Jeremy Maclin "Upset, Shocked" Chiefs Released Him Via Voicemail
- Ravens wide receiver Jeremy Maclin told PFT Live on Thursday that the manner in which the Chiefs notified him of his release earlier this month left him “upset” and “shocked.” Chiefs general manager John Dorsey informed Maclin via voicemail that the team was moving on from him after two years, 131 receptions and 10 touchdowns. Maclin also confirmed that the Chiefs tried to trade him and never asked him to take a pay cut, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com reported two weeks ago.
How Tyreek Hill's Role Will Change In 2017
Tyreek Hill was a revelation for the Chiefs last year, and his success as a rookie is one of the reasons the club was comfortable making the surprise decision to release Jeremy Maclin. And as Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star writes, Hill’s role with Kansas City this year will evolve accordingly.
For one, Hill will not be used on kickoff returns, as the team cannot afford to risk his health any more than is strictly necessary (though he will still be deployed on punt returns). Secondly, because Hill is fairly small — Paylor says the 185-pounder is closer to 5-8 than the 5-10 he is listed as — the Chiefs will need to limit his workload to some degree, although head coach Andy Reid, who was generally successful in managing the workloads of players like DeSean Jackson and Brian Westbrook, is unconcerned about that aspect of Hill’s development. Finally, the team expects Hill to step into Maclin’s “Z” receiver spot, the spotlight position in Reid’s offense. The Chiefs believe Hill’s abilities make a Steve Smith-like trajectory — i.e. a small but electric return man becoming a similarly prolific wideout — a strong possibility.
Chiefs Sign One, Waive Two
- The Chiefs have signed cornerback Keith Baxter and waived a pair of defenders, tackle T.J. Barnes and safety Damariay Drew, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Barnes is the only one of three with NFL experience, having appeared in 21 games (one start) since debuting in 2014. Last season was the only year in Kansas City for Barnes, and the former Jet and Bill saw action in five games. Baxter went undrafted out of Marshall last year and spent some time with the Vikings and Packers as a rookie. Drew, undrafted from Cal this year, lasted just over a week with the Chiefs, who signed him June 1.
Chiefs Sign DT Cam Thomas
The Chiefs have signed defensive tackle Cam Thomas, according to his agent (on Twitter). Thomas previously spent time with the Rams, Chargers, and Steelers. 
Thomas began his career with the Chargers and enjoyed his best season in 2013 as he appeared in every regular season games and made ten starts. After that, he parlayed his success into a free agent deal with the Steelers, but things did not go according to plan. Last year, he appeared in every regular season game for the Rams and made two starts with 15 tackles and one sack.
The 30-year-old Thomas isn’t a superstar, but he could be a worthwhile early-down player for Kansas City. Thomas will try to hook on as a reserve nose tackle in the Chiefs’ 3-4 scheme. Free agent Bennie Logan is projected to start in the middle with T.J. Barnes among the reserves.
RB Darrin Reaves Arrested
It might be a while before we see Darrin Reaves sign with a team. The free agent running back was arrested over the weekend after an alleged a domestic incident involving two women (via WRMJ). 
[RELATED: Follow Pro Football Rumors On Instagram]
Details are sparse, but what we do know is that Reaves faces two felony counts of unlawful restraint plus a misdemeanor count of criminal trespassing. The state’s attorney’s office says that Reaves had a previous relationship with one of the women and both have filed restraining orders against him. The running back is currently free on $10K bond but is due back in court on July 10.
Reaves first entered the league as a UDFA with the Panthers in 2014. He then spent time on the Chiefs’ practice squad from 2015 to 2017. Two months ago, KC released the 24-year-old.
Demarcus Robinson Could Benefit From Jeremy Maclin's Release
- Maclin’s release could leave a void in the Chiefs’ receiving corps, but head coach Andy Reid seems content with the team’s current options, writes Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “I’ve got a ton of trust in the young guys that they’ll step up and do a good job for us,” Reid said. “We’ve got enough talent here to do whatever we need to do. I don’t worry about that.” One beneficiary of Maclin’s exit could be second-year man Demarcus Robinson, a fourth-round pick in 2016 who only played five offensive snaps as a rookie. Despite his lack of experience, Robinson has impressed Reid this offseason. “He’s the young one that’s come up here a little bit and had a pretty good offseason,” Reid commented. “We’ll see how he does once we get going in the preseason.
Chiefs Sign Tanoh Kpassagnon
The Chiefs have signed one of their top draft picks, second-round defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (on Twitter). As the 59th overall selection, Kpassagnon’s four-year deal is worth $4.32MM and includes a $1.28MM signing bonus.
Kpassagnon played the previous four years at Villanova, where he broke out in 2015 with 9.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. He logged even better production last year – 21.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks – en route to first-team All-America honors. While his sack numbers with the Wildcats were gaudy, the 6-foot-7, 289-pound Kpassagnon is “raw” and “lacks natural pass rush talent,” according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
With Kpassagnon under contract, the Chiefs have signed five of their six picks. Kansas City’s lone straggler is the most important member of its 2017 class, first-round quarterback Patrick Mahomes, for whom it traded up 17 spots to land at No. 10. That bold move came at a high price for the Chiefs, who sent their 2018 first-rounder and a third-round pick this year to Buffalo.
Bills To Meet With Jeremy Maclin
The Bills and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin are set to meet today, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). After that, Maclin’s next stop could be with the Ravens on Wednesday.
[RELATED: Bills QB Tyrod Taylor Eyeing Maclin]
LeSean McCoy has made no secret of the fact that he wants Maclin in Buffalo and he started recruiting the receiver hard after he was released by the Chiefs. Maclin could help to keep defenders away from star Sammy Watkins and also step up in the event that he is injured again in 2017. The Bills’ depth chart also includes second-round pick Zay Jones, Rod Streater, Andre Holmes, and Corey Brown.
The Chiefs cut Maclin when they couldn’t find another team willing to take on his 2017 base salary of $9.75MM. He’ll likely sign for less with another club, but he should still command a decent salary given the impact that he can potentially have elsewhere. Maclin turned in a decent season in 2016, hauling in 87 catches for 1,000+ and eight touchdowns.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/5/17
Here are today’s minor moves.
- The Patriots signed cornerback William Likely and waived defensive end Corey Vereen with an injury designation. A 5-foot-7, 175-pound player, Likely could factor into New England’s return-men competition, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. The rookie UDFA played four years at Maryland and notched six interceptions as a sophomore in 2014.
- Former Minnesota Golden Gophers linebacker Jack Lynn signed with the Falcons, who waived fullback Soma Vainuku to make room, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reports. He’s a UDFA rookie. Vanaiku’s ouster should pit Derrick Coleman and rookie Tyler Renew against one another at fullback, per McClure.
- The Broncos waived rookie UDFA tackle Erik Austell, Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post tweets. A Charleston Southern product, Austell was one of the 13 UDFAs the Broncos signed coming out of draft weekend.
- The Chiefs added former Texans wideout Tevin Jones, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Jones entered the league as a UDFA out of Memphis last year. He hasn’t seen any game action. The Texans signed Jones to a reserve/futures deal in January but cut him last month.
- The Saints signed wide receiver Dan Arnold and cut defensive end Drew Iddings, Nick Underhill of The Advocate reports (on Twitter). Arnold comes to New Orleans from Division III Wisconsin-Platteville. Iddings spent time in camp with the Raiders last year and was with both the Panthers and Saints this spring.
- Swapping out interior offensive linemen, the Titans signed center Marc Spelman and waived center/guard Karim Barton. The latter has bounced around for a few years, being signed to reserve/futures deals by the Browns (2015), Texans (’16) and Titans (’17). The 25-year-old has never played in a game. Spelman comes out of Illinois State. He went to the Bears’ rookie minicamp last month.
Draft Pick Signings: 6/5/17
Today’s draft pick signings:
- Third-round pick Kareem Hunt signed his rookie deal with the Chiefs. This comes three days after Kansas City cut Jeremy Maclin, a surprising move but one that freed up additional funds for the team to sign its highest draft picks. First- and second-round selections Patrick Mahomes and Tanoh Kpassagnon remain unsigned. Hunt could compete for time quickly in a Chiefs offense that could be more run-oriented after Maclin’s release. After releasing Jamaal Charles, Kansas City still has starter Spencer Ware and backup Charcandrick West back. But Hunt (1,475 rushing yards as a senior; 8.0 yards per carry and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore) figures to factor in.
- Continuing the third-round theme, the Patriots and tackle Antonio Garcia agreed to terms on his four-year rookie accord. The Troy product looks to be a backup behind Nate Solder and Marcus Cannon as a rookie, but with Solder’s contract expiring after 2017, the Patriots likely will use this season to evaluate if Garcia could be a possible heir apparent. New England chose Solder in the first round a year before Matt Light retired. The team still has Cameron Fleming and used a sixth-round pick on tackle Conor McDermott.
- More third-round negotiation conclusions: No. 72 overall pick Taywan Taylor, a wide receiver out of Western Kentucky, signed his Titans deal. Only Corey Davis is unsigned out of Tennessee’s nine draft picks. The lesser known of the Titans’ two low-major wideout rookies, Taylor recorded 17 touchdown receptions in each of his final two years with the Hilltoppers. Taylor’s 1,730 air yards last season ranked third in Division I-FBS, and his 17 TD grabs were third also. Davis’ 19 tied for first, so the Titans will have two stat-stuffing pass-catchers in the fold this season.