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AFC West Notes: Waller, Chiefs, Broncos

March 3rd, 2023 at 10:39am CST by Sam Robinson

Darren Waller came up in trade talks last year, generating Packers interest ahead of the deadline, and the veteran tight end missed a big chunk of the Raiders‘ season due to a nagging hamstring injury that may or may not have irked some with the team. This came after the Raiders reached a three-year, $51MM extension with the former Pro Bowler just before the season. Despite Waller’s disappointing slate and the team moving on from Derek Carr, Jeff Howe of The Athletic notes the Silver and Black are not looking to move on from the talented tight end (subscription required).

Waller’s $12MM cap number checks in considerably lower than Chandler Jones‘ ($19.3MM), but Howe adds the latter is also unlikely to be moved. The Raiders did not receive what they had hoped from Jones, who totaled just 4.5 sacks and seven QB hits in his Las Vegas debut. The Raiders would save $9MM-plus by trading Jones, 33, but the ex-Cardinals All-Pro’s trade value may not be especially high right now. Jones still has $16MM in guarantees remaining on his three-year, $51MM deal.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

  • The Chiefs had once eyed Mike Kafka to succeed Eric Bieniemy as OC, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, but they had envisioned the latter landing a head coaching job. Bieniemy famously failed to do so and ended up leaving for a play-calling role in Washington after five years. This proved too long for Kafka to wait; he is now the Giants’ play-caller and joined this year’s HC carousel. Benefiting from the past two offseasons’ events, Matt Nagy replaced Kafka as QBs coach and has since replaced Bieniemy. Nagy’s Bears HC shortcomings notwithstanding, Breer adds he is seen as a possible Andy Reid heir apparent in Kansas City. Reid shot down retirement rumors after Super Bowl LVII, but the future Hall of Famer will turn 65 this month and is going into his 25th season as a head coach.
  • Graham Glasgow, Ronald Darby and Chase Edmonds loom as cut candidates for the Broncos, who have some needs to fill in free agency. It is possible the Broncos release all three, Troy Renck of Denver7 tweets. Denver restructured Glasgow’s contract in 2022 and saw him become needed after injuries to guard Quinn Meinerz and center Lloyd Cushenberry. But the team can save $11MM by releasing Glasgow. The team can add $9.6MM by cutting Darby, who suffered a torn ACL in October. Rookie Damarri Mathis fared decently replacing the veteran opposite Patrick Surtain II. The Broncos picked up Edmonds at the deadline from the Dolphins; they can save $5.9MM by releasing the ex-Cardinals starter. Denver should be able to add a veteran for cheaper, given this year’s crowded running back market, and Sean Payton favorite Latavius Murray is likely a candidate to be re-signed.
  • For what it’s worth, Russell Wilson‘s office is no longer in use. The space that drew considerable attention as the former Seahawks star struggled in Denver has been cleaned out, Mike Klis of 9News notes. While Broncos players did not necessarily voice issues about Wilson’s office, it attracted scrutiny during a 5-12 season. Wilson previously agreed to stop using it during the season’s final two weeks.
  • Kyle Van Noy wants to stay with the Chargers, per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper, who notes the versatile linebacker should have a chance to return. The Bolts signed Van Noy to a low-cost deal late in the 2022 offseason. His role expanded after Joey Bosa‘s groin injury, and the 13-game starter hit the five-sack mark for the fifth time in the past six seasons. Conversely, Morgan Fox will probably depart in free agency, Popper adds. Fox registered 6.5 sacks and likely will price himself out of Los Angeles, as the Bolts want to re-sign right tackle Trey Pipkins and linebacker Drue Tranquill.
  • Mecole Hardman recently underwent groin surgery, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The November injury kept the contract-year wide receiver out of Super Bowl LVII. Hardman will attempt to get healthy ahead of a free agency bid, with Howe adding he will need around two months to recover (Twitter link). The Chiefs have Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster set to hit the market. Mutual interest exists between the Chiefs and Smith-Schuster.

Coaching Notes: Chiefs, Colts, Clay, Zampese

March 3rd, 2023 at 9:56am CST by Sam Robinson

As Matt Nagy returns to the offensive coordinator post he held from 2016-17, the Chiefs are promoting his lieutenant. Former assistant quarterbacks coach David Girardi will replace Nagy as QBs coach, Andy Reid confirmed this week. Girardi has been the Chiefs’ assistant QBs coach for the past two years, working under Nagy and Mike Kafka. He previously served as a quality control assistant in Kansas City, moving to the NFL from Division I-FCS Lafayette College. Girardi will now move closer to a potential OC position, seeing as four Reid assistants have either become HCs or OCs elsewhere during his time in Missouri.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

  • Ken Zampese interviewed for the Commanders‘ OC job, and while the recent Washington QBs coach will be staying with the team, he will not remain in that position under Bieniemy . Zampese, a former Bengals OC, is moving to the role of senior offensive advisor/game management. He has been with the team throughout Ron Rivera‘s tenure. Bieniemy is bringing in Tavita Pritchard to become the Commanders’ next QBs coach. This previously rumored hire will take Pritchard from his longtime place on David Shaw‘s Stanford staff. Formerly an assistant under Shaw and Jim Harbaugh, Pritchard spent the past five seasons as the Pac-12 program’s OC.
  • Previously the QBs coach on Kliff Kingsbury‘s Cardinals staff, one that did not employ an OC, Cam Turner is joining the Colts. Shane Steichen is hiring Turner to be Indianapolis’ QBs coach, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Turner, 35, was previously with the Panthers prior to the four-year Arizona stay; he will replace Scott Milanovich in Indy. The Colts are also hiring Tony Sparano Jr. as their offensive line coach, Art Stapleton of the Bergen Record notes (on Twitter). The second-generation NFL coach spent last season as the Giants‘ assistant O-line coach; he had held that role with the Jaguars and Panthers previously. Sparano, 36, joins ex-Giants running backs coach DeAndre Smith as Steichen Colts hires.
  • Although the Eagles became the first team since the Bengals nine years ago to see both their OC and DC become head coaches in the same offseason, the NFC champs are retaining their third coordinator. ST boss Michael Clay will also receive a new contract. The Eagles are adding a year to Clay’s deal and giving him a raise, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. Clay, 31, has been with the team since 2021.
  • Sean Payton is hiring former Northwestern running backs coach Lou Ayeni to work in the same role for the Broncos, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Northwestern HC Pat Fitzgerald has been on the NFL radar for a bit, and the Wildcats will lose their second assistant to the NFL this offseason. Ryan Smith is now the Cardinals’ DBs coach. Ayeni has worked mostly at the college level, being the run-game coordinator at Iowa State during David Montgomery‘s tenure.
  • Ravens outside linebackers coach Rob Leonard will join the Raiders‘ staff, per John Harbaugh. Leonard is joining Josh McDaniels‘ assistant cadre as linebackers coach. Leonard joined the Ravens in 2022, having spent the previous three seasons on Brian Flores‘ Dolphins staff. He spent the previous six years with the Giants. The Ravens are still searching for wide receivers and safeties coaches, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec adds. Harbaugh said internal hires are possible there (Twitter link).
  • The Commanders are also reshuffling a bit on their defensive staff. Brent Vieselmeyer will rise to the role of secondary coach, with Christian Garcia set to be the team’s assistant DBs coach. Vieselmeyer will replace Chris Harris, who received DC interest this offseason before moving to Tennessee’s staff as the team’s cornerbacks coach.

Chiefs Eyeing New Deals For Chris Jones, Frank Clark

March 2nd, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chiefs have a number of key decisions to make in their attempt to retain as many core pieces of their Super Bowl winning roster as possible. That will likely include moves keeping their two most expensive defenders in place beyond the coming season.

Both defensive tackle Chris Jones and edge rusher Frank Clark are under contract for 2023. However, their deals are each scheduled to carry cap hits over $28MM, which would be a significant obstacle to the team’s other priorities, such as a long-term deal for left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. New contracts (rather than restructures) for both Jones and Clark could thus be mutually beneficial for team and player.

“The good thing for us is that we have these strong connections with these players that have played here a long time,” general manager Brett Veach said on the subject this week, via Nate Taylor of The Athletic (subscription required). “They love being here. That’s a good starting point for us.”

Jones is likely to be a higher priority from the Chiefs’ perspective, but working out a new deal with the 28-year-old won’t be a simple matter. Taylor reports that Jones is seeking a contract which will make him “at least” the second-highest paid interior d-lineman in the league, behind only Aaron Donald. The latter agreed to a massive restructure last offseason, bringing his average annual compensation over $31.6MM. Jones currently sits at $20MM in that regard, which trails Donald, DeForest Buckner and Leonard Williams.

Jones remained a crucial member of Kansas City’s defense in 2022. He matched his career high with 15.5 sacks, setting a new personal mark in tackles with 44 and playing time with an 80% snap share. The former second-rounder earned a First-Team All-Pro nod, along with Pro Bowl recognition for the fourth straight season. A deal flattening his 2023 cap hit would pay dividends, of course, but Jones’ continued production could leave the Chiefs in a similar situation to that of wideout Tyreek Hill last year. The latter’s contract demands led the team to trade him to Miami, a deal which allowed them to divert resources elsewhere on the roster.

Clark re-worked his contract last offseason, something which came as a surprise given the expectation that he would be destined to leave in free agency. That possibility remains once again in 2023, as Taylor notes that a release prior to free agency is a consideration for the team to save much-needed cap space. A March cut would lead to $21MM in savings and a dead cap hit of $7.6MM. Veach stressed his desire to talk with Clark’s agents in the hopes of finalizing an extension before that becomes necessary though, adding that Kansas City would remain interested in re-signing the 29-year-old if he were to be cut and allowed to test the open market.

The Chiefs still have work to do to become cap compliant, something which will become more difficult assuming a second franchise tag is placed on Brown in the coming days. Extensions for at least one of Jones or Clark could be coming soon to grant the team flexibility to afford a multi-year Brown deal, while keeping the team’s defensive leaders in place for at least the intermediate future.

Rams Receiving Calls On Jalen Ramsey, Eyeing Edge Rushers

March 2nd, 2023 at 10:03am CST by Sam Robinson

The centerpiece of their secondary since sending the Jaguars two first-round picks ahead of the 2019 trade deadline, Jalen Ramsey now looks unlikely to return to the Rams.

A trade is expected, and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic notes the Rams have already received calls from multiple teams on the high-profile chip (subscription required). Moving Ramsey stands to both replenish the Rams’ draft capital — an oft-discarded war chest during Sean McVay‘s tenure — and invite serious questions about the team’s coverage capabilities next season.

As far as what Ramsey could bring back, NBC Sports’ Peter King mentions a low-end first-round pick — from a team like the Chiefs, Bills or Cowboys — or a package fronted by a second-rounder could be available. By Rams standards, their 2023 draft arsenal does not look too bad. They hold a second-round choice and 10 picks overall. Though, only three of those will arrive before the fifth round.

The Rams may want more than just one first-round pick, with Rodrigue adding it will probably take a 2023 first-rounder or future first and at least one other pick. Although Los Angeles has made it known Ramsey is available, this price would count on a bidding war taking shape. A January report indicated the Rams were unlikely to fetch a first-rounder for Ramsey, but this seems to the be goal.

Pro Football Focus has rated Ramsey, who will play his age-29 season in 2023, as a top-20 cornerback in each of his three full seasons with the Rams. His three first-team All-Pro nods (2017, 2020, 2021) are tied for sixth among corners in NFL history. No active corner matches that feat, putting Ramsey squarely on the Hall of Fame radar. It would cost the Rams $19.6MM to trade Ramsey before June 1, and a team that acquired him would be taking on a $17MM base salary this year. Ramsey’s $20MM-per-year deal runs through 2025, though Rodrigue adds the Rams would likely rework the eighth-year veteran’s deal. That would help facilitate a move and increase the attainable compensation.

This would deplete a Rams team that cut future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner. Both David Long and Troy Hill are free agents at corner. The team also has its edge rusher situation to clean up this offseason. The Rams offered their two-first-rounder platter to the Panthers for Brian Burns, though the picks being in 2024 and ’25 affected Carolina’s decision to pass, and pursued Bradley Chubb last year. This all came about after Von Miller spurned the team for the Bills, who offered guarantees into Year 3 — which the Rams and Cowboys did not.

While some in the front office did not want to re-sign Miller, per Rodrigue, who notes age- and injury-related concerns were behind these skeptics’ hesitancy on this front. Still, the Rams had made an aggressive push. Their subsequent Allen Robinson investment — enabled by the funds free from Miller’s Buffalo choice — tanked. Leonard Floyd‘s $16MM-AAV deal remains on the Rams’ books, but the Rams missed Miller in 2022. Floyd registered a team-high nine sacks; no other Rams outside linebacker notched more than one. As such, Rodrigue adds the team will pursue edges in free agency, via trade and through the draft.

The team has Aaron Donald signed for two more seasons. Capitalizing on what remains of the all-time great’s prime would be prudent. Then again, the Rams have exhausted resources attempting to do this — and largely succeeding — throughout the McVay-Les Snead partnership. It will be interesting to see the team attempt to go the other way, via trading Ramsey for draft capital and importing vital cost-controlled talent onto the roster.

OL Austin Blythe Announces Retirement

February 28th, 2023 at 7:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

After an off-grid season in Kansas City as a backup, Austin Blythe returned to a role as a steady starter with Seattle. He will make that Seahawks season a one-off, however.

Blythe announced Tuesday he will retire after seven NFL seasons (Instagram link). The 30-year-old blocker was set to be a free agent, coming off a full season as the Seahawks’ starting center.

Sneaking onto the draft radar in 2016, Blythe managed to become a regular starter as a seventh-round pick. The ex-Iowa blocker ended up making 66 starts during his seven-year career, the final 17 (plus a playoff outing in San Francisco) came with the Seahawks. Seattle gave Blythe a one-year, $4MM deal to come over from Kansas City, where he backed up rookie standout Creed Humphrey in 2021. Blythe made sure the Seahawks had that center position, one that had gone through some inconsistency in recent years, covered.

A Colts draftee, Blythe will be best remembered for his Rams work. Indianapolis waived Blythe shortly after the 2017 draft, but Los Angeles claimed him in advance of Sean McVay‘s first season. Blythe worked as a backup for the 2017 Rams but started for their Super Bowl LIII-qualifying 2018 iteration and L.A.’s ensuing two squads. The Rams brought him back on a one-year deal in 2020, and Pro Football Focus graded that as a top-10 center season.

The Rams had moved Blythe from guard to center midway through his L.A. tenure, but the versatility did not bring much interest in 2021. Pete Carroll said that Blythe was ready to walk away last year, but some among the Seahawks convinced him to return. Blythe reunited with ex-Rams assistants Shane Waldron and Andy Dickerson with the Seahawks. Carroll had said Blythe previously expressed interest in re-signing with the Seahawks, via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, but his Tuesday announcement will lead the team to look into other options at snapper.

2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

February 28th, 2023 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the head coaching carousel spun for several weeks, many teams made coordinator changes as well. Teams seeking new head coaches are conducting OC and DC searches, and a handful of other teams that did not make HC changes are also searching for top assistants.

This is a big year for offensive coordinator hires, with nearly half the league making changes. Here are the teams searching for new OCs and DCs. As new searches emerge, they will be added to the list.

Updated 3-1-23 (3:31pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals 

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Greg Roman)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Ben McAdoo)

  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach, (Rams): Hired
  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/2
  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jeff Nixon, running backs coach (Panthers): Interviewed
  • Brian Schottenheimer, offensive consultant (Cowboys): Hired

Denver Broncos (Out: Justin Outten)

Houston Texans (Out: Pep Hamilton)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Parks Frazier)

  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Tee Martin, wide receivers coach (Ravens): Interview requested

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Matt Nagy, quarterbacks coach (Chiefs): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Liam Coen)

New York Jets (Out: Mike LaFleur)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Shane Steichen)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Byron Leftwich)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Todd Downing)

Washington Commanders (Out: Scott Turner)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Vance Joseph)

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dean Pees)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Leslie Frazier)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Al Holcomb)

  • Ejiro Evero, former defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): Interviewed
  • Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): Interviewed
  • Kris Richard, co-defensive coordinator (Saints): Interviewed

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans 

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Renaldo Hill)

  • Derrick Ansley, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Promoted
  • Doug Belk, defensive coordinator (Houston): Interviewed
  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Interviewed

Miami Dolphins (Out: Josh Boyer)

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Ed Donatell)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard)

  • Joe Woods, former defensive coordinator (Browns): Hired

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Jonathan Gannon)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: DeMeco Ryans)

  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): On radar
  • Chris Harris, defensive backs coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/31
  • Kris Kocurek, defensive line coach (49ers): On radar
  • Steve Wilks, former interim head coach (Panthers): Hired

Giants Likely To Resume Odell Beckham Jr. Pursuit, Eye First-Round WR Pick

February 26th, 2023 at 9:39am CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants won their first playoff game in 11 years last month, but their wide receiver plan unraveled early in the season. The team’s hopeful top four options at the position going into the season were either injured, traded or nonfactors by the stretch run. As should be expected, outside help will be pursued this offseason.

This year’s wide receiver free agent market is not particularly flashy, which could lead to increased trade buzz. But the Giants should be expected to pick up where they left off with Odell Beckham Jr., Connor Hughes of SNY notes. The team did not view Beckham as being a realistic candidate to help last season, and the former Giant carried unrealistic price demands. This combination scuttled the Giants’ interest, and the other suitors backed off as well. But Beckham will be a factor in free agency.

Assuming Beckham has used the past few months to move closer to 100%, or around 80% of the version he was prior to his second ACL tear, Hughes expects the Giants to be in the mix until the end for a reunion. Beckham, 30, has expressed steady interest in his former team, as tweets during last season’s surprise playoff journey most recently showed, but he may not have the same interest if the Giants move on from both Sterling Shepard and Saquon Barkley. The two skill-position holdovers from Beckham’s Giants stay are free agency-bound, though the team has shown steady interest in keeping Barkley — so long as such a pursuit does not involve letting Daniel Jones walk.

The Cowboys and Rams are also expected to revisit a Beckham push. Considering this year’s underwhelming market, it will be interesting to see where teams will go to add OBJ. The eight-year veteran was last seen playing a major role in the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI win, but his second ACL tear crushed his 2022 market. He will join the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jakobi Meyers, Allen Lazard, DJ Chark and others on this year’s market.

Shepard joins Wan’Dale Robinson as Giants wideouts to have suffered major injuries in 2022 and joins Darius Slayton in being unattached for 2023. The Giants will also cut Kenny Golladay soon; a post-June 1 distinction will create $13.5MM in cap space for Joe Schoen‘s team. Although free agency will be a key avenue for Big Blue to upgrade at this position, its best chance of landing a No. 1-caliber option will be in the draft. It represents a fairly safe bet the Giants will strongly consider a wideout in Round 1, Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports notes.

Penciling in a receiver at No. 25 for New York should be a “pretty safe” bet for the Giants, per Vacchiano. Todd McShay’s first mock sends Boston College’s Zay Flowers to the Giants, while Daniel Jeremiah’s second pegs Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt as the ascending team’s pick. This is a less optimal time to enter an offseason with a receiver need. In addition to the maligned free agency crop, the draft does not look to carry the caliber of talent of recent years. This class lacks dominant options, at least going in, Jeremiah offers (via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe). The upcoming Combine and pro days will reveal more about this class’ capabilities.

The Giants’ last major receiver draft splash came two years ago, in Kadarius Toney. After the Eagles foiled the Giants’ plans to take DeVonta Smith, the Dave Gettleman regime settled on Toney. The shifty but incredibly injury-prone player wore out his welcome quickly in the Big Apple, and the Giants traded him to the Chiefs for third- and sixth-round picks. Toney has not stayed healthy in Kansas City, either, but he did score a walk-in touchdown in Super Bowl LVII and set a Super Bowl record with a 65-yard punt return. The Chiefs acquired Toney before the trade deadline, but GM Brett Veach said (via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan) the team discussed him with the Giants during the 2022 offseason.

Toney trade talk emerged briefly in the offseason, before the team shot it down. During that window, however, a Chiefs offer may well have emerged. The Giants held off on doing a trade with the Chiefs at that point, rightly viewing Kansas City picks as being likely to land late in rounds. Presumably, no better offers for the ex-Florida Gator come before the deadline. The Giants ended up landing the last picks in Round 3 and Round 6 (Nos. 100 and 196 overall) in the trade.

Chiefs Promote Matt Nagy To OC

February 24th, 2023 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

A week after Eric Bieniemy‘s departure, the Chiefs will make their expected transition. They announced Friday they are promoting Matt Nagy to offensive coordinator.

This will be Nagy’s second time in this role. Although the former Bears head coach returned to Kansas City to be the team’s quarterbacks coach, he earned HC attention in the first place after a two-year stint in the Chiefs OC role from 2016-17. Now, the Chiefs will ensure continuity despite their five-year OC leaving.

Two Andy Reid OCs from his Chiefs tenure have become head coaches; Doug Pederson left for Philadelphia in 2016 and Nagy departed for Chicago in 2018. Bieniemy interviewed for more than 10 HC jobs from 2019-23 but did not follow his predecessors. The 10-year Reid assistant instead opted to join the Commanders as their play-calling OC. Bieniemy was no longer under contract with the Chiefs, but Reid provided endless endorsements. The Chiefs will now shift back to Nagy.

This will be Nagy’s first crack at running a Patrick Mahomes-directed offense. Nagy earned the Bears gig after coordinating two Alex Smith-run attacks, but Nagy has coached Mahomes for two years — in 2017, when he was Smith’s backup, and again in 2022. Moving from Bieniemy to Nagy as Reid’s right-hand man (and non-play-calling OC) should be a seamless transition for the Super Bowl champions. Reid had given Nagy play-calling responsibilities at points during his previous OC tenure, and it will be interesting to see if that happens again — especially since the lack of steady play-calling duties was a major factor in Bieniemy’s high hurdle to HC jobs.

The Titans wanted to interview Nagy for their OC role, requesting meetings with he and Bieniemy. Outside interest came, but NFL.com’s James Palmer notes (via Twitter) the two-time Chiefs assistant wanted to stay in Kansas City. Given Reid and Mahomes’ presences, that interest certainly makes sense. Nagy, 44, has been the expected Chiefs succession plan here for a bit now.

Although the Chiefs went 12-4 in 2016, when Nagy shared OC duties with Brad Childress, their offense ranked 20th. That prompted the 2017 trade-up for Mahomes, but Kansas City’s offense took a noticeable leap in Smith’s Missouri finale. Childress exited after the ’16 slate, leaving Nagy alone at the position; the Chiefs finished as the league’s fifth-ranked total offense and ranked fourth in offensive DVOA in 2017. Smith notched his first and only 4,000-yard passing season, throwing 26 touchdown passes and just five interceptions. That season featured Kareem Hunt winning the rushing title and Tyreek Hill morphing from part-time receiver to a starter and Pro Bowler. Travis Kelce began his tight end-record run of seven straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons under Nagy as well, starting that streak in 2016.

Nagy ended his Chicago stay as a punching bag, giving up play-calling duties at multiple points and being run out of town after a 6-11 2021 season. But he did earn Coach of the Year honors in 2018, guiding a Mitch Trubisky-quarterbacked team to a 12-4 record and the Bears’ only NFC North title over the past 12 years. Nagy’s largely Trubisky-restricted squads underwhelmed over the next two seasons, as his seat warmed, though the Bears only completed one sub-.500 season under Nagy.

The Chiefs have steadily lost coaching talent under Reid. This list now includes Bieniemy and Mike Kafka. But Nagy will enter his seventh season with the Chiefs in 2023. Provided the team uses its franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.., it should have its top four offensive linemen back. Kansas City has Kelce, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Kadarius Toney under contract, and JuJu Smith-Schuster has expressed interest in staying as well. Despite Bieniemy’s exit, the Chiefs should not exactly be at risk — barring a Kelce freefall at age 34 — of declining much on offense.

Pep Hamilton On Chiefs’ Radar

February 23rd, 2023 at 10:05am CST by Sam Robinson

Pep Hamilton is a coaching free agent again, following another offensive coordinator stay with an AFC South team. The former Colts and Texans OC also turned down an opportunity to interview for the Buccaneers’ play-calling gig.

The veteran assistant, who spent the past two years in Houston, may have a chance to land with this NFL period’s top offense. The Chiefs are exploring the prospect of hiring Hamilton, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweets. This year’s assistant coach carousel figures to spill into March, and Hamilton now has two stints as an NFL OC on his resume.

The Chiefs just lost Eric Bieniemy, their offensive coordinator of the past five years, to the Commanders. Play-calling duties eluded the 10-year Kansas City assistant, who was unable to follow in Doug Pederson or Matt Nagy‘s footsteps in using the Chiefs’ OC position as a springboard to a head coaching job. Nagy is expected to replace Bieniemy as Kansas City’s OC, a role he held from 2016-17, but the Chiefs must interview at least one external minority candidate before filling their position. While Hamilton would qualify, it appears the 46-year-old staffer is a candidate to land another position on Andy Reid‘s staff.

Nagy spent this past season as the Chiefs’ quarterbacks coach. Hamilton has held that role with six teams — the Texans, Chargers, Browns, Bears, 49ers and Jets dating back to 2004 — and a host of teams have sought OC interviews with the ex-Jim Harbaugh assistant in recent years. Following a brief stint as a head coach in the XFL’s second incarnation, Hamilton being Justin Herbert‘s position coach in his Offensive Rookie of the Year season elevated the coach’s stock. A stay with Patrick Mahomes likely would do the same. Houston’s offense did struggle over the past two seasons, ranking 30th in scoring each year, but the rebuilding team did not exactly feature plus personnel.

David Girardi served as the Chiefs’ assistant QBs coach last season, being promoted from the quality control level in 2022. But Hamilton’s experience would seemingly open the door to him being Nagy’s replacement — assuming the ex-Bears HC lands the OC job — or being brought on in a senior offensive assistant-type capacity.

Chiefs Want To Keep OTs Orlando Brown Jr., Andrew Wylie

February 18th, 2023 at 5:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Chiefs’ offensive line was commended for their performance in Super Bowl LVII, keeping a dominant Eagles pass rush from recording a sack in the championship game. The bookends of that unit are pending free agents, but the team would prefer to keep them both.

Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. played out the 2022 season on the franchise tag, after negotiations on a long-term deal failed to deliver a big-ticket extension. He has made clear his intention of staying in Kansas City for 2023 and beyond, though a below-market contract will not be considered in his situation. The four-time Pro Bowler earned a 75.4 PFF grade this season, an identical rating to the one from the previous campaign.

Brown, 26, made $16.6MM by playing on the tag last year. He would see his salary bump up to $19.9MM if a second tag were to be used, something which is reportedly expected to take place. If the Oklahoma alum were hit the open market, though, he would command a serious bidding war given his age and consistency. The Chiefs’ cap situation is also set to become more complicated as they move further into quarterback Patrick Mahomes‘ mega-extension.

On the other side of the line, right tackle Andrew Wylie took on a full-time starting role in 2022. That made his one-year, $2.5MM contract signed last offseason a highly valuable one. The 28-year-old played over 1,000 snaps for the first time in his career, and while he only ranked 45th out of 81 qualifying tackles in PFF grade, he confirmed his presence as a versatile blocker. The Chiefs are no doubt facing numerous changes this offseason, but maintaining their tackle tandem appears to be a priority.

“Those guys obviously had good years for us,” head coach Andy Reid said when speaking to the media following the team’s Super Bowl victory. “All these contract things I haven’t gotten with [general manager Brett] Veach on at all. I kind of stay out of that world, but I think both guys are very well-liked here and I’m sure that Brett will surely make a strong attempt at keeping them here. But we’ll see how that goes” (h/t Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons).

Both Brown and Wylie are in line for raises compared to the 2022 campaign. Reid’s comments suggest they could be coming, though plenty of financial maneuvering will be needed on the Chiefs’ part to make that possible.

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