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Chiefs To Decline RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s Fifth-Year Option

May 2nd, 2023 at 3:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs’ Super Bowl LVII inactive list provided a preview of the team’s decision on Clyde Edwards-Helaire‘s fifth-year option. As expected, the defending Super Bowl champions are planning to pass, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports.

Edwards-Helaire, who was not in uniform during the Chiefs-Eagles matchup, was tied to a $5.46MM fifth-year option price. Although that is the lowest number among this year’s option figures and the bottom rung of the running back option price ladder, Kansas City is still expected to move Edwards-Helaire into a contract year. Chiefs GM Brett Veach said last month the team was undecided on the option, but it had been trending in this direction for a bit.

[RELATED: 2024 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker]

A luxury pick of sorts coming off the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV victory, Edwards-Helaire became the team’s top back quickly. That bump happened by default, with previous starter Damien Williams exercising his COVID-19 opt-out right. Williams, who worked as Kareem Hunt‘s primary fill-in after the latter’s ignominious exit and enjoyed a standout postseason run a year later, never played again for the Chiefs. Kansas City’s decision to hand the keys to Edwards-Helaire did result in a two-touchdown debut, but the LSU product has not justified his No. 32 overall draft slot.

The first running back taken in 2020, Edwards-Helaire did total 1,100 scrimmage yards as a rookie. But he went down with an ankle injury that December, costing him time and offering a glance at future availability issues. While CEH returned to nearly compile 100 scrimmage yards in Super Bowl LV, his 13-game rookie year tops his career ledger. He missed seven games during each of the 2021 and ’22 regular seasons.

Kansas City moved Edwards-Helaire to IR in 2021 (MCL sprain) and 2022 (high ankle sprain). During each Edwards-Helaire hiatus, Jerick McKinnon saw more work. Last year, McKinnon shined, setting an NFL running back record by catching a touchdown pass in six straight games and establishing a new Chiefs running back benchmark by catching nine TD passes. While the Chiefs used one of their IR activations on Edwards-Helaire, moving him back onto the roster on the eve of Super Bowl LVII, they made him a healthy scratch as McKinnon and 2022 seventh-rounder Isiah Pacheco split work in Arizona.

Edwards-Helaire, 24, is due for free agency next year. It will be interesting to see if another team calls the Chiefs on the fourth-year back, seeing as McKinnon is back in the fold alongside Pacheco. La’Mical Perine is also on Kansas City’s 90-man offseason roster.

Chiefs Re-Sign RB Jerick McKinnon

May 2nd, 2023 at 1:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 2: The Chiefs’ third McKinnon contract is now official, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. While it will be interesting to see the terms of this new contract, McKinnon is set to play an age-32 season in 2023.

MAY 1: A third Jerick McKinnon season in Kansas City will be on tap. After making a tremendous impact in the Chiefs’ passing game last season, the veteran running back is in their 2023 plans.

GM Brett Veach had said the team planned on regrouping with the veteran back after the draft, NFL.com’s James Palmer reports (via Twitter) McKinnon indeed plans to re-sign with the Chiefs. McKinnon intends to ink another Chiefs contract on Tuesday. This pact is set to be finalized a day before McKinnon’s 32nd birthday.

This continues a remarkable turnaround for the former Adrian Peterson Vikings backup. Once on the verge of seeing a severe knee injury end his career, McKinnon has become a valuable contributor for the Chiefs. The former college quarterback did not miss a game last year and enjoyed the best receiving season of his career, catching 56 passes for 512 yards and nine touchdowns. Not only catching two more touchdown passes in a season than any other back in Chiefs history, McKinnon also set a post-merger NFL running back record by catching a TD pass in six straight games.

The 49ers gave McKinnon a four-year, $30MM deal in 2018; Kyle Shanahan saw the ex-Vikings third-round pick as a key passing-game piece. An ACL tear just before the 2018 season led to McKinnon missing all of the 2018 and ’19 campaigns. The 49ers reached a reworked deal with the resilient back in 2020, and during a San Francisco injury avalanche, McKinnon played all 16 games that season. That set the table for McKinnon’s Chiefs run.

Kansas City reached one-year deals with McKinnon in 2021 and ’22. Both have been veteran-minimum accords. McKinnon played last season for $1.27MM. It will be interesting to see if the Chiefs reward McKinnon for his contributions, or if the grim market for veteran backs leads to another bottom-level agreement. While McKinnon played a vital role in Kansas City’s latest Super Bowl-winning season, a number of productive running backs settled for one-year deals south of $3MM. D’Onta Foreman, Damien Harris and Devin Singletary joined ex-McKinnon 49ers teammates Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson in signing one-year contracts at $3MM or less.

McKinnon has helped the Chiefs recover from their Clyde Edwards-Helaire draft mistake. The Chiefs, who had used Damien Williams as their primary post-Kareem Hunt solution during their 2019 Super Bowl-winning season, turned to Edwards-Helaire after the veteran’s COVID-19 opt-out. The Chiefs released Williams in 2021 and ended up deploying McKinnon as their primary playoff back. McKinnon teamed with 2022 seventh-round pick Isiah Pacheco as the Chiefs’ stretch-run options; CEH was a Super Bowl LVII healthy scratch. McKinnon played 30 offensive snaps in the Super Bowl.

While Edwards-Helaire’s first-round contract runs through 2023, this latest McKinnon agreement looks set to greenlight more of the Pacheco-McKinnon tandem as the Chiefs begin their title defense.

2024 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

May 1st, 2023 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFL teams have until May 2 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2020 first-rounders who are entering the final year of their rookie deals. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of the player’s position, initial draft placement and performance- and usage-based benchmarks:

  • Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternate Pro Bowlers) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag.
  • One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag.
  • Players who achieve any of the following will get the average of the third-20th highest salaries at their position:
    • At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
    • A 75% snap average across all three seasons
    • At least 50% in each of first three seasons
  • Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position.

With the deadline looming, we’ll use the space below to track all the option decisions from around the league:

  1. QB Joe Burrow, Bengals ($29.5MM): Exercised
  2. DE Chase Young, Commanders ($17.45MM): Declined
  3. CB Jeff Okudah, Falcons* ($11.51MM): N/A
  4. T Andrew Thomas, Giants ($14.18MM): Exercised
  5. QB Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins ($23.2MM): Exercised
  6. QB Justin Herbert, Chargers ($29.5MM): Exercised
  7. DT Derrick Brown, Panthers ($11.67MM): Exercised 
  8. LB Isaiah Simmons, Cardinals ($12.72MM): Declined
  9. CB C.J. Henderson, Jaguars** ($11.51MM): Declined
  10. T Jedrick Wills, Browns ($14.18MM): Exercised
  11. T Mekhi Becton, Jets ($12.57MM): Declined
  12. WR Henry Ruggs, Raiders: N/A
  13. T Tristan Wirfs, Buccaneers ($18.24MM): Exercised
  14. DT Javon Kinlaw, 49ers ($10.46MM): Declined
  15. WR Jerry Jeudy, Broncos ($14.12MM): Exercised
  16. CB AJ Terrell, Falcons ($12.34MM): Exercised
  17. WR CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys ($17.99MM): Exercised
  18. OL Austin Jackson, Dolphins ($14.18MM): Declined
  19. CB Damon Arnette, Raiders: N/A
  20. DE K’Lavon Chaisson, Jaguars ($12.14MM): Declined
  21. WR Jalen Reagor, Vikings*** ($12.99MM): To decline
  22. WR Justin Jefferson, Vikings ($19.74MM): Exercised
  23. LB Kenneth Murray, Chargers ($11.73MM): Declined
  24. G Cesar Ruiz, Saints ($14.18MM): Declined
  25. WR Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers ($14.12MM): Exercised
  26. QB Jordan Love, Packers ($20.27MM): Extended through 2024
  27. LB Jordyn Brooks, Seahawks ($12.72MM): Declined
  28. LB Patrick Queen, Ravens ($12.72MM): Declined
  29. T Isaiah Wilson, Titans: N/A
  30. CB Noah Igbinoghene, Dolphins ($11.51MM): Declined
  31. CB Jeff Gladney, Vikings: N/A
  32. RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Chiefs ($5.46MM): To decline

* = Lions traded Okudah on April 11, 2023
** = Jaguars traded Henderson on Sept. 27, 2021
*** = Eagles traded Reagor on August 31, 2022

2023 NFL Draft Results: Team By Team

April 29th, 2023 at 10:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the 2023 NFL Draft gets underway, we will keep track of each team’s haul here:

Arizona Cardinals

Round 1, No. 6 (from Rams through Lions): Paris Johnson, OT (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 41 (from Titans): BJ Ojulari, DE (LSU) (signed)
Round 3, No. 72 (from Titans): Garrett Williams, CB (Syracuse) (signed)
Round 3, No. 94 (from Eagles): Michael Wilson, WR (Stanford) (signed)
Round 4, No. 122 (from Dolphins through Chiefs and Lions): Jon Gaines II, G (UCLA) (signed)
Round 5, No. 139 (from Broncos through Lions): Clayton Tune, QB (Houston) (signed)
Round 5, No. 168 (from Cardinals through Lions): Owen Pappoe, LB (Auburn) (signed)
Round 5, No. 180: Kei’Trel Clark, CB (Louisville) (signed)
Round 6, No. 213: Dante Stills, DT (West Virginia) (signed)

Atlanta Falcons

Round 1, No. 8: Bijan Robinson, RB (Texas) (signed)
Round 2, No. 38 (from Colts): Matthew Bergeron, T (Syracuse) (signed)
Round 3, No. 75: Zach Harrison, DE (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 4, No. 113: Clark Phillips III, CB (Utah) (signed)
Round 7, No. 224 (from Raiders): DeMarcco Hellams, S (Alabama) (signed)
Round 7, No. 225: Jovaughn Gwyn, G (South Carolina) (signed)

Baltimore Ravens

Round 1, No. 22: Zay Flowers, WR (Boston College) (signed)
Round 3, No. 86: Trenton Simpson, LB (Clemson) (signed)
Round 4, No. 124: Tavius Robinson, LB (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 5, No. 157: Kyu Blu Kelly, CB (Stanford) (signed)
Round 6, No. 199: Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, OT (Oregon) (signed)
Round 7, No. 229 (from Browns): Andrew Vorhees, G (USC) (signed)

Buffalo Bills

Round 1, No. 25 (from Giants through Jaguars): Dalton Kincaid, TE (Utah) (signed)
Round 2, No. 59: O’Cyrus Torrence, G (Florida) (signed)
Round 3, No, 91: Dorian Williams, LB (Tulane) (signed)
Round 5, No. 150 (from Commanders): Justin Shorter, WR (Florida) (signed)
Round 7, No. 230 (from Buccaneers through Jets, Texans, Eagles and Bills): Nick Broeker, G (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 7, No. 252 (from Buccaneers through Rams): Alex Austin, CB (Oregon State) (signed)

Carolina Panthers

Round 1, No. 1 (from Bears): Bryce Young, QB (Alabama) (signed)
Round 2, No. 39: Jonathan Mingo, WR (Ole Miss) (signed)
Round 3, No. 80 (from Steelers): D.J. Johnson, DE (Oregon) (signed)
Round 4, No. 114: Chandler Zavala, G (North Carolina State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 145: Jammie Robinson, S (Florida State) (signed)

Chicago Bears

Round 1, No. 10 (from Saints through Eagles): Darnell Wright, OT (Tennessee) (signed)
Round 2, No. 53 (from Ravens): Gervon Dexter, DT (Florida) (signed)
Round 2, No. 56 (from Jaguars): Tyrique Stevenson, CB (Miami) (signed)
Round 3, No. 64: Zacch Pickens, DT (South Carolina) (signed)
Round 4, No. 115 (from Saints): Roschon Johnson, RB (Texas) (signed)
Round 4, No. 133 (from Eagles): Tyler Scott, WR (Cincinnati) (signed)
Round 5, No. 148 (from Patriots through Ravens): Noah Sewell, LB (Oregon) (signed)
Round 5, No. 165 (from Saints through Eagles): Terell Smith, CB (Minnesota) (signed)
Round 7, No. 218: Travis Bell, DT (Kennesaw State) (signed)
Round 7, No. 258: Kendall Williamson, S (Stanford) (signed)

Cincinnati Bengals

Round 1, No. 28: Myles Murphy, DE (Clemson) (signed)
Round 2, No. 60: DJ Turner, CB (Michigan) (signed)
Round 3, No. 95 (from Chiefs): Jordan Battle, S (Alabama) (signed)
Round 4, No. 131: Charlie Jones, WR (Purdue) (signed)
Round 5, No. 163: Chase Brown, RB (Illinois) (signed)
Round 6, No. 206: Andrei Iosivas, WR (Princeton) (signed)
Round 6, No. 217 (from Chiefs): Brad Robbins, P (Michigan) (signed)
Round 7, No. 246: DJ Ivey, CB (Miami) (signed)

Read more

Cowboys Trade For No. 178, Pick CB CB Eric Scott Jr.

April 29th, 2023 at 2:38pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cowboys have made a move to get atop the sixth round. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter), Dallas has acquired pick No. 178 from Kansas City. In exchange, the Chiefs got a 2024 fifth-round pick.

The pick proved to be one of the more well-traveled selections in the 2023 draft. The selection was initially a Bears pick that was sent to the Dolphins in the Jakeem Grant trade. Miami later traded the pick to Kansas City in the Tyreek Hill deal, and then the Chiefs finally sent off the pick to Dallas.

The Cowboys have used their acquired pick to select Southern Mississippi cornerback CB Eric Scott Jr..

The defensive back got into 31 games for Southern Miss over the past three seasons, collecting five interceptions. That included a 2022 campaign where he compiled 27 tackles and a pair of pick-sixes. His play-making ability should afford him a good look in the Cowboys secondary.

Chiefs Trade Up For S Chamarri Conner

April 29th, 2023 at 11:54am CST by Ben Levine

The Chiefs are moving up. Kansas City has acquired pick No. 119 from the Vikings. In exchange, Minnesota is acquiring pick No. 134 and a 2024 fifth-round pick.

The Chiefs have used the fourth-round selection on Chamarri Conner. The Virginia Tech defensive back had a productive collegiate career, collecting 207 tackles and four interceptions. He earned a Reese’s Senior Bowl selection this past year after compiling 67 tackles and two passes defended.

Conner’s ability to hold his own against tight ends could lead to him seeing time at safety in the NFL. Thanks to his speed, he also has the ability play outside or slot cornerback, making him an interesting piece for the Chiefs secondary.

Chiefs Acquire No. 92 From Bengals

April 28th, 2023 at 9:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

The past two AFC championship foes are making a third-round trade. The Bengals are sending No. 92 overall to the Chiefs in exchange for Nos. 95 and 217.

This year’s draft hosts selected Oklahoma tackle Wanya Morris. While Morris was not teammates with Sooner-turned-Chief Creed Humphrey, having transferred from Tennessee in 2021, he will join a Chiefs team that features some tackle uncertainty opposite Jawaan Taylor.

Kansas City is planning to move Taylor from his right tackle position, where he started four seasons with the Jaguars and played primarily in college, to left tackle. Taylor’s $20MM-per-year contract reflects that. Morris’ 2022 role would support Kansas City completing its Taylor transition plan. Morris started eight games at right tackle for the Sooners last season.

The Chiefs lost right tackle starter Andrew Wylie in free agency in March; Wylie, who had only played for the Chiefs over the course of his five-year career, is now with the Commanders. The Chiefs did not allocate much funding toward their right tackle spot during Orlando Brown‘s Missouri tenure, and they may not be prepared to do so opposite Taylor. Morris and former third-round pick Lucas Niang, who has dealt with extensive injury trouble, represent the team’s top options here.

Morris, who started seven games at left tackle during his 2020 sophomore season at Tennessee, becomes the second Oklahoma tackle taken in this draft. The Jaguars chose Anton Harrison in Round 1.

Lions Deal No. 55 To Chiefs

April 28th, 2023 at 7:43pm CST by Adam La Rose

The defending Super Bowl champions are moving up in the second round. The Lions will allow the Chiefs to vault to No. 55, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Detroit will pick up Nos. 63, 122, 249 from Kansas City; in addition to No. 55, the Lions sent No. 194 to the Chiefs. After attempting to move up in Round 1, the Chiefs will climb in their home draft tonight.

With the new selection, the Chiefs will take SMU wide receiver Rashee Rice. A Danny Gray teammate at SMU, Rice spent four seasons as a contributor for the Mustangs. With Gray in San Francisco, Rice stepped up to deliver his best work as a senior. He caught 96 passes for 1,355 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Chiefs did extensive work on this year’s first-round crop of wideouts and discussed moving up with the Vikings on Thursday night. But Kansas City stayed at No. 31. Now, the team is moving to help fill the voids created by the exits of JuJu. Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman.

Kansas City showed an ability to remain productive without Tyreek Hill in 2022, leading the league in passing, total and scoring offense. That leaves reason for optimism in their potential to carry on next season, and Rice will have a role in the team’s diverse passing scheme.

The Chiefs have only made one free agent addition at the WR spot so far (Richie James). Rice certainly won’t preclude a move for another veteran following the draft, but Rice represents another young addition to their pass-catching room. Former Giants first-rounder Kadarius Toney, along with 2022 second-rounder Skyy Moore, are set for large roles moving forward. Rice will join those as he looks to aid another Super Bowl run.

Draft Notes: Young, Chiefs, Saints, Addison, Vikings, Patriots, Campbell, Lions

April 28th, 2023 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Panthers brass joined other front offices in being wowed by Bryce Young during his 2021 Heisman-winning season, and the team had mostly decided on the Alabama prospect by the time Frank Reich arrived. David Tepper and Panthers scouts had zeroed in on Young — prior to making the trade with the Bears — and Reich learned of the staff’s preference early during his tenure.

“And it was unanimous with every guy in that room, starting from [GM] Scott [Fitterer] on down, that Bryce was the guy. That was great for me to hear,” Reich said of an early-February meeting, via The Athletic’s Joe Person (subscription required). “But what I appreciate about the way Scott handled it, he was like, ‘Frank, you take your time.’ … And it wasn’t much convincing.”

Fitterer said he sought Reich’s final stance late in the process. It would have been interesting had Reich, who was initially mentioned as preferring a taller passer, stood his ground for another prospect. He was believed to also be intrigued by Anthony Richardson. But the veteran HC will be coaching a 5-foot-10 quarterback in Carolina.

Here is the latest from the draft, as we head into Day 2:

  • The Vikings closed the record-breaking run on wide receivers at No. 23, selecting Jordan Addison, the fourth straight receiver taken from Nos. 20-23. But Minnesota received interest in the pick. The Chiefs and Saints contacted the Vikings about moving up to 23, per KTSP’s Darren Wolfson, who adds the belief is at least one of the teams eyeing a trade-up would have taken the USC wide receiver (Twitter link). The Vikings appear to have received an offer, but they instead chose Addison. The Chiefs were mentioned as a team pursuing a move up the board, and the defending Super Bowl champions — after J.J. Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman‘s exits — had done a lot of work on this year’s wideout class. The Saints have not re-signed Jarvis Landry and have not seen much of a healthy Michael Thomas since the 2010s. Both teams will probably be on the hunt for receivers tonight.
  • It is not surprising to see Patriots first-round trade-downs, and the team allowing the Steelers to leapfrog the Jets for tackle Broderick Jones likely made the move doubly intriguing for Bill Belichick. But the Pats turned in their draft card quickly at No. 17, selecting cornerback Christian Gonzalez. New England was high enough on the Oregon product it was close to finalizing a trade-up move from No. 14, Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets. The Commanders had been in on corners, but they chose Mississippi State ballhawk Emmanuel Forbes over Gonzalez at No. 16.
  • While the Patriots have been praised for nabbing a high-end prospect a bit later than he was expected to go, the Lions bucked pre-draft rankings by taking a running back (Jahmyr Gibbs) at No. 12 and an off-ball linebacker (Jack Campbell) at 18. Campbell, in particular, was not viewed as especially likely to be a first-round pick, and GM Brad Holmes admitted he probably could have nabbed the Iowa defender if he had traded down once again. “It’s not about just don’t pick a running back [in Round 1] because that’s not how we really view [Gibbs],” Holmes said, via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. “And then it’s the same thing about don’t pick an off-ball linebacker. That’s not really how we view Jack. If you put them in boxes and you put on a sheet of paper and you run mock draft analytics, yeah, you can come up with those stats. But all the hours and research and all the time that we put in, in terms of looking at these players, it becomes very, very visible that what kind of impact they can bring.”

Chiefs Select DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah With No. 31 Pick

April 27th, 2023 at 10:55pm CST by Ben Levine

The defending Super Bowl champs are adding some talent on the defensive side of the ball. With the final pick of the first round, the Chiefs have selected Kansas State defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

Anudike-Uzomah was not one of the most popular edge prospects, but he was certainly one of the most productive pass rushers in college football. Over his final two seasons at Kansas State, the defensive end compiled 19.5 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss, leading to Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year honors in both seasons. These performances also put up firmly on the NFL map.

The D-lineman has been lauded for his strength and size, although there were questions if he’d be a first-round pick due to his lack of fundamentals. The Chiefs are hoping they’ll be able to get the most out of their first-round investment, and the defending champs are fortunate that they won’t need to rush Anudike-Uzomah into a significant defensive role.

This will also mark a homecoming for Anudike-Uzomah. Prior to playing his college ball in Manhattan, Kansas, he suited up at Kansas City, Missouri-area high school Lee’s Summit. The Chiefs will add the local product to their Chris Jones-fronted pass rush. Jones’ status as an elite D-lineman notwithstanding, the team entered the draft with an edge need after shedding Frank Clark‘s contract this offseason.

The Chiefs also addressed the defensive end spot in the 2022 first round, taking George Karlaftis, and they’re also rostering the likes of Charles Omenihu, Mike Danna, and Malik Herring. With Karlaftis and Omenihu as the team’s top options, Anudike-Uzomah could be ticketed for a regular off-the-bench role as a rookie.

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