Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 3/12

Jeremy Maclin Introduced as the Newest Kansas City Chief from The Mothership

The connection has been there since head coach Andy Reid left the Philadelphia Eagles for Kansas City in 2013, but the circumstances were never exactly right.

That changed for Jeremy Maclin this offseason.

"In the back of my mind it was either I was going stay in Philadelphia or come to Kansas City," Maclin said as he spoke to the media for the first time in his introductory press conference. "Both of those situations made sense and Kansas City made more sense."

Jeremy Maclin Introductory Press Conference from The Mothership

GENERAL MANAGER JOHN DORSEY OPENING STATEMENT: "Good afternoon everybody. I know it was a short notice. I want to thank everyone for being here. First off, I want to welcome Jeremy (Maclin) and his family to the Kansas City Chiefs organization. You know, today is very exciting from my standpoint and in this organization's standpoint. I know the organization's excited, the fan base is excited because anytime you can get a player like this is very rare. Jeremy, not only does he produce on the field, but he's such a great person and age factor component for it is very special. It's a very rare thing. We're very excited to have Jeremy here and with that I'll pass it on to you Jeremy."

JEREMY MACLIN OPENING STATEMENT: "Like he just said, I'm very excited to be here. This is an awesome opportunity. I'm reunited with Coach (Andy) Reid and some of the guys that were on staff in Philadelphia which is something I never dreamed that could have happened. The fact that I'm in the situation is pretty awesome. I want to thank the Hunt family for giving me this opportunity, obviously Mr. Dorsey and Coach Reid. I'm really excited about helping this team get to the next level."

Mizzou HC Gary Pinkel: "Your locker room is better because Jeremy Maclin's walking around." from The Mothership

Able to seemingly go anywhere, Maclin chose to spend his collegiate career at the University of Missouri from 2006 to 2008, and after redshirting his freshman season due to injury, he put together one of the most successful careers in school history.

Along with now a fellow Chief in Daniel, Maclin and the Tigers became the nation's No. 1 ranked team in 2007 and came within one half of reaching the national title game. The two joined together as members of Missouri's 2014 Hall of Fame Class in February.

Gary Pinkel, who coached both Maclin and Daniel, welcomed Maclin back to the state on Wednesday in conjunction with his press conference.

KCChiefs.com Photo Gallery: Jeremy Checks Out His Locker

KCChiefs.com Video: Press Conference 3/11: Jeremy Maclin Introduction

KCChiefs.com Video: One on One with Jeremy Maclin

WR Jeremy Maclin on choosing Chiefs: ‘It just felt like home' from Chiefs Digest

"Both of those situations made sense and Kansas City made more sense," Maclin said. "I think kind of with my personality, kind of the way I am, I think just fits me a little better. Then also Coach (Andy) Reid, (assistant head coach/wide receiver coach David) Culley, (offensive coordinator) Doug (Pederson), a lot of guys who I had a chance to build relationships with in Philadelphia were here and it just felt like home. It is home. I'm excited about that."

The Chiefs brain trust shared Maclin's sentiments.

"Today is very exciting from my standpoint, this organization's standpoint," general manager John Dorsey said. "I know the organization is excited. The fan base is excited. Anytime you can get a player like this is very rare. Not only does he produce on the field, but he's such a great person."

Chiefs officially announce addition of wideout Jeremy Maclin from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

Maclin, who was voted to the Pro Bowl for the first time last season, said he narrowed his potential destinations to Philadelphia and Kansas City.

In the end, familiarity won out.

Along with reuniting with Reid, Maclin will rejoin backup quarterback Chase Daniel, who starred with him a couple of hours away at Missouri. His new offensive coordinator is Doug Pederson, who was once the quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia.

And his family in suburban St. Louis is easily reachable by car, giving them the chance to see more of his games.

Maclin is no stranger to Arrowhead Stadium, either. He played there three times in college, once in the Big 12 title game and another time helping beat Kansas.

Chiefs introduce Jeremy Maclin from ESPN

Maclin caught 36 touchdown passes in his five seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles, the first four with Reid as his coach. He had his best NFL season last year, when he caught 85 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Chiefs are expecting that kind of production from Maclin. He will step in as the Chiefs' No. 1 wide receiver, replacing Dwayne Bowe in that role. Bowe was still with the Chiefs on Wednesday afternoon, although sources told Mortensen that the Chiefs would be clearing salary-cap space to accommodate Maclin's contract.

GM John Dorsey: Chiefs weren't desperate for a wide receiver from ESPN

The Kansas City Chiefs needed an upgrade at wide receiver and they at least began the improvement process by signing Philadelphia's Jeremy Maclin as a free agent.

But general manager John Dorsey said the Chiefs weren't desperate for a receiver. He indicated they were desperate for a receiver of Maclin's particular skills, but not a receiver in general.

Dorsey said the Chiefs didn't pursue any of the other top tier free-agent wide receivers and wouldn't have even had they missed on Maclin

Chiefs' John Dorsey offers message of patience on Justin Houston's situation from Chiefs Digest

"I think the last time I talked to his representatives was a week ago," Dorsey said. "It's an ongoing process, it doesn't happen overnight. These things with players of this magnitude, it's going to take a while."

A week without contact between the Chiefs and Houston's agent shouldn't be cause to push panic buttons considering the frenzied days leading to free agency.

And Dorsey indicated there isn't a short-term internal suspense.

"I think you can't set hard dates," Dorsey said, "but the good thing is both sides are communicating."

Chiefs set to sign G Paul Fanaika from Chiefs Digest

The Chiefs have focused on bolstering the offensive line with a veteran player familiar with coach Andy Reid.

The Chiefs are set to sign unrestricted free agent guard Paul Fanaika to a three-year contract pending a physical, a source familiar with the situation confirmed Wednesday afternoon with ChiefsDigest.com.

The Chiefs have not announced the transaction.

AP Source: Chiefs agreed with OL Fanaika on three-year deal from The Associated Press via FS Kansas City

Fanaika was a seventh-round draft pick of the Eagles in 2009, when Chiefs coach Andy Reid was in charge. He's come into his own in Arizona, starting all 30 games he played in over the past two seasons.

Jeremy Maclin joins Kansas City Chiefs, will disappoint fantasy owners from USA Today

But for Maclin, 27 in May, the outlook in KC undoubtedly looks less sunny. His revival after the decent but not amazing early seasons of his career came in his first year under Kelly. The yardage bump came from a potent downfield system...

...Dwayne Bowe likely will be cut, with Maclin sentenced to replace him as a talented WR1 imprisoned in a system that doesn't really care about his production.

Free-agent safety Ron Parker to visit Bears from The Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Bears entered free agency with a focus on upgrading their talent and depth at safety. And so their interest in Ron Parker, a 27-year-old playmaker who spent the last two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, shouldn't register as surprising.

A league source confirmed that Parker has a visit scheduled with the Bears as he continues through the free-agency process. And while the team already has been in contract talks with veteran safety Antrel Rolle, a 32-year old three-time Pro Bowl selection who figures to sign with the Bears, adding additional talent and competition at the position makes sense.

Penn State and NFL free agency: Jared Odrick gets paid, Tamba Hali restructures and what's next for Stefen Wisniewski from PennLive

Kansas City pass rusher Tamba Hali, a key member of the Lions' one-loss 2005 team that beat Florida State in the Orange Bowl, agreed to restructure his contract so he could stay with the team.

The 31-year-old Hali, who has spent his entire career with the Chiefs, has 79.5 career sacks, third all-time on the Kansas City list behind Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith.

POLL: Do you believe Eagles coach Chip Kelly? from NJ.com

On losing free agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin to the Kansas City Chiefs: "With Mac, we did not want to lose him...we couldn't go as high as Kansas City went. I had a lot of discussions with Mac over the weekend. I know it was a very difficult decision for him."

NFL could void any deals struck improperly during negotiating window, but chances slim it will from The Washington Post

Sunday, ESPN reported the Dolphins had lined up a six-year, $114 million deal with free agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, including $60 million in guaranteed money. The Dolphins had not announced the signing of Suh as of early Wednesday afternoon.

Other deals that were reported by media outlets to have been lined up before the free agent market opened included cornerback Byron Maxwell to the Philadelphia Eagles, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin to the Kansas City Chiefs and linebacker Pernell McPhee to the Chicago Bears.

The gang's all here: Jared Odrick headlines slew of Jaguars' defensive additions from FOX Sports

Never having gone from one team to another before, Odrick wrestled with the pros and cons of joining the Jaguars, who had plenty of available salary-cap room but only seven victories in two years under coach Gus Bradley. The Indianapolis Colts and the Kansas City Chiefs were two other teams he mentioned as bidding for his services.

"You hope you don't get that pitted stomach feeling as soon as you sign your name to the contract and (you say) 'Oh my, what have I gotten myself into?' " he said. "But I've had a smile on my face all day. And it's not because I saw a certain number. It's because of the people."

Sneak Peak: Kansas City Fashion Week from KSHB

Local designer Maria Behan along with Sanders Commings of the Kansas City Chiefs share a sneak preview of what you can expect to see strut down the runway at this year's Kansas City Fashion Week!

Insider: Colts don't let Andre Johnson get away from The Indianapolis Star

Johnson, 33, wanted to be here. And the Colts very much wanted him. Johnson said he only spoke to one other team - the Kansas City Chiefs - though as many as seven teams were interested in signing him. The San Diego Chargers, according to multiple reports, offered more total money than Indianapolis.

Maybe they would have landed Johnson, had he made it to the West Coast. But the Colts did their best to prevent that, and now Johnson is theirs.

Brian Hoyer is the latest Texans' journeyman QB: 4 things to know from CBS Sports

We've seen this in various iterations over the years; the 2000 Ravens' defense was so dominant that they got Trent Dilfer a Super Bowlring. More recently, the 2004 Steelers' defense carried then-rookie Ben Roethlisberger, and the Seahawks' defenses have been absolutely dominant while Russell Wilson has grown into the position.

And then there's Alex Smith, who was traded from the 49ers to the Chiefs after the 2012 season and helped Kansas City to 11 wins and the playoffs in 2013, and a 9-7 record last season. He was an average NFL quarterback, according to Football Outsiders' metrics, but he also benefitted from a solid running game and a good defense. This could be the blueprint for Hoyer in Houston.

Tulane Twitter Mailbag: All about the abs! from NOLA.com

Tulane has current players (left tackle Arturo Uzdavinis) and former players (DE Dezman Moses) who have tucked their jerseys in before. Several of ya'll sounded off on the issue and voted in our poll.

But perhaps the biggest voice was Moses'. Moses signed with Green Bay out of college and was placed on injured reserve this fall by the Kansas City Chiefs. This is what he said about the new rule and how he voted in our poll: