Extra Points: Hill, Chiefs, Lions
Tyreek Hill‘s status with the Chiefs is very much in doubt. The embattled receiver is under investigation for allegedly abusing his child, and it’s unclear how that situation will resolve and whether or not he’ll be able to stay on the roster. But even without this scandal, Hill apparently wasn’t a lock to remain with the Chiefs. “Even if none of this happened, there were questions in Kansas City about whether they could re-sign” Hill, according to Jay Glazer of The Athletic.
Glazer “heard some rumblings at the start of free agency that his name was being thrown about in trade talks.” That’s surprising to hear, but Glazer is usually pretty plugged in and was right about the Giants trading Odell Beckham Jr. Hill was reportedly negotiating an extension with the Chiefs before this latest news broke, and it sounds like Hill was making some lofty demands. Hill is heading into the final year of his rookie deal.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Lions hosted defensive tackle Al Woods for a workout, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link). Woods was a fourth round pick of the Saints back in 2010. He’s bounced around since then, and has spent time with six different teams. He was with the Colts for the last two seasons. He played around 36% of the defensive snaps for Indianapolis last year, starting eight games. A run-stuffer who eats up blocks, he finished with 24 tackles and one pass defended. His last deal with the Colts was for two years and $4MM.
- Adam Jones‘ latest legal issue has been resolved. The cornerback, who has frequently been involved in off-field incidents, reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in his latest case, according to Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com. It’s unclear exactly what he plead down to, but Jones had been accused of cheating at a casino game, and then threatening an official who tried to confront him. Jones appeared in seven games for the Broncos last season, but hasn’t drawn any known interest on the open market yet this offseason.
- East Carolina defensive end Nate Harvey has been ruled ineligible to return to school next season, according to Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com. Harvey had been planning on returning to school for one more year, but will now pursue a career in the pros. The NCAA decided to count some brief playing time in his freshman year at the Georgia Military College as a year of eligibility used, throwing a wrench into his plans. David Smith writes that it’s “unclear whether the NFL will make Harvey eligible for the regular draft or whether he will have to wait for the supplemental draft.” Harvery had 14.5 sacks last year and was named the AAC’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Latest On Tyreek Hill
Yesterday we heard that Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill was being investigated for an alleged battery of a minor. Details were and are still light on the situation, but we do have a few more notes on the case.
The incident occurred at Hill’s home, according to Nate Taylor of The Athletic (Twitter link). The initial report from Brooke Pryor and Steve Vockrodt of the Kansas City Star has been updated to report that the victim in the case is Hill’s son, and that his injuries included a broken arm. This apparently wasn’t the first instance of trouble at Hill’s home.
On March 5th, officers were called to Hill’s home to investigate a difference incident of “child abuse or neglect,” according to , , and
The fact that the cops had to be called to Hill’s home just ten days prior to this news breaking about the second incident does not bode well for the young wideout. Hill, of course, fell to the fifth round of the draft back in 2016 because of his arrest for domestic violence while he was at Oklahoma State. That arrest in college could come back into play here, and make a potential suspension from the league even lengthier, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com.
Florio writes that the previous arrest, which Hill was not punished by the league for since it took place before he was drafted, could be an “aggravating factor” that would allow the league to impose a tougher than usual suspension. Florio floats the possibility that the league could ban him altogether.
Less than two weeks ago we heard that the Chiefs were negotiating an extension with Hill, but this incident has surely killed those talks. Hill is heading into the final year of his rookie deal in 2019, and it seems to be very much an open question now as to whether or not he’ll ever play another game for the Chiefs. We should know a lot more soon.
Chiefs’ Tyreek Hill Under Investigation
Chiefs star Tyreek Hill is under investigation for allegations of battery, as Steve Vockrodt and Brooke Pryor of the Kansas City Star write. The police report indicates that a juvenile was a victim of an assault perpetrated by Hill. Hill’s fiancee, Crystal Espinal, is listed under “others involved.” 
“The club is aware of the investigation involving Tyreek Hill,” the Chiefs said in a statement. “We’re in the process of gathering information and have been in contact with the league and local authorities. We’ll have no further comment at this time.”
The allegations are especially troubling in light of Hill’s history. Hill reportedly punched and choked Espinal, who was then eight weeks pregnant with their son, in 2014. He pleaded guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation in 2015 and, in 2016, the Chiefs made the controversial decision to draft him in the fifth round of the 2016 draft.
From a football perspective, it was a brilliant selection. Hill immediately made a huge impact with his absurd speed and led the league as a rookie with 15.2 yards per punt return. As an NFL sophomore, he nearly tallied 1,200 receiving yards with seven touchdowns. Then, last year, he set new career highs with 87 catches for 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Recently, the Chiefs began discussing an extension with Hill that could make him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history. Presumably, those talks will be put on hold while Hill’s situation plays out.
Chiefs, Tyreek Hill Discussing Extension
The Chiefs have begun negotiations with star wide receiver Tyreek Hill on what will be a record-setting deal, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Chiefs have other business to tend to, such as tagging Dee Ford today and shopping Justin Houston, but those moves will be made with Hill’s next deal in mind.
Hill could hardly have had a better start to his professional career, having earned three Pro Bowl nods and two First Team All-Pro selections in his first three seasons in the NFL. The former fifth-round pick out of West Alabama is under contract through the 2019 campaign and is eligible for an extension for the first time this offseason. His current deal would pay him a $720K base salary in 2019, which is laughably low for someone of his caliber.
A new deal for Hill is expected to make him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history, which would call for more than Odell Beckham Jr.’s $18MM per year average. OBJ also leads the way with $40.959MM fully guaranteed and Hill could topple that figure as well.
In 2018, Hill set new career highs with 87 catches for 1,479 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Chiefs To Prioritize Extensions For Tyreek Hill, Chris Jones; Latest On Dee Ford
The Chiefs are presently benefiting from having star quarterback Patrick Mahomes playing under his rookie contract, which means they will have some money to sign other key members of their roster to long-term deals. Per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link), Kansas City plans to explore an extension for wide receiver Tyreek Hill this offseason, and a new deal for Hill is perhaps the team’s top offseason priority.
Hill could hardly have had a better start to his professional career, having earned three Pro Bowl nods and two First Team All-Pro selections in his first three seasons in the NFL. The former fifth-round pick out of West Alabama is under contract through the 2019 campaign and will be eligible for an extension for the first time this offseason. His current deal would pay him a $720K base salary next season, which is laughably low for someone of his caliber. Indeed, Rapoport suggests that Hill could become the highest-paid receiver in the NFL, and it would not be surprising to see him land a contract paying him $18MM or more per season with a $40MM+ guarantee.
The Chiefs are also expected to pursue an extension for third-year defensive end Chris Jones, a significant part of the team’s fearsome pass rush who racked up 15.5 sacks this season in a true breakout performance. Given the ever-increasing price tag for quality pass rushers, particularly ones who are just entering the primes of their careers, Jones will also be in line for a major payday.
Another pillar of Kansas City’s pass rush, Dee Ford, is eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason. Ford had something of an up-and-down career before 2018, but his 13 sacks this year will put him in high demand should he reach the open market. We heard just last week that Ford would have the opportunity to explore free agency, as the Chiefs are not planning to put the franchise tag on him, but Rapoport hears differently. Rapoport says the team has not ruled out putting the tag on Ford, and they certainly have enough cash to do so.
2019 Proven Performance Escalators
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.
If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure should be around $2MM in 2019. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2019 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:
Bears: RB Jordan Howard, LB Nick Kwiatkoski
Bengals: LB Nick Vigil
Broncos: G Connor McGovern, S Will Parks, S Justin Simmons
Browns: S Derrick Kindred, LB Joe Schobert
Buccaneers: G Caleb Benenoch, DE Carl Nassib, CB Ryan Smith
Chargers: LB Jatavis Brown
Chiefs: CB Kendall Fuller, WR Tyreek Hill, S Eric Murray, WR Demarcus Robinson
Colts: QB Jacoby Brissett, T Joe Haeg
Cowboys: CB Anthony Brown, DT Maliek Collins, QB Dak Prescott
Dolphins: RB Kenyan Drake
Eagles: CB Jalen Mills, T Halapoulivaati Vaitai
Falcons: LB De’Vondre Campbell, TE Austin Hooper, G Wes Schweitzer
Jaguars: DE Yannick Ngakoue
Jets: LB Jordan Jenkins, CB Rashard Robinson, T Brandon Shell
Lions: C Graham Glasgow
Packers: LB Kyler Fackrell, DE Dean Lowry, LB Blake Martinez, LB Antonio Morrison
Patriots: G Joe Thuney, LB Elandon Roberts
Rams: G Austin Blythe, TE Tyler Higbee
Ravens: DE Matt Judon, OL Alex Lewis, CB Tavon Young
Saints: DT David Onyemata
Steelers: DT Javon Hargrave
Texans: DT D.J. Reader
Titans: S Kevin Byard, WR Tajae Sharpe
OverTheCap.com was essential in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Notes: Raiders, Hill, Ekeler, 49ers
The long-anticipated Reggie McKenzie departure leaves the Raiders in search of a replacement, but Jon Gruden is not certain to be involved in the interview process that will lead to his new decision-making partner/lieutenant.
“I know Mark (Davis) is going to accumulate a list of names and candidates, and I’m sure we’ll discuss those people later this week,” Gruden said (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez). “Right now, I don’t have any idea. … I’m not revealing any candidates because I don’t know of any.”
Jaguars player personnel director Chris Polian, Lions exec Jimmy Raye III and former Gruden Buccaneers coworker Mark Domenik have been loosely connected to the Raiders’ vacancy thus far. The team may want an executive who can push back against Gruden when necessary, per SI.com’s Albert Breer. College scouting director Shaun Herock is now filling in for McKenzie as GM, and Davis views Herock as a key organizational piece going forward. Gruden stopped short of proclaiming McKenzie’s right-hand man, player personnel director Joey Clinkscales, would have a long-term role. But Clinkscales remains in his post following McKenzie’s firing.
Here is the latest from the West divisions:
- With a home game against the Chargers and a road tilt in Seattle, the Chiefs have a tough back-to-back assignment coming up. Their top wide receiver likely will not be 100 percent for those games. Tyreek Hill said Sunday, via NBC Sports’ Peter King, his foot was “bad.” Hill left Sunday’s overtime win because of injury but returned, and Andy Reid expects the deep threat to play against the Bolts on Thursday. The Chiefs possessed a top-flight skill-position quartet, powering Patrick Mahomes‘ MVP candidacy, this season. But they are now without Kareem Hunt and Sammy Watkins, the latter likely out until the playoffs. Hill has not missed an NFL game due to injury. A Hill absence would make Kansas City vulnerable against a Chargers team that would move into an 11-3 tie atop the AFC West with a win. That said, the Chiefs would still hold the divisional-record tiebreaker and keep the top spot.
- Chances for a Thursday recovery for Austin Ekeler aren’t as good. The second-year Chargers running back suffered a bruised nerve in his neck, per Eric Williams of ESPN.com, and although he played through similar discomfort earlier this season, Ekeler not playing appears to be the most likely scenario. “It’s football, yeah, but there’s a lot of life after football, too,” Ekeler said Monday. Melvin Gordon is expected to return from his MCL injury, however.
- The 49ers drafted N.C. State’s Kentavius Street shortly after he tore his ACL in a pre-draft workout with the Giants, but the rookie defensive end may be on the verge of practicing, Kyle Shanahan said Monday. Street is on the 49ers’ NFI list and will not play in a game this season, though, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports (on Twitter). Still, practice work would help as Street prepares for a hopefully healthy 2019 offseason.
- In case you missed it, Doug Baldwin is inactive for tonight’s Seahawks-Vikings game. Baldwin, who’s battled a knee injury most of this season, is now dealing with a hip problem.
Reactions To Kareem Hunt’s Release
Less than an hour after the NFL placed Kareem Hunt on the Commissioner Exempt list, the Chiefs cut the Pro Bowl running back last night. The transaction followed the release of a TMZ video that showed Hunt pushing a woman to the ground and kicking her while on the floor in an incident at a Cleveland hotel this past February.
“Earlier this year, we were made aware of an incident involving running back Kareem Hunt,” the Chiefs said in their statement. “At that time, the National Football League and law enforcement initiated investigations into the issue. As part of our internal discussions with Kareem, several members of our management team spoke directly to him. Kareem was not truthful in those discussions. The video released today confirms that fact. We are releasing Kareem immediately.”
Predictably, there have been a number of reactions and observations following the transaction, which we’ve compiled below:
- Yahoo’s Terez Paylor believes the Chiefs’ statement was “unusually firm,” noting that team chairman and CEO Clark Hunt was presumably acting in the best interest of the NFL. The writer says it wouldn’t have been much of surprise if the organization held on to Hunt and let him sit on the exempt list until there was some kind of resolution. Ultimately, Paylor believes the Chiefs were trying to avoid the narrative that they had “an indifferent attitude about violence against women,” especially following their selection of wideout Tyreek Hill and the tragic death of Jovan Belcher.
- Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com dives more into the different approaches the Chiefs took with Hill and Hunt. Hill was involved in a 2014 domestic violence case that saw him getting kicked off the Oklahoma State football team and being removed from a number of subsequent draft boards. Hill eventually pleaded guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation, and he was slapped with a three-year probation. The Chiefs still selected the wideout in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, and Smith surmise’s that their decision (especially when compared to the Hunt transaction) was attributed to a lack of video evidence. The writer notes that the Ray Rice case proves that “video makes things different,” and he also notes that Hill was already sentenced before he was selected.
- Following the NFL’s decision to suspend Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott for six games following an alleged domestic violence incident, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wonders if the league has “softened its stern, unforgiving approach to off-field misconduct.” If the NFL didn’t actively pursue video of the Hunt video, the writer believes it’s an indication that the league is looking for a middle ground between the Elliott and Hunt ordeals.
- Judy Battista of NFL.com writes that Hunt’s waiver status creates a “moral quandary” for the other 31 NFL teams. The writer says a potential waiver claim can’t be dismissed, especially after the Redskins claimed Reuben Foster (who was waived by the 49ers following his arrest for an alleged domestic violence incident). Battista ultimately believes that the biggest difference between Hunt and Foster is the presence of a video; a team can be willfully ignorant to any indiscretions if there isn’t any footage of an alleged incident.
- NESN’s Doug Kyed points out one “messed up” aspect of Hunt being waived: assuming the running back passes through waivers and signs a deal before next season, he’ll end up earning more than the $667K and $735K he was set to make via his rookie deal (Twitter link). Kyed adds that if Hunt is claimed on waivers, it’d end up being worse for him financially, and if a team plans on eventually signing Hunt, it may be in their best financial interest to claim him.
Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill Hires Drew Rosenhaus
Chiefs wideout Tyreek Hill has hired Drew Rosenhaus as his new representation, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
NFL draft picks can’t negotiate extensions until the completion of their third season in the league, so Hill isn’t eligible for a new deal until the end of the 2018 campaign. Hill, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, is scheduled to carry cap charges between $550K and $800K from 2016-18 before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Because he wasn’t a first-round choice, Hill can’t be kept in Kansas City in 2019 via a fifth-year option.
Instead of working on a new deal immediately, Hills hopes to “further his brand via involvement in community activities and to parlay his on-field performance into marketing deals,” reports Florio. Hill, notably, pleaded guilty to domestic violence against his pregnant girlfriend in advance of last year’s draft, and while he’s stayed out of trouble since that time, his off-field image is still somewhat tarnished.
On the field, Hill has picked up where he left off last season. Through four games as the undefeated Chiefs’ new No. 1 wide receiver, Hill has posted 21 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also rushed the ball six times and handled six punts.
AFC Notes: Hill, Ingram, Boyle
Tyreek Hill was a revelation for the Chiefs last year, and his success as a rookie is one of the reasons the club was comfortable making the surprise decision to release Jeremy Maclin. And as Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star writes, Hill’s role with Kansas City this year will evolve accordingly.
For one, Hill will not be used on kickoff returns, as the team cannot afford to risk his health any more than is strictly necessary (though he will still be deployed on punt returns). Secondly, because Hill is fairly small — Paylor says the 185-pounder is closer to 5-8 than the 5-10 he is listed as — the Chiefs will need to limit his workload to some degree, although head coach Andy Reid, who was generally successful in managing the workloads of players like DeSean Jackson and Brian Westbrook, is unconcerned about that aspect of Hill’s development. Finally, the team expects Hill to step into Maclin’s “Z” receiver spot, the spotlight position in Reid’s offense. The Chiefs believe Hill’s abilities make a Steve Smith-like trajectory — i.e. a small but electric return man becoming a similarly prolific wideout — a strong possibility.
Now for more from the AFC:
- The Chargers are still negotiating a long-term deal with Melvin Ingram, who is one of two franchise-tagged players yet to sign their tenders or reach a long-term deal with their respective teams (Le’Veon Bell is the other). However, given that Ingram is likely looking for an Olivier Vernon-esque contract (five years, $85MM), Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com says it is more likely Ingram plays under the tag in 2017. That may end up being the best result for both sides, as Ingram would still collect a nice payday this year ($14.55MM), and he would hit the open market at age 29 next year, as Los Angeles is unlikely to tag him again. The Chargers, meanwhile, would get the benefit of Ingram’s services this season, and there is a good chance new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley can adequately develop one of the team’s young pass rushers to replace Ingram’s production in 2018.
- Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer believes the Browns may get more involved in the Jeremy Maclin sweepstakes if he does not sign with either Baltimore or Buffalo — which seems like a long shot at the moment — and she says Cleveland will likely at least inquire on Eric Decker, which the team has done with every quality veteran receiver hitting the market.
- Even without Dennis Pitta, the Ravens have a crowded tight end corps., but Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com believes little-known Nick Boyle could be the player to emerge as Joe Flacco‘s go-to target at the position. Boyle has size and good hands and is a capable blocker, and though he has already been suspended twice in his brief career for PED violations, health has not been an issue for him, as it has been for his fellow tight ends on the roster. The team has also discussed using him as a fullback.
- We rounded up a number of Jets-related notes earlier today.