Packers, 49ers Have Expressed Interest In Dee Ford
The Chiefs have some suitors for Dee Ford. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the organization has a “market” for the pass rusher, with the Packers and 49ers among the teams that have expressed interest in a trade.
Kansas City slapped Ford with the franchise tag earlier this week, and subsequent reports indicated that they were shopping the Pro Bowler. The Chiefs are reportedly seeking a second-rounder for the 27-year-old, who finished last season with 55 tackles, 13 sacks, and seven forced fumbles.
While the asking price isn’t particularly high, an acquiring team would be required to pay Ford’s $15.433MM salary for next season. This number has the chance to increase; as our own Dallas Robinson pointed out, Ford is likely to file a grievance arguing that he’s a defensive end, and that would boost his franchise value to $17.128MM in 2019.
The Packers have been seeking an edge rusher, and Ford would be an easy replacement for free agent linebacker Clay Matthews. Meanwhile, the 49ers defensive line showed some intrigue in 2018, and adding a player of Ford’s caliber would surely boost the defense’s ceiling in 2019.
Carlos Hyde To Visit Chiefs
Carlos Hyde will visit with the Chiefs tomorrow, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The running back was released by the Jaguars earlier today, and isn’t wasting any time setting up a meeting before the free agency negotiating period opens on Monday.
As a player who was released before his contract expired, Hyde doesn’t have to wait for free agency to open and can sign whenever. The Chiefs left a huge hole in their backfield when they released Kareem Hunt in the midst of his scandal last season, so their interest makes some sense. Schefter notes that Hyde could be a nice complement to and share time with the Chiefs’ starting running back to end the season, Damien Williams.
Hyde signed a three-year, $15MM contract with the Browns last March, but he never worked out in Cleveland. The team quickly decided they wanted to give rookie Nick Chubb more carries, and decided to trade Hyde. They shipped Hyde off to the Jaguars mid-season, but Jacksonville soon fell out of playoff contention.
With the Jags no longer contending, they didn’t have much of a reason to play Hyde. Between Cleveland and Jacksonville, he carried the ball 172 times for 571 yards last season, averaging only 3.3 yards per carry. Hyde is still only 28, so he should have something left in the tank for whoever he signs with.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/7/19
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: LB Justin March-Lillard, DB Darian Thompson
Denver Broncos
- Re-signed: LS Casey Kreiter
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: LS Matt Overton
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DB Harold Jones-Quartey
Chiefs Want Second-Round Pick For Dee Ford?
After deploying the franchise tag on edge rusher Dee Ford, the Chiefs may be willing to trade the veteran linebacker/defensive end, and the price might not be all that steep. Kansas City is looking for a second-round pick in exchange for Ford, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Fresh off a career year in 2018, Ford will be expensive next season. The linebacker franchise tag will cost $15.433MM, but there’s a chance Ford could push to earn even more. Ford is likely to file a grievance arguing that he’s a defensive end, and being tagged at that position would enable him to collect $17.128MM in 2019. That’s a hefty total, especially for a Chiefs team that only has roughly $10MM in cap space after accounting for Ford’s salary.
In addition to his cost, Ford’s role in new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo‘s 4-3 scheme has been questioned. Ford played defensive end in college, however, and the Chiefs faced three-plus wide receivers more than 80% of the time in 2018, per Warren Sharp. That means Kansas City was in nickel formations with Ford lined up as a pass-rusher. Indeed, Pro Football Focus charts Ford with only 107 coverage snaps all season, meaning concerns about a role change are likely overblown.
Ford, 27, hasn’t always been a star since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2014. He was relatively quiet in his first two pro campaigns before erupting for 10 sacks in 2016. An injury wiped out most of Ford’s 2017 season, but also forced the Chiefs to retain him via his injury-guaranteed fifth-year option. Ford subsequently posted the best results of his career, putting up 10 sacks and 48.5 pressures (second in the NFL) while grading as PFF’s 11th-best edge defender.
Chiefs Tag Dee Ford As Linebacker
Both the Chiefs and Texans may be in for grievances. Both teams used their franchise tags on edge defenders — Dee Ford and Jadeveon Clowney, respectively — and each team officially classified its tag recipient as a linebacker. The linebacker tag comes at a $15.443MM price. Both players have cases to be tagged as defensive ends, with Clowney frequently lining up as a lineman for Houston and Ford set to play end in Kansas City’s new 4-3 scheme. The defensive end price: $17.128MM — the second-highest tag figure. Clowney already received just more than $1MM from the Texans to resolve a dispute about what position he was categorized as in regards to his fifth-year option. That may go toward preempting a grievance here, but it’s not certain. A Ford grievance seems likely. He spends more time rushing from the defensive end position in the Chiefs’ sub-packages. Terrell Suggs filed a grievance about a linebacker tag in 2008, and an arbitrator ruled the parties to split the difference between the linebacker and end tags. But this is a case-by-case process.
Chiefs Inquired On Landon Collins In 2018
- The Giants‘ decision to let Landon Collins hit free agency shocked much of the football-following world, and Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports there will be an extensive market awaiting the three-time Pro Bowler and 2016 All-Pro. The Chiefs, Colts and Redskins profile as potential suitors, per Raanan. This move also may affect future Giants negotiations, reminding of how Dave Gettleman‘s tactics as Carolina’s GM rubbed some Panthers the wrong way, with Raanan adding the team made no serious attempt to discuss a long-term deal with its high-profile safety.
Chiefs, Tyreek Hill Discussing Extension
The Chiefs have begun negotiations with star wide receiver Tyreek Hill on what will be a record-setting deal, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Chiefs have other business to tend to, such as tagging Dee Ford today and shopping Justin Houston, but those moves will be made with Hill’s next deal in mind. 
Hill could hardly have had a better start to his professional career, having earned three Pro Bowl nods and two First Team All-Pro selections in his first three seasons in the NFL. The former fifth-round pick out of West Alabama is under contract through the 2019 campaign and is eligible for an extension for the first time this offseason. His current deal would pay him a $720K base salary in 2019, which is laughably low for someone of his caliber.
A new deal for Hill is expected to make him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history, which would call for more than Odell Beckham Jr.’s $18MM per year average. OBJ also leads the way with $40.959MM fully guaranteed and Hill could topple that figure as well.
In 2018, Hill set new career highs with 87 catches for 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Chiefs Use Franchise Tag On Dee Ford
Another franchise tag is official. The Chiefs placed theirs on Dee Ford, as has been long expected.
Kansas City’s pass rusher situation is far from certain, as free agency approaches. Both Ford and Justin Houston, who is still a Chief for now, have been dangled in trade talks. But the younger player appears likely to stay for the 2019 season.
The expectation now is Houston will be released before free agency commences. This would place a greater internal value on Ford, who has not been a consistent pass rusher but is nevertheless coming off his best season. Ford forced seven fumbles in 2018 and registered 13 sacks, finally delivering on the promise the Chiefs envisioned when they used their 2014 first-round pick on him.
Ford sticking around for 2019 would mean a switch to defensive end, with new DC Steve Spagnuolo converting the Chiefs to a 4-3 team. Ford, 28, may be set for a fight about his position distinction, with the Chiefs potentially arguing he should be tagged as a linebacker — since he played five years in their old 3-4 scheme. However, Ford’s camp will certainly counter he should be classified as an end, since that’s where he will play in 2019. The linebacker tag is $15.443MM; tagged ends receive $17.128MM.
Chiefs Expected To Release Justin Houston
The Chiefs have put out trade feelers for both Justin Houston and Dee Ford. While it’s not known what kind of interest the team’s bookend pass rushers are drawing, the older member of this duo may be set to hit the market.
A report surfaced Monday indicating that Houston will be released, but NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets the Chiefs have yet to pull the trigger. However, that is the expected endgame here, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (on Twitter). The franchise looks to still be trying to trade Houston, per Pelissero, hoping to take advantage of what has become a less flashy pass rusher market.
While Houston may not be attractive at a $15.25MM base salary, he figures to be in demand as a first-time free agent. The expected franchise tag recipients, including Ford, received news they will be tagged, opening the door for the second-tier pass rushers to top the true free agent market. Houston is more accomplished than any of those players, and despite his age (30) and recent history of injuries, the former All-Pro will generate interest.
If released, Houston stands to join Trey Flowers, Dante Fowler, Preston Smith, Za’Darius Smith and Ziggy Ansah as the market’s top edge defenders. Houston has played four seasons on the six-year, $101MM deal. He has not lived up to that price, and said contract calls for a $21.1MM cap number in 2019, failing to eclipse 10 sacks in a season since his 22-sack 2014 showing.
Travis Kelce May Miss Offseason Program
- Travis Kelce will have some rehab to do this offseason. The Chiefs‘ All-Pro tight end underwent ankle surgery, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets, and may not be available for the team’s offseason program. Although Garafolo describes this as a cleanup procedure, the 29-year-old tight end will miss some of the Chiefs’ program. Kelce is, however, expected to be ready by training camp.
- A position distinction fight appears to be brewing in Kansas City. With the Chiefs all set to tag Dee Ford, the somewhat antiquated franchise tag designations are back in play. The team will likely push for the edge rusher to be classified as a linebacker, which comes with a $15.443MM price, rather than a defensive end ($17.128MM), Florio writes. Ford has played outside linebacker throughout his NFL career, but if he returns to the Chiefs in 2019, he will play defensive end in Steve Spagnuolo‘s 4-3 scheme. This happened with Terrell Suggs and the Ravens in 2008, in a process that ended with Suggs categorized as a hybrid linebacker/defensive end for a compromise, and may become an issue for the Texans and Jadeveon Clowney. However, the Chiefs transitioning to a new defense provides a bit of a new wrinkle. The Chiefs are planning to listen to offers for Ford.