Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 3/16

Good morning! Today's Kansas City Chiefs news has reaction to the Boss and Hillis signings and the latest on Winston and Tolbert. Enjoy.

Kevin Boss' first free agent visit occurred Thursday afternoon in Kansas City. He didn't leave Arrowhead without a contract.

The Chiefs agreed to terms on a three-year contract with the veteran tight end Thursday night, bolstering one of the club's most inconsistent positions from a season ago.

Boss notched 28 catches for 368 yards (13.1 avg.) with three TDs in 11 starts with Oakland last season.

Chiefs Agree To Terms With TE Kevin Boss from The Mothership

The Chiefs also met with former San Diego running back Mike Tolbert on Thursday, but he was to leave Kansas City without a contract.

Former Texans right tackle Eric Winston also arrived Thursday in Kansas City, and his visit [to] the Chiefs will continue today.

Chiefs Add TE Boss For Three Years, $9 Million; Winston In Town from KC Star

I'm told Chargers now turning full attention to backup RB situation. Mike Tolbert is Option A, but team has another vet backup on the hook.

My understanding is talks at critical stage w/ Mike Tolbert. Team wants to know if he's in or out. Could move on to Jackie Battle tonight.

@UTKevinAcee (San Diego Columnist) via Twitter

For those asking whether I think #Chiefs have a real shot at signing Winston, I think he wouldn't still be here if they didn't

My guess is he will sign with #Chiefs. Don''t hold me to that but when a free agent is in your town, you're the favorite until he goes

Adam Teicher via Twitter

Told Mike Tolbert's visit went very well. He left w/out a contract, but he's very much in the mix with the Chiefs. They showed him big time.

Kent Babb via Twitter

The 250-pound Hillis is the big back the Chiefs didn't have under contract. He could line up at times in the same backfield with either Charles or McCluster. He could play some at fullback, the position he played when he started his career with Denver in 2008.

Hillis Happy To Join Chiefs, Reunite With Daboll from KC Star

Hillis knows Daboll well. Their one year together in Cleveland saw Hillis churn out the most productive season of his NFL career and his first 1,000-yard rushing campaign. He reached folk hero status not only with Browns fans, but with football fans across the country, winning a nationwide vote to be the cover athlete of Madden Football following the 2010 season.

"He believed in me and believed what I could do," Hillis remembered of his time spent with Daboll. "What he does works. I'm very excited about the opportunity to be a Chief."

Chiefs OC Brian Daboll Played Big Role In Landing Peyton Hillis from The Mothership

That wasn't for Bobby Massie. The big offensive tackle from Ole Miss didn't just want to get in shape. Massie wanted to improve his fundamentals. After all, he was leaving Mississippi a year early, so that's 13 games of experience he will not carry into the NFL.

Top 100 Prospects - No. 90 OT Bobby Massie from Bob Gretz

The attention at Baylor this year all went to Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Griffin did not get it done without help. He had two important teammates on offense, in WR Kendall Wright and RB Terrance Ganaway.

Top 100 Prospects - No. 89 RB Terrance Ganaway from Bob Gretz

This would have been a marquee free-agent signing in 2011. Today, it's a calculated gamble. The Chiefs need a big signing - as much to alter the perception of the fans that the franchise is doing things on the cheap as to improve the talent of the field. As long as they're stockpiling Madden cover athletes, they might as well take a shot at two quarterbacks: Drew Brees (who received the franchise tag from New Orleans) and Vince Young.

Cursed? Kansas City Chiefs Add Peyton Hillis In Free Agency from The Pitch

But the word is that Mike Tolbert, the former Chargers running back, is also visiting the Chiefs and that the visit was not altered because of the Hillis signing. Given how valuable visitation time becomes during the early parts of free agency, it's amazing that Tolbert would even consider coming to KC unless he could legitimately sign there. But as the team's third running back? Pro Football Focus has some questions.

Chiefs Free Agency: Mike Tolbert's Potential Signing Crowds Backfield With Jamaal Charles, Peyton Hillis from SB Nation Kansas City

Dave Birkett is reporting that Geoff Schwartz of the Carolina Panthers is making the rounds and has scheduled the Chiefs as he also visits the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers. It's not often that players get out of one visit, let alone a few, so it remains to be seen whether Schwartz will even make the trip.

NFL Free Agency: Geoff Schwartz Schedules Visit With Chiefs, 49ers After Lions from SB Nation Kansas City

Tickets are now available for the 31st Annual Indian Hills Community College Celebrity Night on Tuesday, April 10.

Ed Podolak, who has been providing color commentary on Iowa Hawkeye radio broadcasts for the past three decades, will be the guest speaker.

Ed Podolak To Speak At IHCC Celebrity Night from HeartlandConnection.com

Boss follows former and now current teammate Stanford Routt to Kansas City where he will have a shot at his former team twice a season. He signs a three year deal worth $9 million with the Chiefs just a season after he had signed a four year, $16 million deal with the Raiders. And while he is making a million less this season from the Chiefs, he will also enjoy $2 million from the Raiders.

Kevin Boss Latest Former Raider To Sign With Chiefs from Silver And Black Pride

The only fluff comes from $400,000 in per-game roster bonuses. If he has, say, strep throat and can't play in a given game, he won't earn $25,000.

And so it's a base deal of $2.6 million, and it's fully guaranteed. Which makes Hillis more likely to make it onto the final 53-man roster.

Chiefs Get Peyton Hillis On The Cheap from ProFootballTalk

Boss, 28, will play across the formation from Tony Moeaki in two-tight end sets. The Chiefs are gearing up to run a ground-heavy offense, and Boss is a difference-making blocker.

Chiefs Sign Kevin Boss To Three-Year, $9 Million Deal from ProFootballTalk

Tolbert is a considerably more valuable back than Battle, though, so the leverage game shouldn't be fooling Tolbert's agents. Tolbert can pass block and catch passes. Battle doesn't do either of those things particularly well. Tolbert is also a couple of years younger than Battle.

Chargers In Contract Talks To Keep Mike Tolbert from ProFootballTalk