Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 3/1

Houston Earns Derrick Thomas Award; Thomas Awarded Mack Lee Hill Honor from The Mothership

The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Saturday that linebacker Justin Houston was named the winner of the club's Derrick Thomas Award and running back/wide receiver De'Anthony Thomas earned the team's Mack Lee Hill Award. This marks Houston's second postseason recognition as he was awarded the Mack Lee Hill Award after his rookie season in 2011. Both honors were voted on by Chiefs players and will officially be presented at the 45th Annual 101 Banquet this evening.

Gary Green to be Inducted into Chiefs Hall of Fame from The Mothership

Kansas City Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt announced on Saturday that former cornerback Gary Green will be the 2015 inductee into the Chiefs Hall of Fame. Green is the 45th player to earn this coveted honor which will be celebrated this evening at the 45th annual 101 Awards banquet in downtown Kansas City. The official enshrinement ceremony to the Chiefs Hall of Fame will be held during Chiefs Alumni Weekend at Arrowhead Stadium this fall.

101 Awards Recap from The Mothership

One of the most prestigious awards handed out at the event is the Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football, which was created in 2007 to honor the life and legacy of the Kansas City Chiefs founder. This award recognizes a person or group whose visionary leadership has significantly contributed to NFL and its status as the preeminent pro sports league in America.

The recipient of this year's Lamar Hunt Award for Professional Football is former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who served in the role from 1989 to 2006.

2015 NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Who do the analysts have the Chiefs drafting? from The Mothership

Each week we'll bring you the picks in the latest mock drafts from analysts across the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs.

With the Chiefs holding the No. 18 pick in the upcoming NFL draft, many have already begun speculating on who they believe the Chiefs might be targeting with that pick.

Now, to say it's a little too early for a mock draft is an understatement considering free agency hasn't even started. But that won't keep us from wanting to know which players could potentially join the Chiefs next season.

KCChiefs.com Video: Gary Green to be the 45th player inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame

KCChiefs.com Video: Paul Tagliabue named the 2015 Lamar Hunt recipient

Houston, Thomas recognized; Green inducted to Chiefs Hall of Fame from Chiefs Digest

The Chiefs on Saturday announced three honors, including the newest inductee to the team's Hall of Fame.

Outside linebacker Justin Houston was named the Derrick Thomas Award recipient as the team's MVP, while running back/wide receiver De'Anthony Thomas earned the Mack Lee Hill Award as the Chiefs' top rookie.

Former Chiefs cornerback Gary Green will be the 45th player to enshrined during Alumni Weekend during the 2015 season at Arrowhead Stadium.

Justin Houston, D'Anthony Thomas honored; Gary Green picked for Chiefs hall from ESPN

Houston, 26, had the greatest season of any pass rusher in Chiefs history. He led the NFL with 22 sacks, finishing a half-sack from the NFL record set by Michael Strahan of the New York Giants in 2001.

But Houston was more than just an outstanding pass-rusher. He also excelled at playing the run and in pass coverage. He was far and away the top-rated 3-4 outside linebacker by Pro Football Focus in 2014 as an overall player and pass rusher. Houston rated fourth as a run defender and tied for fourth in coverage.

Free-agent report: C Rodney Hudson from ESPN

What should happen with Hudson: This has to be a difficult decision for the Chiefs because Hudson has the look of someone who will be a solid NFL lineman for several more seasons. But the Chiefs have a much less expensive alternative in Kush or they can find one elsewhere. As painful as that choice might be, the Chiefs are better off spending their limited dollars elsewhere and letting Hudson become an unrestricted free agent.

Free-agent report: LB Josh Mauga from ESPN

What should happen with Mauga: The Chiefs shouldn't sink anything more than a minimum salary into Mauga. But if he's willing to accept that, the Chiefs should welcome him back.

Read Option: Mount Rushmore of Sports from The Springfield News-Leader

The best Kansas City Chiefs' first-round draft picks since joining the NFL

Tony Gonzalez, TE, California, 1997

A no-brainer. Gonzalez is the best pass-catching tight end in NFL history, and it's not even close. It's just a shame he didn't end his career in Kansas City.

Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein poses double threat of defense and dunks from The Los Angeles Times

Cauley-Stein played AAU basketball with the son of former NFL offensive lineman Will Shields and ended up becoming friends with Shavon Shields, who now plays basketball at Nebraska. Cauley-Stein transferred to a much larger high school near Kansas City and lived with the Shields family by the end of his sophomore year.

The transition was mostly seamless. Mostly.

Mel Kiper Jr. offers nice wide receiver primer from ESPN

For those with ESPN Insider access, draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. offers this guide to the wide receivers available in the draft.

Kiper breaks down this year's receiver class into five groups: elite, in the first-round mix, those more likely to go in the second or third round, latter half of the draft players, and those who could be late-round picks or undrafted free agents.

So this is a nice primer for all fans but particularly those of receiver-needy teams like the Kansas City Chiefs. Kiper has given the Chiefs a different wide receiver in the first round of his two mock drafts. He and I have both suggested the Chiefs need to draft multiple wide receivers this year.

Mailbag: What are expectations for WR Albert Wilson? from ESPN

Albert Wilson is the undrafted rookie wide receiver who played a lot in the season's final four games. You're right, he should and will play for the Chiefs next season. Reasonable expectations for Wilson should start at what he got done in those last four games once the Chiefs started featuring him. In those games, Wilson averaged three catches for 52 yards, or more than 17 yards per catch. Over 16 games that projects to about 50 catches for about 800 yards. If the Chiefs can get that from him next year, it's a successful season for him.

Dee Ford's 2015 role with Kansas City Chiefs could be decided in next few days from AL.com

The Kansas City Chiefs have to decide what to do about their pair of Pro Bowl outside linebackers, and the NFL team's choices will affect formerAuburn standout Dee Ford.

In earning All-Pro honors in 2014, Justin Houston recorded 22 sacks, coming within one-half of a sack of the NFL single-season record in his fourth year with the Chiefs. Houston is scheduled to become a free agent when the league year ends on March 10.

Tambi Hali has been a Pro Bowl selection for four straight seasons, but in 2014 he had his lowest sack total since 2008 with six. Hali has started 141 games and recorded 79.5 sacks for the Chiefs. But if he plays for Kansas City in 2015, the team will owe him $11,964,706.

Boy's 'big heart' leads to charity basketball game from The Elmira Star-Gazette

Braedyn Gulich of Elmira Heights said he dreams of someday playing for the New York Yankees and being able to give back to more people. The 5-year-old is off to a proper start.

Braedyn's desire to help others was the impetus for a charity celebrity basketball game featuring NFL talent that will be played at 7 p.m. March 21 at Horseheads Middle School. Proceeds benefit research for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Horseheads athletics...

...With blessing from the McCarthy family and the Horseheads School District, Jeremy worked with former Hudson Valley Community College baseball teammate Rashad Barksdale, a former NFL player, to set up the contest....

...Gulich and Barksdale have remained close friends since attending Hudson Valley together in 2003 and 2004, with Jeremy visiting him when Barksdale played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Gulich attended William Penn University in Iowa.

Connell: Unassuming Shields finally takes his place among NFL's all-time greats from The Springfield News-Leader

When he's in town to see daughter Sanayika play for the Drury University women's basketball team, Will Shields can walk the streets of Springfield and go unnoticed and without interruption.

Same with Kansas City. Same with his home suburb of Overland Park, Kansas.

Same with Lincoln, Nebraska, where he first made a name for himself with the Huskers.

It's unbelievable, really, that a man who accomplished so much at the top level of his profession can carry with him such a level of anonymity.

But he's not complaining. Not at all.

No indulgence, Cairo Santos is not afraid pressure and more designs in the NFL from O Tempo [translated from the original Portuguese]

In the country of football, the dream of most boys is a living kicking a ball. So far nothing abnormal. It's almost like a mantra. Born, ran, kicked, is goal! TIME today tells the story of one of the boys. His business is also goal. In fact the Field Goal. At 23, his height - 1.73m - wrong, but believe who you want, Cairo Santos is a football player. With just over 70 kg, it can even be a 'David' in the midst of thousands of 'Goliath', but this Californians are not either. Quite the contrary. He is the first native Brazilian acting in the NFL, the multi-million dollar professional football league.

"Playing Brazil is an honor. I am proud of this responsibility. It surprises me to have gotten where I am, and be appointed as a reference for many people in the country," said Cairo