Chiefs Open To Carlos Dunlap Return?
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
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
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
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.
Chris Jones Seeking To Become Second-Highest-Paid DT, In Talks With Chiefs
While the extensions for Daron Payne, Jeffery Simmons and Dexter Lawrence would seem to give Quinnen Williams a clear road map toward a Jets extension, Chris Jones‘ Chiefs talks look more complex.
Jones mounted a threat to be labeled the NFL’s best defensive tackle last season. Given his 2022 performance, value to the Chiefs and Aaron Donald missing a chunk of his age-31 season due to injury, this can at least be debated for the first time in ages. Set to turn 29 in July, Jones is three years younger than the Rams’ all-time great. If nothing else, Jones has a clear claim to being the league’s best non-Donald inside pass rusher and has held that spot for a bit now. At $20MM per year, Jones is currently the NFL’s eighth-highest-paid defensive tackle.
Although Jones sailed to first-team All-Pro acclaim for the first time by matching his career high with 15.5 sacks during a season in which Donald missed five games, ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher notes the dominant Chiefs D-tackle may not be looking to move past the 10th-year Ram’s $31.7MM-per-year number. That figure remains the league’s most lucrative for a defender — by a wide margin. Jones is, however, aiming to top every other D-tackle deal. The notable question here: by how much?
Even after the above-referenced three young DTs’ extensions, Donald’s outlier contract — a straight raise the Rams authorized after a retirement threat — leads the pack by more than $8MM per year. Simmons did secure more fully guaranteed money than Donald, though he did so on a contract that ties him to the Titans for four additional years. Donald did not add any years to his contract but still received $46.5MM guaranteed at signing. Considering Jones’ importance to the Chiefs’ defense, he should be in line to push for a deal far north of Simmons’ $23.5MM-per-year pact.
Kansas City has made some payroll adjustments since extending Patrick Mahomes. The team did not offer Tyrann Mathieu an extension, letting his $14MM-per-year deal expire, and passed on making Tyreek Hill the league’s highest-paid wide receiver. It would seem Jones remains a priority, however. A second extension has been on the radar for months. Andy Reid confirmed (via Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons) at minicamp — one Jones did not attend, incurring a minor fine — Chiefs GM Brett Veach has been in discussions with Jones’ camp.
In 2020, the Chiefs locked down Mahomes and Travis Kelce on team-friendly extensions but paid top-market money for Jones, who is entering the final season of a four-year, $80MM deal. The sides finalized that contract just before the 2020 franchise tag deadline. Simmons, Payne, Lawrence, Leonard Williams and Javon Hargrave have since topped it. The Chiefs would have the option of franchise-tagging Jones for a second time, but that number would check in higher than the standard 2024 DT figure due to the 120% rule.
Since that 2020 agreement, Jones has ripped off three more Pro Bowl seasons and further established himself as the Chiefs’ most indispensable defender. He sacked Joe Burrow twice in the AFC championship game, helping the Chiefs hold off the Bengals despite Mahomes playing on a gimpy ankle. With Nick Bosa a candidate to top Donald’s AAV, it will be interesting to see if Jones waits on the 49ers finalizing that long-rumored agreement or sees if Williams can move the non-Donald D-tackle bar higher soon.
The Chiefs expect Jones at training camp, but a hold-in effort would not surprise. A resolution on this matter should be expected before Week 1, but this represents one of the league’s top 2023 contractual dominoes.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/15/23
Today’s minor transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: WR Javon Wims
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Nick Guggemos
- Placed on IR: TE Zach Davidson
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: CB Greg Mabin
- Claimed off waivers (from Cardinals): S Josh Thomas
- Waived: S Vernon Scott
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Kekoa Crawford
- Signed ERFA tenders: QB Shane Buechele, TE Joe Fortson
- Waived: DB Anthony Witherstone
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: DB Collin Duncan, K Christopher Dunn
New York Giants
- Signed: DT Kobe Smith
- Waived/injured: WR/TE Dre Miller
Greg Mabin is the biggest name on the list, with the cornerback having appeared in 45 career games. The former UDFA has spent the past two seasons with the Titans, collecting 23 tackles in 11 total games. The Panthers have gotten an extended look at their cornerback depth during minicamp with Jaycee Horn (ankle) and Donte Jackson (Achilles) sidelined, so the team has probably decided they needed some veteran reinforcement at the position.
Javon Wims will now be looking for another opportunity after getting cut by the Cardinals. The former seventh-round pick showed a bit of a potential with the Bears, including a 2019 campaign where he had 18 catches for 186 yards and one touchdown. After getting into 13 games with the Bears in 2020, the wideout has only seen time in one game over the past two seasons. He spent most of the 2022 campaign on Arizona’s practice squad.
Chiefs Sign Round 2 WR Rashee Rice, Wrap Draft Class Deals
The Chiefs are done with the rookie signing portion of their offseason, announcing an agreement with second-round pick Rashee Rice.
Choosing a receiver in Round 2 for the second straight year, the Chiefs will hope Rice can make an early impact. The team exited its minicamp Thursday with some questions at wide receiver, having lost J.J. Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency. Rice represents the defending Super Bowl champions’ top addition here.
Eyeing a more cost-conscious approach at receiver now that Patrick Mahomes‘ contract comes with high cap numbers annually, the Chiefs were not believed to have come too close on terms with Smith-Schuster before he bolted for New England on a three-year, $25.5MM deal ($16MM guaranteed). The team eyed a new Smith-Schuster deal this offseason, but the team’s second-leading pass catcher from 2022 is gone. Younger players are now supplementing Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Kansas City is expecting a jump from Kadarius Toney, now that the ex-Giants first-rounder is going through the offseason program with the Chiefs, and used a second-round choice on Skyy Moore last year. Moore did not make much of an impact as a rookie, though he emerged for two key playoff contributions — a pivotal fourth-quarter punt return in the AFC title game and a short Super Bowl touchdown grab — and should be expected to play more with Smith-Schuster and Hardman gone.
The Chiefs have been connected to DeAndre Hopkins, discussing the 10-year veteran with the Cardinals in a trade. But with the former All-Pro not wanting to take too much of a discount from his Cardinals deal — an issue during trade talks — Hopkins-Chiefs rumors have been scarce over the past several days.
Chosen 55th overall, Rice played a regular role for the past four SMU squads. Last season, however, the 204-pound wideout broke through for the American Athletic Conference school. Rice caught 96 passes for 1,355 yards and 10 TDs in 2022, ranking in the top five in Division I-FBS in receptions and yards. Still, ESPN’s Scouts Inc. viewed this pick as a considerable reach, having ranked Rice 124th as a prospect. The Chiefs did work on this draft’s first-round-caliber wideouts and were on the radar for a potential Zay Flowers or Jordan Addison trade-up, but Rice ended up being the player tabbed.
Here is the Chiefs’ seven-man draft class:
Round 1, No. 31: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE (Kansas State) (signed)
Round 2, No. 55 (from Vikings through Lions): Rashee Rice, WR (SMU) (signed)
Round 3, No. 92 (from Bengals): Wanya Morris, T (Oklahoma) (signed)
Round 4, No. 119 (from Lions through Vikings): Chamarri Conner, CB (Virginia Tech) (signed)
Round 5, No. 166: BJ Thompson, LB (Stephen F. Austin) (signed)
Round 6, No. 194 (from Lions): Keondre Coburn, DT (Texas) (signed)
Round 7, No. 250: Nic Jones, CB (Ball State) (signed)
Chiefs’ Chris Jones Not Attending Minicamp
Chris Jones is joining a select group of players to avoid his team’s mandatory minicamp. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle is not at the defending Super Bowl champions’ workout Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The defensive tackle market has moved significantly since Jones signed his four-year, $80MM deal during the 2020 offseason. The former franchise tag recipient remains on the extension radar for the Chiefs, per Schefter, but he is staying away from the team for the time being. No guaranteed money remains on Jones’ contract. Skipping minicamp will cost Jones just less than $100K.
Aaron Donald leads all non-quarterbacks with a $31.7MM-per-year average, while D-tackles younger and less accomplished than Jones — Daron Payne, Dexter Lawrence and Jeffery Simmons — have agreed to terms on accords north of the eighth-year Chief’s $20MM-AAV pact. Serving as the Chiefs’ top pass rusher for most of his career, Jones has been linked to a third Chiefs contract this offseason. Ahead of his age-29 season, Kansas City’s D-line anchor will likely aim for a deal in the Donald range.
Three years ago, the Chiefs agreed to team-friendly deals with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and fit a top-market Jones extension into their offseason. The above-referenced accords, along with the Giants’ 2021 deal for Leonard Williams and recent 49ers agreement with Javon Hargrave, now eclipse Jones’ pact. Considering Jones’ current form and importance to the Chiefs, he certainly has a case to approach Donald’s terms or land a more traditional contract well north of the Simmons-Payne-Lawrence range.
The Chiefs’ single-season sack record holder, Jones earned his initial first-team All-Pro honor last season by matching his career high (15.5 sacks). He added two more in the playoffs to help the Chiefs to another title. Twice a second-team All-Pro as well, Jones has spearheaded a Chiefs defense that could not rely on Frank Clark for consistency. The Chiefs have since moved on from Clark, leaving 2022 first-rounders George Karlaftis and Felix Anudike-Uzomah and UFA addition Charles Omenihu in charge of edge production. Jones has masked the Chiefs’ issues on the edge for years, becoming one of this era’s best interior pass rushers.
The 2020 CBA has effectively curbed training camp holdouts, limiting contract-seeking players’ options. This has made the hold-in tactic increasingly popular. Absent a deal by the time the Chiefs report to training camp, Jones taking this route would not surprise. Withholding his services would damage a Chiefs team that has depended on him for most of his career.
A Jones extension would also help the Chiefs, who have him tied to a $28.3MM cap number in 2023. Kansas City is also potentially looking at a tricky Mahomes restructure, though the quarterback has been careful not to make a public demand for his unique deal to be redone. With Mahomes signed through 2031, the Jones matter looks to be the Chiefs’ most pressing contract issue.
Frank Clark Addresses Chiefs Departure
Frank Clark became the latest veteran edge rusher to find a new home yesterday, marking an end to his four-year tenure with the Chiefs. He spoke about his release from Kansas City and the lack of offers which came from the team after that. 
Clark was let go in a cost-cutting move in March, though the door appeared to remain open to a new deal being worked out allowing him to remain with the Chiefs. The 29-year-old was not named a Pro Bowler in 2022 – the first time in which that was the case during his tenure in Kansas City – but he added 2.5 sacks in three postseason games to help lead the team to another Super Bowl title.
Remaining with the Chiefs would have required taking a pay cut to play out the remainder of Clark’s $104MM extension signed in 2019. Instead of re-working his contract for the second straight offseason, he decided to hit the open market and, ultimately, make a move to the division-rival Broncos. Comments made today about the situation illustrate his thought process with respect to departing Kansas City.
“At the end of the day, it’s a business, but I took a pay cut for years at a time,” Clark said during an interview with CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson (audio link). “I think it was two years in row I had to take a pay cut, which is fine. But going into my third year, I had a pretty great year… I helped my team win another Super Bowl, and I do what I have to do. But then I have big pay coming in next year on my deal, $20-plus million I think… So, we obviously know something has to be worked out. I wasn’t asking for an out-the-ballpark number. I wasn’t asking for $15 million to $20 million.”
Clark added that the Chiefs never submitted an offer on a new, more modest deal for 2023 before cutting him despite their desire to remain in touch on the topic of a reunion. As time wore on during the offseason, one in which the Chiefs spent a first-round pick on an edge rusher (Felix Anudike-Uzomah) for the second consecutive year, Kansas City still declined to offer what may have been considered a disrespectful contract. Having moved on amicably, though, Clark is turning his attention to his third career team without any ill will towards his second one.
“I enjoyed my time in KC,” he said. “I enjoyed the relationship that I built with everybody. There’s no hard feelings to anybody in that building.”
Latest On DeAndre Hopkins
As teams around the league begin minicamp, the DeAndre Hopkins free agency watch continues. The list of potential suitors for the veteran wideout has fluctuated in recent days, and a shift in market value could lead to the next signficant development. 
Hopkins – who recently signed on with Klutch sports after having not had an agent – is reportedly seeking a contract similar to the one-year, $15MM one Odell Beckham Jr. signed with the Ravens in April. Such terms would be quite challenging for many teams to afford given their cap situations this late in the offseason, particularly the Bills and Chiefs, the ones most frequently named as frontrunners to sign Hopkins.
On that point, SI’s Albert Breer predicts that Buffalo and Kanas City would add the three-time All-Pro “only at a discount.” Financial pressures could very well drive down Hopkins’ asking price, something which would be necessary for either AFC contender considering they rank near the bottom of the league in available funds. On the other hand, the value of Beckham’s deal came as a shock to many, so Hopkins still may be able to land a contract of considerable value with a different team.
Breer names the Patriots as a team to watch, especially since acquiring the 30-year-old no longer requires giving up draft compensation. Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien – the head coach and general manager of the Texans when Hopkins was traded from Houston to Arizona – “would be plenty on board with, not against” adding Hopkins to New England’s roster, Breer adds. The Patriots have previously been linked to a Hopkins pursuit, and they are in far better shape with respect to cap space than the Chiefs and Bills. Doug Kyed of A to Z Sports confirms that New England is “monitoring” the five-time Pro Bowler’s market.
Finances are also less of an issue for the Browns and Ravens, teams which have been on the fringe of the Hopkins sweepstakes to date. A deal in Cleveland would reunite Hopkins with quarterback Deshaun Watson, of course, but the Browns have already made several moves at the WR position. Breer categorizes a Hopkins-to-Cleveland move as “unlikely” to take place at this point.
To little surprise, the Giants and Cowboys have bowed out of the Hopkins pursuit. Multiple teams should still be in the running to sign him, though, especially if his asking price has indeed come down. More clarity could emerge soon with respect to Hopkins’ intended destination and how willing other squads are willing to engage in a bidding war for his services.