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LB Drue Tranquill Addresses Chargers Departure, Chiefs’ Pursuit

July 7th, 2023 at 2:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

Drue Tranquill was part of an impressive inside linebacker free agent class, but he was only able to land a one-year contract on the open market. It came from the Chiefs, making his move an intra-divisional one after he began his career with the Chargers.

When speaking about his first foray into free agency, the 27-year-old reflected on his time in Los Angeles and the failure of talks for a new deal to materialize. That led him to head elsewhere, with Kansas City representing an appealing destination given their recent Super Bowl successes. The prospect of joining the defending champions was aided by the personal push made by their head coach.

“I poured my heart out there for four years in L.A. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out,” Tranquill said during an appearance on NFL Total Access (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com). “I was really honored by the way the Chiefs pursued me, all the way from the front office down to the coaching staff. Andy Reid literally texted me the morning of [when] I was going to make my decision… I just felt really valued over there, felt like they really had a role for me and really wanted me over there.”

The Notre Dame product served in a rotational capacity for his first three seasons, but he thrived as a starter in 2022. Tranquill racked up 146 tackles, five sacks and four pass breakups, the latter figure demonstrating his strength dropping back into coverage. In his absence, the Chargers will have free agent addition Eric Kendricks and third-round rookie Daiyan Henley in place alongside 2020 first-rounder Kenneth Murray at the linebacker position.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, still have 2022 starters Willie Gay and Nick Bolton on their rookie contracts. The pair were productive last season, combining to make 300 tackles between the regular and postseason. Despite having 2022 third-rounder Leo Chenal (who contributed both on defense and special teams) in the fold as well, Kansas City elected to bring in Tranquill on a $3MM pact. It will be interesting to see how the latter fits into Steve Spagnuolo‘s defense given the unit’s incumbent members.

Tranquill’s remarks illustrate how widespread support for signing him was throughout the Chiefs organization, though, so he will likely enter the 2023 season with a signficant workload and high expectations. A repeat of his success from last season could lead his new team to another title, while boosting his free agent value in the process.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 6th, 2023 at 9:25am CST by Sam Robinson

The latest NFL general manager hiring cycle only produced two changes, but each took over for an executive who appeared in good standing at this point last year.

Steve Keim had held his Cardinals GM post since January 2013, and the Cardinals gave both he and Kliff Kingsbury extensions — deals that ran through 2027 — in March of last year. Arizona has since rebooted, moving on from both Keim and Kingsbury. Keim took a leave of absence late last season, and the Cardinals replaced him with ex-Titans exec Monti Ossenfort.

[RELATED: The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches]

As the Cardinals poached one of the Titans’ top front office lieutenants, Tennessee went with an NFC West staffer to replace Jon Robinson. The move to add 49ers FO bastion Ran Carthon also came less than a year after the Titans reached extension agreements with both Robinson and HC Mike Vrabel. But controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk canned Robinson — in place as GM since January 2016 — before last season ended. Adams Strunk cited player unavailability and roster quality among the reasons she chose to move on despite having extended Robinson through the 2027 draft months earlier. The Titans are now pairing Vrabel and Carthon.

The Bills reached an extension agreement with GM Brandon Beane two weeks ago. Hired shortly after the team gave Sean McDermott the HC keys, Beane has helped the Bills to five playoff berths in six seasons. Beane’s deal keeps him signed through 2027. Chargers GM Tom Telesco has hit the 10-year mark leading that front office, while this year also marks the 10th offseason of Buccaneers honcho Jason Licht‘s tenure running the NFC South team. Although Jim Irsay fired Frank Reich and later admitted he reluctantly extended his former HC in 2021, the increasingly active Colts owner has expressed confidence in Chris Ballard.

Here is how the NFL’s GM landscape looks going into the 2023 season:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
  4. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  5. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  6. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010; signed extension in 2022
  7. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  8. Tom Telesco (Los Angeles Chargers): January 9, 2013; signed extension in 2018
  9. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
  10. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  11. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  12. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  13. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  14. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  15. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  16. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  17. Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
  18. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
  19. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  20. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  21. Scott Fitterer (Carolina Panthers): January 14, 2021
  22. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021
  23. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  24. Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
  25. Martin Mayhew (Washington Commanders): January 22, 2021
  26. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  27. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  28. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
  29. Dave Ziegler (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  30. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022
  31. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  32. Ran Carthon (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2023

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

July 4th, 2023 at 12:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

After the 2022 offseason produced 10 new head coaches, this one brought a step back in terms of turnover. Five teams changed HCs, though each conducted thorough searches — four of them lasting until at least January 31.

The Colts and Cardinals hired their HCs after Super Bowl LVII, plucking the Eagles’ offensive and defensive coordinators (Shane Steichen, Jonathan Gannon). The Cardinals were hit with a tampering penalty regarding their Gannon search. Conducting their second HC search in two years, the Broncos saw multiple candidates drop out of the running. But Denver’s new ownership group convinced Sean Payton to step out of the FOX studio and back onto the sidelines after just one season away. The Panthers made this year’s first hire (Frank Reich), while the Texans — running their third HC search in three years — finalized an agreement with DeMeco Ryans minutes after the Payton news broke.

Only one of last year’s top 10 longest-tenured HCs lost his job. A turbulent Colts year led to Reich being fired barely a year after he signed an extension. During a rather eventful stretch, Jim Irsay said he reluctantly extended Reich in 2021. The Colts passed on giving interim HC Jeff Saturday the full-time position, despite Irsay previously indicating he hoped the former center would transition to that role. Reich landed on his feet, and after losing Andrew Luck to a shocking retirement just before his second Colts season, the well-regarded play-caller now has another No. 1 pick (Bryce Young) to mentor.

After considering a Rams exit, Sean McVay recommitted to the team and is overseeing a reshaped roster. Andy Reid also sidestepped retirement rumors, staying on with the Chiefs after his second Super Bowl win. This will be Reid’s 25th season as an NFL head coach.

Here is how the 32 HC jobs look for the 2023 season:

  1. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
  2. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2024
  3. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
  4. Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010; extended through 2025
  5. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2025
  6. Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2027
  7. Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2023
  8. Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2025
  9. Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018; signed extension in February 2022
  10. Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019: signed extension in July 2022
  11. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
  12. Ron Rivera (Washington Commanders): January 1, 2020
  13. Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
  14. Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020
  15. Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
  16. Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons): January 15, 2021
  17. Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers): January 17, 2021
  18. Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021
  19. Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
  20. Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
  21. Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
  22. Josh McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  23. Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
  24. Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
  25. Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
  26. Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
  27. Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022
  28. Frank Reich (Carolina Panthers): January 26, 2023
  29. Sean Payton (Denver Broncos): January 31, 2023
  30. DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans): January 31, 2023
  31. Shane Steichen (Indianapolis Colts): February 14, 2023
  32. Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals): February 14, 2023

Staff Updates: Texans, Falcons, Colts, Jags

June 30th, 2023 at 9:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans announced a slew of adjustments to their coaching and front office staffs for the 2023 season under new head coach DeMeco Ryans, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The moves included confirmed new hires, promotions, and title additions throughout the staff.

On the coaching staff, Danny Barrett, who was confirmed to be sticking around as running backs coach as a holdover from last year’s staff back in February, has reportedly added the mantle of assistant head coach to his title. He’s been with the team for the past five years, providing Ryans with crucial insight into team dynamics. Wilson also announced that William Burnham has been hired as assistant special teams coordinator, replacing Sean Baker in the role. This is also news for Baker, as we were previously informed that he would be retained in the role for 2023 when the team finalized the coaching staff back in February.

In the personnel office, James Liipfert was promoted to executive director of player personnel after being promoted to assistant director of personnel/director of college scouting a year ago. John Ritcher joined Mozique McCurtis as a national scout for the team in 2019. Now the two are both moving up together into co-college scouting director jobs. Brad Matthews, a Midwest Area scout since 2018, will move into one of the open national scout roles. The team officially announced that Chris Blanco will rejoin the staff after two years in Minnesota. After reaching the role of director of pro personnel in his two years with the Vikings, Blanco will serve as assistant director of player personnel in Houston. Lastly in personnel, general manager Nick Caserio will add the title of executive vice president to his role.

Finally, in operations, Joe Vernon was officially announced as special advisor to football ops, leaving his job as an attorney at Miller Canfield in Michigan. The team also added Jeremy Stabile, who announced on Twitter that he would be leaving the Dolphins to accept the role of football data analyst in Houston.

Here are a few other staff updates from around the league, most of them coincidentally coming out of the AFC South, as well:

  • The only move not out of the AFC South, the Falcons hired Brian Zeches as their new player personnel coordinator. Zeches in the son of Jim Zeches, who was a scout in the NFL for 16 seasons. The younger Zeches has spent seven years in Washington and has experience with the Chiefs and the Senior Bowl, as well. He also has college experience, coaching at UTEP, Weber State, and New Mexico.
  • The Colts announced a number of promotions to their front office, as well, recently. In operations, Melainey Lowe has been named director of football operations after serving as a football operations intern in 2021 and the football operations assistant in 2022. In analytics, Nick Bayh was named strategic football analyst. He was previously a military intelligence officer for the US Army Reserve before serving as a personnel assistant in his first year with the Colts last year. In personnel, former scouting assistant Andrew Hoyle has been promoted to player personnel scout. He started with the team as an equipment intern in 2018 before moving his way through the ranks of the personnel department.
  • Lastly, the Jaguars made a couple of moves in their analytics department, according to ESPN’s Seth Walder. Previously under the title of director of coaching analytics, Ryan Paganetti‘s title has been changed to director of football analytics. Additionally, the team recently hired Avery Horvath as a data scientist.

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce Discusses Contract

June 29th, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Ben Levine

Tight end Travis Kelce outperformed most wide receivers in 2022, finishing with the third-most receptions (110) in the NFL. However, thanks to a four-year extension he signed with the Chiefs in 2020, he’s making an average of $14.3MM a year…a far cry from what some of the league’s top receivers are earning.

In a long ranging interview with Tom Kludt of Vanity Fair, Kelce acknowledged that he’s underpaid when you consider his production. The veteran joked that his managers and agents often remind him of that fact, encouraging him to seek more money from the Chiefs. However, Kelce also recognizes that his affordable deal plays a part in the Chiefs’ ability to remain competitive, and it sounds like he values the championships more than the extra money he could get on the open market.

“When I saw Tyreek [Hill] go and get 30 [million] a year, in the back of my head, I was like, man, that’s two to three times what I’m making right now,” Kelce said. “I’m like, the free market looks like fun until you go somewhere and you don’t win. I love winning. I love the situation I’m in.

“You see how much more money you could be making and, yeah, it hits you in the gut a little bit. It makes you think you’re being taken advantage of. I don’t know if I really pressed the gas if I would get what I’m quote-unquote worth. But I know I enjoy coming to that building every single day.”

Kelce has been one of the league’s most productive offensive players over the past seven years, averaging an incredible 96 receptions, 1,230 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns per season. However, his career earnings sit below $65MM; there are 13 current wide receivers earning more than that on their current contracts alone.

Kelce doesn’t even lead his own position from an AAV perspective. George Kittle set the market right before Kelce signed his most recent extension, and Darren Waller has since reset the position when he inked a new deal with the Raiders in 2022.

Fortunately for the Chiefs, it doesn’t sound like Kelce is overly concerned about his contract status, and the tight end told Kludt that he intends to see out his current contract. The four-year, $57MM extension that the tight end signed in 2022 is set to expire at the end of the 2025 campaign.

This Date In Transactions History: Chiefs Fire John Dorsey, Extend Andy Reid

June 22nd, 2023 at 7:11pm CST by Ben Levine

On the same day the Chiefs committed to their head coach, they let go of their general manager. On June 22, 2017, the Chiefs extended head coach Andy Reid before firing general manager John Dorsey.

The Chiefs brought in both Reid and Dorsey during the 2013 offseason, reuniting the two after they previously worked alongside each other in Green Bay. The duo was simply looking to return Kansas City to the postseason for just the second time in seven years, and they succeeded right away, with the Chiefs going 11-5 during the 2013 campaign.

The team was consistent over the following three seasons, earning two more playoff appearances while averaging more than 10 wins per season. It appeared it was going to be status quo for the 2017 campaign, although this time, Dorsey and the Chiefs showed a willingness to consider a post-Alex Smith era when they traded up for Patrick Mahomes at the 10th-overall pick. The Chiefs made a few more significant moves (including signing Eric Berry to a hefty extension) before they made the sudden decision to move off of their GM.

“I notified John that we would not be extending his contract beyond the 2017 season, and after consideration, we felt it was in his best interests and the best interests of the team to part ways now,” CEO Clark Hunt said at the time. “This decision, while a difficult one, allows John to pursue other opportunities as we continue our preparations for the upcoming season and the seasons to come. My family and I sincerely appreciate John’s work over the last four-and-a-half years, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

This was an especially surprising development considering the organization announced that they had extended Reid earlier that day.

“My family and I have been very pleased by the success the franchise has sustained over the last four seasons under Coach Reid,” Hunt said. “He has already established himself as one of the best coaches in the league, and he is well on his way to solidifying a place among the all-time greats. We are proud to have him leading our football team, and I look forward to working with him to bring a championship to Chiefs Kingdom.”

It was never made clear why Reid was afforded a longer leash than Dorsey, but following the firing, we learned that the GM didn’t have many fans thanks to his management style and salary cap mismanagement. His cap issues ultimately led to the ouster of several fan favorites, including Jamaal Charles and Derrick Johnson.

Six years later, we can confidently say the Chiefs were right to commit to their head coach. The team eventually took off with Mahomes under center, and the organization has since won two of their three Super Bowl appearances. Reid earned another extension with the organization in 2020.

Things are a bit more complicated when it comes to Dorsey. Brett Veach has guided the Chiefs to two championships as general manager, but Dorsey has earned some praise for his contributions to the eventual Super Bowl champs (especially his selection of Mahomes). Of course, those Super Bowls don’t show up on the executive’s resume; what does show up is his underwhelming two-year stint in Cleveland. He joined the Browns less than a year after his Kansas City firing, and despite having some key draft selections (including the first-overall pick) and some major veteran acquisitions (including Odell Beckham Jr.), Cleveland only went 13-18-1 with Dorsey at the helm.

Thanks to the value of hindsight, we know that the Chiefs undoubtedly made the correct decision on this day six years ago. However, it’s fair to wonder if retaining Dorsey would have drastically altered this team’s future Super Bowl chances.

Chiefs Open To Carlos Dunlap Return?

June 21st, 2023 at 11:51am CST by Sam Robinson

Carlos Dunlap is not looking to retire just yet. The 13-year veteran pass rusher recently helped the Chiefs to their second Super Bowl win in four seasons, but the defending champions moved on with multiple defensive end additions.

Kansas City added ex-San Francisco Nick Bosa complement Charles Omenihu in free agency and, for a second straight year, used a first-round pick on an edge defender (Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah). The Chiefs have 2022 first-rounder George Karlaftis in place as well, but the team released its most prominent defensive end in Frank Clark, who is now with the Broncos. Dunlap is under the impression a return for another Chiefs run is in play.

“I can help another team get one of their own or help the Chiefs again,” Dunlap said, via Forbes’ Jeff Fedotin. “The Chiefs haven’t ruled that out, but currently it’s a waiting game.”

The Chiefs added to their Clark-Karlaftis tandem by signing Dunlap in late July last year, bringing the former Pro Bowler in on a one-year deal worth $3MM. Dunlap, who essentially replaced Melvin Ingram as the Chiefs’ veteran Clark wingman, registered four sacks and 12 quarterback hits during his Chiefs season. Dunlap, however, totaled nearly as many QB pressures (20) as Clark (24) last season.

Clark’s $5MM Denver guarantee followed Leonard Floyd securing $7MM from Buffalo, helping to see a veteran edge rusher market that will likely affect the respective free agencies of Yannick Ngakoue and Jadeveon Clowney. Markus Golden, however, secured just $1.32MM from the Steelers ($153K guaranteed). Given Dunlap’s age (34), it will be unlikely he can land a Floyd- or Clark-level commitment. But takers may well be there, especially if teams see a training camp injury or are dissatisfied with their depth at this premium position once pads come on. Multiple teams have contacted Dunlap, per Fedotin, but no offer has emerged.

As of now, the Chiefs are going with rookie-contract performers and Omenihu, who has not topped 4.5 sacks in a season. In addition to Karlaftis and Anudike-Uzomah, the Chiefs also drafted BJ Thompson in the fifth round and have fourth-year backup Mike Danna (five 2022 sacks) still on the roster. This quintet staying healthy would make it difficult to envision another Dunlap deal coming to pass.

Last season allowed Dunlap to reach the 100-sack plateau; he sits on 100 even after 13 years. While Dunlap has delivered just one double-digit sack slate, he has notched at least six in 11 campaigns — including an 8.5-sack offering for the 2021 Seahawks. Dunlap joins Ingram, Justin Houston, Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Quinn as mid-30-something edges still on the market.

AFC West Notes: Jackson, Jones, Broncos

June 19th, 2023 at 8:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

J.C. Jackson suffered a ruptured patellar tendon during an Oct. 23 Chargers-Seahawks matchup. While this injury is among the toughest to surmount for an NFLer, the high-priced Bolts cornerback expects to be ready for training camp. Jackson has an appointment with the surgeon who performed his surgery, Dr. Neal El Attrache, this week, ESPN.com’s Lindsey Thiry notes. The sixth-year cornerback did not participate in the Chargers’ minicamp practices and will be a candidate to begin camp on the team’s active/PUP list. The Chargers could remove him from that list once he is cleared to practice. Only a placement on the reserve/PUP list once 53-man rosters are set would delay Jackson’s 2023 debut.

The Chargers, who gave Jackson a five-year deal worth $82.5MM in 2022, did not draft a cornerback or sign a notable free agent. The team has not re-signed veteran slot defender Bryce Callahan, though Asante Samuel Jr. has experience playing both inside and outside. A Callahan return would provide some insurance for the Bolts, but the 31-year-old cover man remains a free agent. Here is the latest from the AFC West:

  • In talks with the Chiefs about a third contract, Chris Jones skipped minicamp and is lobbying to become the NFL’s second-highest-paid defensive tackle behind Aaron Donald. While these negotiations might bring complications — due to Donald’s AAV being $8.2MM north of the current second-highest-paid DT (Jeffery Simmons) — SI.com’s Albert Breer expects it to be finalized before training camp. It does not sound like these are particularly acrimonious negotiations. It will be interesting to see if Jones makes an aggressive push to approach a Donald-level salary, since the Chiefs would be unlikely to franchise-tag him in 2024 because of the 120% rule. The team tagged Jones in 2020, making his 2024 tag price 120% of his 2023 pay. That would give Jones a $33MM-plus cap figure if re-tagged, providing the All-Pro with leverage ahead of his latest platform year.
  • Shifting back to the secondaries in this division, the Broncos did brought back one of their veteran DBs midway through the offseason. Kareem Jackson re-signed for a fifth year in Denver. But the 14th-year pro only secured $153K guaranteed. That opens the door for the Broncos to move on, and 9News’ Mike Klis notes Caden Sterns is making his strongest effort yet to unseat Jackson for the safety gig alongside Justin Simmons. A 2021 fifth-round pick, Sterns has worked as Denver’s top backup safety for two seasons. A season-ending hip injury halted that run last year, and while Sterns entered the offseason as no lock to be ready for training camp, he made it back during Denver’s OTA sessions and participated in minicamp. Simmons and Jackson, 35, have been Denver’s safety starters since 2019.
  • The Chargers also added to their staff recently. They hired Noah Evangelides as a football research analyst, Neil Stratton of Insidetheleague.com tweets. Evangelides most recently served as a Northwestern graduate assistant.

Latest On DeAndre Hopkins’ Free Agency

June 19th, 2023 at 7:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following their free agency visit, the Patriots were making a push to sign DeAndre Hopkins. The former All-Pro wideout is believed to be intrigued by the idea of joining the Pats, but he remains unsigned.

Visits with both the Patriots and Titans are believed to have gone well, Albert Breer of SI.com notes, and veteran NFL reporter Mike Giardi offers that each team told the high-profile UFA he still offers “elite” capabilities (Twitter link). Like Dalvin Cook, however, Hopkins is taking his time surveying the market. Waiting on a potential injury or a team suddenly growing concerned about its receiving corps — scenarios that could come to pass during training camp — is also factoring into Hopkins’ decision-making, Giardi adds.

Hopkins and Bill Belichick spent time in one-on-one meetings during the Pats summit, per Breer, who adds the 10-year veteran remains close with Titans HC Mike Vrabel. That said, it looks like Hopkins is holding out hope teams with better Super Bowl LVIII odds will re-enter the equation. Absent big money, Hopkins is aiming to join a contender, Breer added during an NBC Sports Boston appearance (video link).

The Ravens’ Odell Beckham Jr. contract blew up Cardinals-Chiefs negotiations for Hopkins, who would have been bound for Kansas City on an adjusted deal. With Beckham securing $15MM fully guaranteed despite missing all of last season and having suffered two ACL tears since October 2020, Hopkins balked at taking a pay cut. Cardinals talks with the Chiefs and Bills ceased, and both Buffalo and Kansas City have drifted a bit compared to their spots on the Hopkins radar when Arizona first released him. But neither Tennessee nor New England appears to have blown Hopkins away with an offer, per Breer, potentially reopening the door for the Chiefs or Bills.

The Bills created some 2023 cap space by extending Ed Oliver but used that savings to add Leonard Floyd. They hold $5.5MM in space. The Chiefs are at just $651K, carrying the league’s lowest figure exiting minicamp. But Kansas City remains at work on a Chris Jones extension. While Jones is likely asking for a contract closer to Aaron Donald‘s $31.7MM per year than Jeffery Simmons‘ No. 2 defensive tackle deal ($23.5MM AAV), the Chiefs extending their All-Pro lineman would drop his cap number from its present $28.3MM place. That would create cap room for Kansas City to potentially re-enter the fray, and Hopkins — who has spoken highly of teaming with Patrick Mahomes on multiple occasions this offseason — can afford to be patient.

Regarding the New England fit, Hopkins and Bill O’Brien look to be back on favorable terms despite the 2020 Houston separation. And Belichick likely addressed potential concerns about Hopkins’ recent history of not practicing fully, famed ex-Patriots O-line coach Dante Scarnecchia said (via MassLive.com’s Karen Guregian). In-season practice schedules certainly do not present the grind they once did, with the CBA capping the number of padded workouts to 13 over the course of the regular season. But Hopkins has battled multiple injuries since his most recent Pro Bowl season (2020) and has missed nine games for health reasons over the past two years.

Although Hopkins did not begin his visit itinerary looking to take much of a discount from the $19.4MM salary he was due to make with the Cardinals, the first two meetings not producing take-notice money adds intrigue to this situation. The Bills and Chiefs could be back in the mix soon, but for now, the Titans and Pats are still interested.

Chiefs GM Discusses Chris Jones Negotiations

June 17th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones has sat out mandatory minicamp as he pursues a new contract. Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like negotiations are acrimonious in any way. Speaking to reporters during the team’s Super Bowl ring ceremony, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach indicated that negotiations are going well and that everyone involved wants a deal to be completed.

[RELATED: Chris Jones Seeking To Become Second-Highest-Paid DT]

“We have great communication and there’s a lot of time before camp,” Veach said (h/t to Jordan Foote of SI.com). “[I] feel good about where we’re going to be with Chris. We’ll get to celebrate tonight and have a good time, break tomorrow, and I’m sure we’ll have great dialogue from now to the start of training camp and look forward to Chris being here not just for next year, but for a long time.”

The GM wouldn’t commit to a specific deadline for the two sides to agree to an extension. Rather, Veach expressed optimism that negotiations will follow the same path as some of the front office’s previous extension talks.

“Not really,” Veach said when asked if there was a specific timeframe. “Listen, we have a long history together and we have a great relationship with his agent. I mean, these things usually get worked out right before [or] right during the first start of camp so we anticipate the same, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Jones finished third for Defensive Player of the Year honors this past season after compiling 15.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and 29 QB hits. At $20MM per year, Jones is currently the NFL’s eighth-highest-paid defensive tackle, and he’s set to hit free agency following the season. The Chiefs could ultimately just decide to hit him with the franchise tag, but that guaranteed top-five salary at the position still might not be enough for the veteran.

We heard earlier this week that Jones was seeking a contract that would make him the league’s second-highest-paid defensive tackle. Aaron Donald leads the way with a $31.7MM-per-year number, but there’s an $8MM gap in AAV before we get to Jeffery Simmons. Jones could still slide in second on the list without completely breaking the bank. While the organization has recently moved off players like Tyreek Hill before committing big money, it doesn’t sound like they’ll proceed with the same mentality when it comes to their defensive leader.

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