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AFC West Notes: Franklin-Myers, Broncos, Brady, Raiders, OL, Chiefs, Cook, Chargers

June 19th, 2024 at 1:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Jets work on a solution to bring trade acquisition Haason Reddick into the fold, the Broncos have longtime Gang Green D-line starter John Franklin-Myers penciled into a starting post. Franklin-Myers is expected to start alongside Zach Allen and D.J. Jones in Vance Joseph‘s 3-4 scheme. The Broncos acquired the 27-year-old D-lineman for only a 2026 sixth-round pick, with the deal amounting to a salary dump on the Jets’ part. Denver reworked Franklin-Myers’ deal, with terms (two years, $15MM) north of where a Jets pay-cut offer came in, and improved one of their DE spots from last season. The former Rams draftee said (via ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold) he spoke with Joseph and Broncos senior defensive assistant Joe Vitt about how he would fit in Denver’s scheme, helping move the trade across the goal line.

While significant questions remain about the Broncos’ viability as a contender, the team has experienced cogs at just about every spot across both lines. Here is the latest from the AFC West:

  • The Chiefs boast experience at four positions on their offensive front, but the reigning champions’ left tackle post is unsettled as of now. Second-round pick Kingsley Suamataia looks to hold an early lead on 2023 third-rounder Wanya Morris for the job, per The Athletic’s Nate Taylor. Suamataia took the majority of the first-team reps during minicamp. Training camp will, of course, provide a clearer indication of this position battle (subscription required). Should Suamataia end up losing the competition, it would stand to reason he would have a shot to eventually claim it as he develops. But the BYU product is off to a nice start, albeit in unpadded work.
  • Down Bryan Cook for their final nine games due to an ankle injury, the Chiefs saw the third-year safety participate fully in minicamp, Taylor adds. This certainly brings good news, given that Cook was carted off Lambeau Field in early December. The Chiefs, who lost fill-in Mike Edwards to the Bills this offseason, are once again planning to turn to Cook and Justin Reid as their starting safeties.
  • Trey Pipkins‘ move to guard is looking likely to produce a starting opportunity. Pipkins joined Rashawn Slater, Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman and Joe Alt in taking every first-team rep during the team’s final OTA and the minicamp open to media, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper writes. Jim Harbaugh said this group is on track to be a “top-tier” O-line. A career-long tackle, Pipkins’ guard move has been in the works for a bit now. Two seasons remain on his three-year, $21.75MM deal.
  • Jim Leonhard interviewed for the Eagles’ defensive coordinator job last year and appeared the frontrunner for the Packers’ DC gig in 2021. After leaving his Wisconsin DC post following the 2022 season, Leonhard spent last year as an analyst at Illinois. Sean Payton hired Leonhard to coach the Broncos‘ DBs this year and said (via DNVR Sports’ Zac Stevens) he attempted to hire the former safety in 2023. Leonhard undergoing a hip replacement delayed this partnership, but he has since replaced Christian Parker, who joined the Eagles this offseason.
  • Nearly 13 months have passed since Tom Brady agreed to buy a Raiders stake. The owners continue to table the matter, with multiple issues — from the stake price (since resolved) to the conflict of interest with Brady’s FOX job — coming up. Owners did not discuss this at last month’s meetings, but the Washington Post’s Mark Maske notes Brady still is more likely than not to end up a Raiders minority owner. Roger Goodell said Brady’s access to team facilities and practices would need to be addressed if he is approved. Barring a special session, the owners’ next chance to vote in Brady as a Raiders part-owner comes in October.

Chiefs DT Isaiah Buggs Facing Multiple Criminal Charges

June 18th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Rory Parks

JUNE 18: We’ve got more troubling details on Buggs’ recent domestic violence charge. Per Lukas Weese of The Athletic, Buggs was arrested on June 16 after “unlawfully” entering the apartment of his child’s mother with the “intent to commit a crime.”

Per the Tuscaloosa district court documents cited by Weese, Buggs broke into the apartment with a tire iron before dragging the woman down the stairs, causing the woman to suffer “scratch marks” on her wrists. After leaving the apartment, Buggs was spotted by police, who were responding to the 911 call, in a nearby parking lot. Buggs was arrested and booked early that morning.

JUNE 16: Buggs has been arrested again and has been charged with domestic violence and burglary, as Phillips reports. Court records show that he was given a $5,000 bond (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk). Given the team’s minimal investment in him, it is fair to wonder how long Kansas City will keep Buggs on the roster.

JUNE 2: Chiefs defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs turned himself in to Tuscaloosa (Al.) police on Thursday after two arrest warrants for misdemeanor animal cruelty were issued for him, as detailed by Ryan Phillips of Patch.com. A subsequent ESPN report noted that Buggs was released on $600 bond and will be required to appear in court on June 13.

Court documents allege that two dogs, a pitbull and Rottweiler mix, were found by animal control at a home rented by Buggs. The animals were described as “malnourished, emaciated and neglected” and were allegedly left on a screened-in back porch surrounded by feces and without access to food or water. The pitbull was ultimately euthanized at a local animal shelter after becoming increasingly aggressive and failing heartworm treatment, and the Rottweiler mix — which tested positive for Parvo and weighed a dangerously-low 52 pounds when it arrived at the shelter — is still in the shelter’s care pending a court determination as to whether Buggs should be allowed to own it or any other animals.

According to witnesses, Buggs had recently vacated the residence where the animals were found, and Phillips writes that the player’s lease was subsequently terminated due to his rent arrearage. Phillips adds that Buggs faces other charges stemming from his allegedly pushing a police officer during an April arrest and allegedly pointing a gun at a woman outside of his business.

That business — Buggs owns the nearby Kings Hookah Lounge — is at the root of Buggs’ legal issues, according to his agent, Trey Robinson. In the wake of the animal cruelty warrants, Robinson argued that local police are engaged in a “subversive campaign” to force Buggs to close the hookah lounge, and that authorities offered to drop the earlier charges — which were not initially made public — in exchange for the voluntary surrender of Buggs’ business license (the full statement can be found here, courtesy of NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).

Phillips, meanwhile, reports that Buggs does not have a business license at all, and that the lounge has been cited for operating without a license, overcrowding, and failure to pay city taxes. With respect to the dogs, Robinson said, “under no circumstance does Mr. Buggs condone the mistreatment of any animal. The dogs at issue did not belong to him, and he was unaware they remained at the property in question.”

Buggs, 27, was selected by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2019 draft and landed a one-year deal with the Lions prior to the 2022 season. He wound up appearing in all 17 of Detroit’s games that year, including a career-high 13 starts. While his efforts earned him a two-year contract worth up to $6MM last March, he did not make it through the first year of that pact. He was waived in January and subsequently caught on with the Chiefs’ taxi squad in advance of KC’s playoff run. He did not see any postseason work, though the Chiefs retained him via a reserve/futures deal in February.

Buggs declined to speak to a reporter after leaving the Tuscaloosa County Jail on Thursday, and a Chiefs spokesperson said the club was aware of the situation but also declined comment.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/13/24

June 13th, 2024 at 9:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

Tennessee Titans

  • Waived/injured: OL X’Zauvea Gadlin

Gubner comes to the Chiefs after winning Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year honors at Montana last season. Spending six years at the Division I-FCS program, Gubner totaled 28.5 tackles for loss during his college career. The Chiefs also have cleared the runway for Matt Araiza‘s second chance. The recently added specialist is now the only punter on Kansas City’s roster, with Rehkow signing as a UDFA in May.

A former fifth-round Panthers pick, Nixon played 14 games with his original team but did see any game action in 2023. Both the Panthers and Seahawks waived Nixon in 2022. After Nixon had spent last season out of football, the Dolphins signed him in March.

Latest On Chiefs’ BJ Thompson

June 11th, 2024 at 9:40am CST by Adam La Rose

BJ Thompson‘s situation continues to point in the right direction. The second-year Chiefs defensive end has been released from the hospital, his agent confirmed (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).

Thompson suffered a seizure last week which caused him to go into cardiac arrest. The 27-year-old was in the team’s facility at the time during a special teams meeting. He received immediate medical attention before being taken to a local hospital. One day after the incident, he was alert and responsive.

Providing further details on the matter, PJ Green of FOX4 Kansas City notes Thompson was in cardiac arrest for less than one minute before one defibrillator shock was administered. After spending last Thursday night on a ventilator, his situation was reported to be on a positive trajectory. Indeed, Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder confirmed (via ESPN’s Adam Teicher) Thompson’s recovery is “headed into the absolute right direction.”

As a rookie, Thompson made just one appearance for Kansas City. The former fifth-rounder took part in the team’s regular season finale, logging a rotational defensive role along with a 59% special teams snap share. A similar workload will likely await him in 2024, presuming he is able to recover in time for the start of the campaign.

Kansas City’s mandatory minicamp takes place from Tuesday to Thursday. That will be followed by a break until training camp begins next month. By that point, all parties involved will be hoping for further good news as it pertains to Thompson’s health.

Chiefs WR Rashee Rice: “I’ve Learned So Much”

June 9th, 2024 at 8:17am CST by Rory Parks

This offseason has been one filled with legal troubles for Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice. Rice is facing a total of eight felony charges stemming from a hit-and-run incident in Dallas on the evening of March 30, an incident in which he and another driver were believed to be street racing (with Rice allegedly reaching a speed of 119mph). About a month later, Rice was accused of punching a photographer at a Dallas nightclub.

During his meeting with police about the hit-and-run matter, Rice reportedly accepted “full responsibility” for his role, and his attorney later indicated that his client intends to cover the expenses of the victims, though Rice is being sued for over $1MM in actual damages and $10MM in punitive damages by two of those victims. The photographer that Rice allegedly struck subsequently asked police to not file charges against the second-year wideout, and the investigation was reportedly closed shortly thereafter.

While it seems as though Rice will not face charges for his encounter with the photographer, that incident could nonetheless impact the suspension that the Chiefs expect the NFL to hand down at some point. The league may wait until the hit-and-run legal process plays out before issuing sanctions, but once that happens, the alleged assault — as well as an incident that took place while Rice was still in college, in which the then-SMU player or a member of his party fired shots into an empty vehicle belonging to a member of the school’s basketball team — may well factor into the punishment.

In the meantime, Rice is free to take part in all team activities, and he was a full particpant in the Chiefs’ OTAs. Yesterday, he participated in a youth football camp in Kansas City alongside a number of the team’s other top receivers, and he offered his first public comments on his situation (via ESPN).

“I’ve learned so much from [the hit-and-run],” Rice said. “All I can do is mature and continue to grow from that. This (the youth football camp) is a step in a better direction for me.”

While vowing to improve as a person, Rice added, “[a]ccidents and stuff like that happen, but all you can do is move forward and walk around being the same person, try to be positive so that everybody can feel your love and your great energy.”

As a rookie in 2023, Rice was the Chiefs’ most effective wide receiver, and whenever his seemingly inevitable suspension is levied, KC will feel his absence. The team did address its WR corps in a meaningful way this offseason, adding Marquise Brown in free agency and another speed merchant, Xavier Worthy, in the first round of the 2024 draft. The club recently agreed to a re-up with Mecole Hardman and is still rostering Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, and Kadarius Toney.

Chiefs DE BJ Thompson Suffers Seizure, Cardiac Arrest

June 7th, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

JUNE 7, 12:00pm: Thompson is now awake and responsive, per his agent. Pelissero echoes the sentiment that Thompson has a positive prognosis, a welcomed update to this situation.

JUNE 7, 8:58am: An update from Thompson’s agent states (via Pelissero) that he remains unconscious but in stable condition with “good” vital signs. Further developments related to his condition and recovery timeline (about which, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes, doctors are “optimistic”) will no doubt be closely monitored around the NFL.

JUNE 6: The Chiefs canceled their scheduled practice Thursday due to a medical emergency, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Teicher. Details on the situation have since emerged.

The incident took place during a special teams meeting with the affected player suffering a seizure and going into cardiac arrest, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The identity of the player was initially unknown, but both Pelissero and Teicher have since noted it is defensive end BJ Thompson.

Thompson received immediate attention from the Chiefs’ medical staff and he was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. He is in stable condition, per multiple reports. In the wake of that encouraging update, Teicher adds Kansas City will practice tomorrow as the team’s OTAs wrap up.

Thompson was a fifth-rounder of the Chiefs during last year’s draft. He began his college career at Baylor, collecting four sacks in 2018. He then transferred to Stephen F. Austin and spent four years there. The 6-6, 243-pounder earned first-team All-WAC honors in 2021 and ’22 to close out his tenure at the college level.

The 27-year-old made just one appearance during his rookie campaign, the regular season finale. He made a pair of tackles while seeing a rotational defensive role along with time on special teams. Thompson once again has a number of players ahead of him on the depth chart (George Karlaftis, Mike Danna, Charles Omenihu, Felix Anudike-Uzomah), and today’s events will no doubt keep him sidelined for a period of time. Thompson’s recovery process will be worth watching ahead of training camp next month.

Chiefs To Re-Sign WR Mecole Hardman

June 6th, 2024 at 9:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Mecole Hardman‘s second Chiefs stint is set to continue. The veteran wideout has a new deal in place with the defending champions, per veteran NFL reporter Jordan Schultz.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero adds this will be a one-year deal. Following a lengthy stay on the open market, Hardman will avoid the opportunity to join a new team like he did last offseason. He re-joined the Chiefs in 2023 following a short-lived Jets tenure, and the relationship between team and player will now continue for at least one more year.

Hardman signed a one-year, $4MM deal with the Jets after his K.C. rookie contract expired. He was positioned to operate as one of many new faces on the team’s offense, but that unit struggled all season following Aaron Rodgers‘ Achilles tear. The 26-year-old asked to be sent back to the Chiefs, and New York obliged in October. That move set up limited production down the stretch and into the postseason (although Hardman’s lone touchdown was of course the overtime winner in Super Bowl LVIII).

Wide receiver was known to be a position of need for the Chiefs this offseason, and the team added Marquise Brown on a one-year pact. That was followed by the addition of another speedster (Xavier Worthy) in the first round of the draft. Both players could be in line for notable roles in 2024 particularly if Rashee Rice is handed a suspension to begin the campaign.

Following the draft, Kansas City made it clear no major outside additions were being contemplated, including a re-up with Hardman. The former second-rounder has nevertheless found himself back in the fold as he tries to carve out an offensive role. His best season came in 2021 (59 catches, 693 yards) and he scored at least four touchdowns during three of his four full Chiefs campaigns. Hardman could also earn playing time by reprising his role as the team’s primary returner.

Kansas City entered Thursday with over $17MM in cap space, so the team will easily be able to afford what will no doubt be a low-cost Hardman signing. The Georgia product could help his 2025 market value (either for another Chiefs pact or one from an outside team) with a strong campaign. The veteran receiver market, meanwhile, has become thinner ahead of training camp.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/6/24

June 6th, 2024 at 6:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: CB Clay Fields III, WR Derek Slywka
  • Placed on IR: S Daniel Scott
  • Waived: C Jack Anderson

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Reverted to IR: WR David White

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Waived: RB Hassan Hall

New England Patriots

  • Signed: WR JaQuae Jackson
  • Waived: WR T.J. Luther

New York Jets

  • Waived/failure to disclose physical condition: DL Tyreek Johnson

The Colts chose Scott in the 2023 fifth round, but they will see him miss a second full season due to injury. Scott suffered a torn Achilles during OTAs last week, per the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson. This marks the second time Scott has gone down before Colts training camp; he sustained an ACL tear during spring workouts last year. The Colts chose Scott 158th overall out of Cal.

Best known for a 12-game Giants tenure that featured two starts in 2022, Anderson found his way to the Colts last year. The team used the young O-lineman in one game and extended him in March. A seventh-round Bills draftee in 2021, Anderson also started a game for the Eagles in 2021.

Chiefs Sign First-Round WR Xavier Worthy, Wrap Draft Class Deals

June 5th, 2024 at 3:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Opting to downgrade in wide receiver talent upon trading Tyreek Hill in 2022, the Chiefs managed fine without the All-Pro weapon. The team is riding back-to-back Super Bowl wins. Though, the wideout issues from last season clearly played a lead role in Kansas City’s 2024 offseason plan.

The team signed Marquise Brown to a one-year deal and further bolstered its receiving corps with a first-round trade-up for Texas’ Xavier Worthy. He of a Combine-record 4.21-second 40-yard dash, Worthy will be expected to infuse Kansas City’s passing game with a long-range upgrade. The Chiefs and Worthy moved past one offseason hurdle Wednesday, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reporting the sides have agreed to terms on the receiver’s rookie contract.

[RELATED: Prospect Profile: Xavier Worthy]

Worthy is now signed through the 2027 season, and the Chiefs have a fifth-year option on the player chosen 28th overall. The deal is fully guaranteed. Worthy is the first Round 1 wideout the Chiefs have chosen during Andy Reid‘s tenure and the franchise’s first since Jonathan Baldwin in 2011. Worthy will enter the NFL in a considerably better situation, having Reid calling the shots and Patrick Mahomes targeting him.

The former Longhorns standout generated interest from multiple teams. The Patriots made an effort to move up for Worthy; they are believed to have presented the Bills an offer for No. 28. The Chiefs’ offer to climb up from No. 32 clearly impressed the Bills more, as they were willing to move down to accommodate the team that has knocked them out of the playoffs in three of the past four seasons. Kansas City’s trade allowed Buffalo to jump up 38 spots (to No. 95) and move up in Round 7 as well. While many have questioned the Bills for allowing this, the perennial AFC East champs clearly did not have Worthy too high on their board. Though, Worthy’s progress in Missouri will spotlight the Bills’ choice.

Worthy’s size likely presented an issue for some teams; he checked in at 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds. The 4.21 talent did not operate purely as a downfield producer with the Longhorns, though it will be interesting to see how his frame translates to the NFL. The Chiefs are banking on the coach that drafted DeSean Jackson 16 years ago boosting Worthy, as both the team’s top WR acquisitions are diminutive targets; Brown goes 5-9, 180.

Worthy brings both a strong body of work and an explosive final college season. Last year, the Texas speedster caught 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns. That was Worthy’s only 1,000-yard season, but he topped 750 in both his other college campaigns and combined for 21 TDs from 2021-22. Texas saw its top two receivers drafted in the first two rounds, with Adonai Mitchell going off the board in Round 2 (Colts). Worthy led the CFP semifinalist in yardage, while Mitchell paced the Big 12 in receiving TDs.

Although the Chiefs prevailed in Super Bowl LVIII, they dealt with inconsistency at WR throughout 2023. Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (playoff contributions aside) proved largely unreliable. Toney remains in the team’s plans, though it is unclear for how much longer, while Rashee Rice — the team’s lead WR last season — is headed for a likely suspension. A Rice ban would put more pressure on the Chiefs’ new wideouts to pick up the slack during the upcoming threepeat effort.

Here is how the Chiefs’ 2024 draft class wrapped up:

AFC Staff Updates: Shazier, Ravens, Chiefs

June 3rd, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Patrick Queen has arrived in Pittsburgh and the Steelers are hoping that he will fill the role as a top three-down, off-ball linebacker that the defense has lacked since the medical retirement of Ryan Shazier. While Shazier can’t put on the pads and join Queen out there, the Steelers may be getting the next best thing, as Shazier has been assisting the coaching staff during the first two weeks of organized team activities, according to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic.

Shazier isn’t working with the linebackers right now, as you may rightfully assume. The former linebacker is reportedly helping out running backs coach Eddie Faulkner in OTAs. Still, Shazier will be around for Queen to pick his mind, and after seeing how much Queen’s game improved with the arrival of a leader like Roquan Smith in Baltimore, having Shazier on the sideline may be just what Queen needs as he regains an LB1 role.

Here are a few other staff updates from around the AFC, starting with a couple of departures in Queen’s old clubhouse:

  • The Ravens are saying goodbye to three longtime staffers from their front office this offseason. The team announced today that senior advisor to the general manager Pat Moriarty, senior player personnel executive Vincent Newsome, and senior video operations advisor Jon Dube are all transitioning out of their roles. Moriarty has been with the franchise since they were the Browns in 1994. He has long been key in the team’s management of their salary cap. Newsome, a former NFL safety, worked as a high-profile pro scouting executive, analyzing other rosters and keeping a close eye on the waiver wire. The team tabs him as being instrumental in the acquisition of such key veterans in the past as Matt Birk, Anquan Boldin, Elvis Dumervil, Steve Smith, and Eric Weddle.
  • Lastly, the Chiefs recently promoted Will Christopherson, per Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. Christopherson had been working as an NFS scout since joining Kansas City in 2022. He’ll now work as an area scout, patrolling the mid-Atlantic region.
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