio link) he is eyeing two to four more seasons.
- The Broncos’ interest in a running back stems not necessarily from their current regime’s desire to replace Phillip Lindsay but to complement him, per Renck, who adds the team is expected to add a bigger back in either free agency or the draft. Royce Freeman has underwhelmed in that role over the past two seasons.
- The Broncos plan to pursue a guard on the market, Renck notes (on Twitter). They declined Ronald Leary‘s 2020 option, so a replacement will be needed. They also may try to add a swing tackle and are likely to draft a tackle, which makes sense given left tackle Garett Bolles‘ struggles.
- Elijah Wilkinson was supposed to work as a Broncos swing man in 2019, but Ja’Wuan James‘ near-season-long absence thrust Wilkinson into Denver’s right tackle spot. He spent time as a first-string guard in 2018 and stands to factor into the Broncos’ 2020 plans at one of those two positions. The team is expected to use a priority tender on Wilkinson, per Renck. This will likely mean a second-round tender. That will cost more than $3MM.
Chiefs Notes: Mahomes, Kafka, Hill
Everyone has known for a while now that when Patrick Mahomes signs his first contract extension, it’s going to involve some eye-popping numbers. The Chiefs are expected to pursue an extension sometime after the draft, and there has been a lot of chatter about Mahomes becoming the first player to eclipse $40MM in annual salary. While he wouldn’t get into specifics about negotiations, Mahomes made it clear in a recent interview with Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports that he’s in Kansas City for the long haul. “I want to make sure I do it the smart way and do it the right way, and so I don’t know exactly which way that is, yet. I know that my people and the Chiefs’ people will talk about it, and will do it at the right time and for the betterment for the team. But I’m excited to be a Kansas City Chief for a very long time, and I know that’s going to be handled the right way because of the people the Kansas City Chiefs have in their organization,” he explained.
There has been some speculation the Chiefs will try to get him on somewhat of a team-friendly deal in order to spread their cap resources around, similarly to what the Patriots have done with Tom Brady. Mahomes is going to get paid big-time either way, but he did seem to indicate that keeping their core together is a priority for him. “Whichever way possible, we’re going to do it and we’re gonna try to keep as many people on this team as we possibly can that won the Super Bowl this year so we can run it back again next year,” he said.
- Speaking of the Chiefs, they made a couple of assistant coaching moves today. Quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka has been given the additional title of passing game coordinator, and the team hired Andy Hill as a special teams assistant. The Eagles were interested in Kafka for their offensive coordinator vacancy, but Kansas City was ultimately able to retain him. All the way back in October we heard that Kafka was well-respected in the league and considered by some to be a future head coach. The former backup quarterback is the latest in a long line of Andy Reid assistants to get buzz.
Chiefs Will Not Retain LeSean McCoy
The Chiefs are not expected to re-sign free agent running back LeSean McCoy for the 2020 campaign, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (video link).
McCoy, 31, has maintain that he wants to play in the NFL next season, and there could be interest in him on the free agent market. Specifically, Garafolo mentions that McCoy could potentially forge a homecoming with the Eagles, while the Chargers could also express interest. Los Angeles head coach Anthony Lynn was in Buffalo alongside McCoy, and that connection could prove valuable.
McCoy was cut by the Bills just ahead of his 11th NFL season, but Kansas City quickly reached out to the veteran back and landed him via a one-year, $3MM deal. Despite his relationship with Andy Reid, McCoy simply never became a large part of the Chiefs’ high-flying offense. While he handled double-digit carries in three of KC’s first four games, he only exceeded 10 totes twice over the rest of the year.
After missing several games with a rib injury, McCoy became a healthy inactive near the end the regular season and through the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run, as Kansas City instead turned to Damian Williams and Darwin Thompson in its backfield.
All told, McCoy rushed 101 times (the fewest attempts of his career) for 465 yards and four touchdowns during his debut Chiefs season. Through the air, McCoy managed 28 receptions for 161 yards and another score. Among the 45 NFL backs with at least 100 carries, McCoy ranked 25th in success rate, which measures the frequency of plays in which McCoy increased Kansas City’s expected points.
AFC West Notes: C. Jones, Broncos, C. Harris
The Chiefs will hit star DT Chris Jones with the franchise tag, and Jones is none too happy about it. “It’s like a mix of emotions,” Jones said in a recent interview with Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). “Because you figure, you know, after four years, you do everything the right way, within the team way, you try to stay under the line, out of trouble, and be a good citizen for a team and for the city, you expect to be rewarded….It’s like, ‘Man, what else you want me to do?'”
Jones isn’t exactly the first player to express frustration with the tag, and Cowherd, as is his custom, did his best to wrangle noteworthy soundbites out of the 2019 Pro Bowler. But Jones will almost surely get the contract he’s looking for, either with the Chiefs or another club after a tag-and-trade. For what it’s worth, Florio does not believe KC will let Jones get away.
Now for more from the AFC West:
- The Broncos made a splash today by acquiring CB A.J. Bouye from the Jaguars, which has furthered the belief that Chris Harris will leave in free agency. Indeed, Mike Klis of 9News believes that, unless Harris’ market falls dramatically, he will be suiting up elsewhere in 2020 (Twitter link). A team source acknowledged that Bouye’s presence makes it less likely Harris will be back, but the source did not close the door on the possibility (Twitter link via Klis).
- After all, the Broncos still need another veteran CB, though Troy Renck of Denver7 believes the club will target a mid-range FA and draft a corner (Twitter link).
- Another free agent the Broncos could have a tough time retaining is safety Will Parks. Renck reports in a full-length piece that Parks, lauded for his energy and versatility, has attracted significant interest from as many as 10 teams. However, the club has had positive dialogue with DE Derek Wolfe, per Renck. Wolfe has made it clear that he wants to remain in Denver.
- The Raiders are one of the teams interested in Harris, and they also have their eye on one of the market’s other top CBs, Byron Jones.
Chiefs To Decline Cameron Erving’s Option
Cameron Erving is set to hit free agency. Yahoo’s Terez A. Paylor reports (via Twitter) that the Chiefs won’t be exercising their 2020 option on the offensive lineman. The move will create $3.2MM in space for Kansas City.
The Chiefs traded a fifth-rounder to the Browns for Erving back in 2017, and the lineman proceeded to appear in 13 games (four starts) for his new squad. After starting 13 of his 14 appearances in 2018, Erving inked a two-year deal with the Chiefs.
The 27-year-old saw a reduced role towards the end of the 2019 season, but he still managed to make an appearance in the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory.
Erving’s versatility proved to be useful during his tenure with the Chiefs, but the front office clearly valued the extra wiggle room over the rotational lineman. With less than $20MM in cap room, the team will use some of their newfound space to accommodate defensive tackle Chris Jones‘ franchise tag.