Chiefs Tried To Trade For Hitchens In 2017
The Chiefs signed former Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens to a five-year contract this offseason, but Kansas City had made attempts to acquire Hitchens previously. According to Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star, the Chiefs actually tried to trade for Hitchens during the summer of 2017.
The Cowboys declined to deal Hitchens — originally a fourth-round pick in the 2014 draft — and he went on to play on 500 or more defensive snaps for the fourth consecutive season. In total, 2017 marked one of the best campaigns of Hitchens’ career, as he appeared in 12 games (all starts) and posted 55 tackles, two passes defensed, and one forced fumble, all while grading as the NFL’s No. 18 linebacker, per Pro Football Focus.
“We’re sitting there on the free-agency board, and the guy that we made our first call to back in August about his availability, he’s a free agent,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach told Worthy. “We knew we were going to go in a different direction with Derrick [Johnson]. It just made sense. We spent a lot of time on him with the work we did back in August. Here we’ve come full circle now. Now, we’re right back where we originally started, which is pursuing Anthony Hitchens.”
Hitchens, 26, ultimately landed a five-year, $45MM deal with the Chiefs that makes him the league’s seventh-highest paid inside linebacker on an annual basis. That pact also contains $21.29MM in fully guaranteed money, second to only Luke Kuechly among inside ‘backers. During the upcoming campaign, Hitchens will collect a base salary of $790K and count for $3.6MM against Kansas City’s salary cap before his cap charge nearly triples in 2019.
With the Chiefs, Hitchens will start next to Reggie Ragland — whom Kansas City acquired from the Bills last year — in defensive coordinator Bob Sutton‘s 3-4 scheme. Johnson, whom the Chiefs opted not to re-sign after he spent 13 seasons with the club, was regularly playing more than 800 defensive snaps per year, so Hitchens will need to increase his playtime percentage as he transitions to a new team.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/1/18
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed: OT Adam Bisnowaty (from Lions)
- Placed on injured reserve: CB Ross Cockrell (story)
Detroit Lions
- Signed CB Josh Okonye
- Waived: CB Amari Coleman
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: OL Michael Dunn, TE DeAndre Goolsby
- Waived/injured: OL Brandon Thomas
- Waived: LS Andrew East
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: LB Otha Peters
- Waived: WR Ashton Lampkin
New Orleans Saints
- Waived/injured: WR Eldridge Massington, WR Josh Smith
New York Giants
- Claimed: OL Victor Salako (from Browns)
Tennessee Titans
- Retired: OL John Theus
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/31/18
Today’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OT Jamar McGloster
- Waived: OL Adam Bisnowaty
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: LB Otha Peters
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Kendal Thompson
- Waived/Injured: WR Aaron Lacombe
New England Patriots
- Waived/Injured: TE/FB Shane Wimann
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: TE Wes Saxton
- Waived: CB C.J. Goodwin
Justin Houston Admits He Wasn't Fully Healthy In 2017
Knee trouble has impacted Justin Houston for lengthy stretches during his career. Although the Chiefs‘ top pass rusher played 15 games last season, he admitted he wasn’t at full strength. Houston missed 11 games in 2016 and five in 2015 due to a troublesome knee, one that required surgery during the 2016 offseason. But Houston’s participated throughout Kansas City’s offseason program this year and will be counted on to supply consistent edge pressure.
- Cameron Erving is in the mix to win the Chiefs‘ left guard job, per Taylor, who adds Mitch Morse looks to have reasserted himself as the center starter. Erving served as a Chiefs backup last season, but with K.C. having lost Zach Fulton in free agency, a spot is open for the former Browns first-round pick. Erving’s last full-time role came when he started 13 games with Cleveland in 2016. The Chiefs declined Erving’s fifth-year option, making this season particularly pivotal for the former Florida State standout.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/18
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed WR Malachi Jones
- Waived: WR Matt Fleming
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: WR Blake Jackson, DL Zaycoven Henderson
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: DT Mike Purcell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT Adam Reth
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/18
Here are today’s minor moves:
Kansas City Chiefs
- Waived: WR Elijah Marks
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Malik Reaves
- Released: OL Bryce Harris
Bashaud Breeland Leaves Chiefs Without Deal
Bashaud Breeland took a lengthy visit with the Chiefs earlier today, during which he not only met with the club for hours, but watched Kansas City’s defensive backs go through drills. But the free agent cornerback has now left the Chiefs without a contract in place, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds Breeland has not still not ruled out signing with Kansas City at some point.
While Breeland doesn’t yet have a contract in hand, he’s among the best defenders still available on the free agent market. The 26-year-old originally signed a three-year, $24MM deal with the Panthers at the outset of free agency, but Carolina voided the pact after an off-field foot injury forced a failed Breeland physical.
Since then, he’s been linked to numerous teams, but he’s also left a meeting with the Raiders without a deal in place. Next up, Breeland is reportedly set to meet with both the Browns and Colts. At this point, it’s unclear as to the holdup on Breeland finding a new club, but his foot issue is surely being checked by team medical officials.
Breeland was originally a fourth-round Redskins pick in 2014 draft. A Clemson product, Breeland has been a starter from day one, totaling eight interceptions in 58 starts during his four-year career. Last season, Pro Football Focus ranked Breeland as the No. 50 cornerback among 121 qualifiers.
Chiefs Meet With CB Bashaud Breeland
Bashaud Breeland is visiting the Chiefs, but it sounds more serious than the usual meet-and-greet for free agents. Breeland has spent hours at the Chiefs’ Wednesday practice and is watching the club’s defensive backs go through drills, ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher tweets. Still, the team insists that no deal is in place just yet.
Breeland recently left his Raiders visit without a contract and was said to have meetings scheduled with the Colts and Browns. Right now, it seems likely that all three teams will be left out in the cold.
This has been a strange offseason for Breeland, to say the least. After finishing up his rookie deal with the Redskins, he inked a three-year, $24MM free agent deal with the Panthers. However, the Panthers bailed on the deal after learning of Breeland’s off-the-field foot injury. Since then, several teams have shown interest, but his market stalled while he worked his way back to full health.
The Chiefs’ cornerback group has changed radically since last year, so Breeland would not be the only fresh face in KC. Terrance Mitchell, Ron Parker, Kenneth Acker, and Phillip Gaines all landed elsewhere while free agent Darrelle Revis announced his retirement earlier this week. The Chiefs will start Kendall Fuller and David Amerson at the outside corner spots with help from Steven Nelson and others. If signed, Breeland figures to see plenty of playing time, even if he’s not an every-game starter.
Chiefs RB Spencer Ware Restructures Deal
Chiefs running back Spencer Ware has agreed to restructure his deal. Ware will see $725K of his $1.45M base salary converted into incentives, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, the incentives are largely obtainable, so he still has a real chance at earning the full $1.45MM for 2018. 
[RELATED: Chiefs Rumors: Mahomes, Rogers, Ford, OL]
Ware was believed to be in line for the Chiefs’ backup job, but it’s possible that Charcandrick West could leapfrog him for the No. 2 RB role. Last year, West scored four touchdowns as Kareem Hunt‘s backup. Ware, meanwhile, missed the entire season with a torn PCL and a damaged LCL.
Ware was solid as the Chiefs’ starter in 2016 as he averaged 4.3 yards per carry and caught 33 passes for 447 yards and two touchdowns. He’ll look to pick up where he left off in 2018, before reaching free agency next March.
Chiefs Rumors: Mahomes, Rogers, Ford, OL
Being a first-year starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes will bring some risk to the Chiefs‘ outlook Alex Smith did not. But the potential reward looks to be much greater. Andy Reid acknowledges the 2017 first-round pick will experience the usual issues adjusting to NFL starter life, but the sixth-year Chiefs coach made it clear he doesn’t want to deprive Mahomes of playmaking opportunities his skill set could create.
“You surely don’t want to stifle that at all. One thing that he is blessed with is he has good vision, so you don’t ever want to stifle that and put him in a box with that. Allow him to see,” Reid said from Chiefs training camp in St. Joseph, Mo. “Is there going to be a hiccup here or there? Yeah there’s going to be a hiccup here or there, but you don’t want to stifle that at all.”
Reid added that Mahomes, viewed as a raw but potentially special arm talent out of Texas Tech as a prospect last year, is farther along this year compared to where Smith was in 2013. With the addition of Sammy Watkins, the Chiefs have also outfitted Mahomes with a better collection of skill-position talent than Smith (or possibly any previous Kansas City quarterback) received.
Here’s the latest out of western Missouri:
- While the Chiefs’ offense looks capable of being one of the NFL’s best units, Kansas City’s defense has plenty of questions. A key one will be the status of their injury-prone edge rushers. Justin Houston enters camp healthy and is signed long-term, but Dee Ford may only be back because an injury left him unable to pass a March physical. His $8.718MM fifth-year option vested, but Ford realizes he’s under pressure to perform this season after a career that’s seen just one productive year (2016, when he had a Chiefs-most 10 sacks). The Chiefs also drafted edge defenders in each of the past two second rounds, in Tanoh Kpassagnon and Breeland Speaks (the latter of whom K.C. traded up to acquire). “Everyone’s seen flashes of what I can do. This is the opportunity to really (show it) for 16 games,” Ford said, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “In order to be a great player you have to be consistent. You can’t just be good (like 2016 in) those first 10 games or so before I got hurt. Everybody was like, ‘That’s the guy we expected,’ and then I got hurt. … This is the time to put it all together.”
- Eli Rogers left his Chiefs visit Monday without a deal, Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Rogers will now meet with the Browns, who have his three-year OC on staff in Todd Haley. The Raiders have also scheduled a summit with the slot receiver. Behind Watkins and Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs employ Chris Conley, Demarcus Robinson, Jehu Chesson and the recently re-signed De’Anthony Thomas.
- Despite a 2016 ACL tear hijacking both of Parker Ehinger‘s first two NFL seasons, he still might be the frontrunner to work as the Chiefs’ starting left guard, Nate Taylor of The Athletic writes (subscription required). A fourth-round pick out of Cincinnati two years ago, Ehinger opened his rookie year as a starter but missed all but one game last season. Bryan Witzmann and Jordan Devey represent his primary competitors, per Taylor, who adds that Cameron Erving could linger here as well if he cannot unseat fourth-year center Mitch Morse.
- Like Ford, Spencer Ware‘s been cleared to begin training camp without a PUP list stay, but the 2016 starter won’t automatically be given the backup job, per Taylor. Charcandrick West remains a factor and scored four touchdowns as Kareem Hunt‘s backup last season. West and Ware will battle for the backup role, just as they did in 2015 when they vied for time behind a then-healthy Jamaal Charles.