Arrowheadlines: Kansas City Chiefs News 3/19

Chiefs GM John Dorsey's Conference Call: What We Learned from The Mothership

Dorsey feels good about the wide receiver position.

"I think we were lucky enough to acquire a really good football player (Jeremy Maclin) that's going to help us," Dorsey said. "We are slowly building some depth that we think we can come in and compete with. We will be able to do some nice things at that position while we head into training camp and preseason."

Kansas City Chiefs Rank Ninth in NFL.com's Latest Offseason Power Rankings from The Mothership

NFL training camp is more than four months away, but that didn't stop NFL Media analyst Elliot Harrison from putting together an early version of some power rankings.

And, would you look at that? The Chiefs rank ninth in the league, just ahead of the Detroit Lions at No. 10 and behind the division-rival Denver Broncos at No. 8.

Art with a Soul: Chris Sembower's Journey from The Mothership

A picture might be worth a thousand words, but from the moment you walk inside 21G - Art with a Soul, the digital imagery of Chris Sembower, the founder and owner of this new store at Oak Park Mall, invokes more than words.

It brings upon an emotion that many can identify with, particularly to those of Chiefs Kingdom, for whom much of the work is centered around.

The walls are covered with this new brand of digital artistry, which Sembower, a 28-year-old native of Kansas City, developed over time and through a journey of both triumph and heartache.

KCChiefs.com Video: Chris Sembower Opens Up Shop

ESPN Video: Chiefs' draft changes with free agency

Chiefs GM John Dorsey reviews first week of free agency from Chiefs Digest

Dorsey is certainly consistent when it comes to two subjects: Contract and money discussions.

The Chiefs general manager normally sidesteps inquiries on financial matters and Wednesday wasn't different when asked about Grubbs reportedly reworking his contract.

"I don't talk about stuff like that," Dorsey said. "You know me."

How do the Chiefs plan to work the salary cap with $135,675 in remaining space as of Wednesday and with the NFL Draft on the horizon?

"It's the business of football," Dorsey replied. "We don't really talk about the business of football. We just kind of put our heads down and go about our business."

Loving Chiefs' spring makeover? Good, because GM Dorsey says he's not done yet from FS Kansas City

"Well, you know, our philosophy is, 'We're never done,'" Dorsey said on a conference call with local writers Wednesday afternoon.

"What we like to do is develop a plan and see if we can execute that plan on a level that we feel satisfactorily (about).... I think (since) the start of the league year, I think we've done a nice job. I think we've improved as a team and that's all you can ask for."

On balance, the Chiefs, coming off a 9-7 year and a second straight runner-up finish in the AFC West, are probably worse at center, a lot better at guard, insured at safety, and at least marginally improved at wideout -- even after cutting mainstay Bowe, the franchise's No. 2 all-time leader in receiving yards.

Chiefs' actions reveal their feelings about offensive line play from ESPN

If his actions didn't speak loudly enough, general manager John Dorsey acknowledged on Wednesday how the Chiefs felt about their guard play in 2014.

"We had a couple of cracks in the foundation last year," Dorsey said.

If nothing else, the Chiefs are throwing numbers at a weakness. They now have four players who have started at least one full season at guard. That includes one starter from last season,Zach Fulton, and Jeff Allen, a starter in 2012 and 2013.

Allen missed most of last season because of an elbow injury.

"We'll put him in the mix and let that competition work itself out," Dorsey said of Allen. "Let's get into (offseason practice). Let's get into training camp and let everybody compete. We'll have some depth there now."

Chiefs GM pleased with offseason moves from KC Star via The Salina Journal

"I think Grubbs is a true professional," Dorsey said. "He's proven that he can line up and play in the National Football League at a high level. He gives us a proven player, he's a winner, and sometimes things like that unfold, and it did and I'm very happy."

Dorsey declined to say whether the Chiefs have agreed to a restructured deal, as Pro Football Talk reported Saturday. Grubbs is in the fourth year of a five-year, $36 million contract he signed with the Saints and was set to have a cap number of $6.5 million this season — a reason he was traded from the cash-strapped Saints.

Chiefs make splash with free-agent moves to address needs from Chiefs Digest

The Chiefs have been nothing short of active the first week of free agency before slowing down in recent days with just $135,675 remaining in available cap space.

Chiefs general manager John Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid have attacked weaknesses, including the wide receiver position, offensive line and the secondary.

The Chiefs also made a commitment by bringing players from the previous season.

Kansas City Chiefs ownership at a glance from ESPN

Ownership philosophy: Hires people and lets them do their jobs. That backfired on him when he hired an under-qualified general manager in Scott Pioli. Since then, rather than have the coach report to the general manager, who then reports to the chairman, both general manager John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid report to him separately.

Defining moment in ownership tenure: Having to fire Pioli in 2012, four years after hiring him. Hunt wanted stability when he hired Pioli, but his administration was full of tumult.

Future will be better measure than past of Clark Hunt's ownership from ESPN

Hunt also inherited an aging team that was headed for disaster no matter the person at the controls in those seasons from 2007 through 2009, when the Chiefs went 4-12, 2-14 and 4-12.

Hunt's first major hirings, of general manager Scott Pioli and coach Todd Haley, didn't help matters. Those were mistakes, and the Chiefs paid for them.

He learned from those mistakes, instituting a structure where the head coach and general manager report to him, rather than the coach to the GM. He then hired John Dorsey and Andy Reid and the Chiefs now are in capable hands with regard to their day to day football operation.

What the rest of the AFC West is doing to de-throne the Broncos from SB Nation

The Chiefs' most important move of the offseason was probably putting the franchise tag on linebacker Justin Houston, who racked up an NFL-best 22 sacks last season. But the team didn't stop there in addressing its biggest needs. They were among the most aggressive spenders during the first wave of free agency with several impact signings on both offense and defense.

Notably, they gave Jeremy Maclin a five-year deal worth a whopping $55 million, looking to improve an underachieving wideout group that failed to catch a single touchdown pass in 2014.

Kansas City Chiefs Have New Draft Priorities from ProFootballSpot

At this point, Dorsey and the Chiefs' front office are able to follow the best player available strategy for the 2015 draft without the risk of ignoring a gaping hole in the roster. John Dorsey has said definitively that he sticks to his draft board. That may lead to some interesting possibilities and even another surprise draft pick.

Without sitting in the war-room with Dorsey, there's no way to know how the Chiefs' draft board will shake out. With that in mind, I'll look at the positions that currently still need upgrades at starter or at depth. There are any number or marquee players that could be big pickups if Dorsey were willing to trade up in the draft, but any trade scenario is unlikely and completely unpredictable. Below, is a look at position options at the Chiefs' selections in rounds one and two and how they may rank on John Dorsey's draft board.

Best, worst values in Wave 2 of free agency from NFL.com

Ron Parker, S, Kansas City Chiefs: It wasn't an awful safety market, and Parker, No. 91 on our list of top 101 free agents, got paid like a premiere player at the position. Make no mistake, he's an ascending player. But Parker started just one game before 2014 and now gets $8 million guaranteed.

Warhawks put to the test at Pro Day from The Monroe News Star

Scouts from the Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, New Orleans Saints and New York Giants made it to ULM for Pro Day.

Alongside Manton, outgoing seniors Centarius Donald (RB), Malcolm Edmund (DE), Kenzee Jackson (WR), Pete Thomas (QB), and Joe Treadwell (OL) all worked out. Drills includes the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, 3-cone drill, shuttle run and bench press preps at 225 pounds.

Versatility could help Swann's NFL chances from GoGamecocks.com

Ramik Wilson and Amarlo Herrera combined for 225 tackles last season and were both in the top five for total tackles in the SEC. The year before, Wilson led the SEC with 133 tackles and Herrera ranked third with 112 tackles.

For as much productivity as the duo produced, one linebacker is getting more love than the other for now.

Wilson improved on his 40-yard dash time from the combine at Georgia's pro day Wednesday, running at 4.62 compared to his previous time of 4.77. The 2013 first-team All SEC selection is in the process of setting up visits with the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Giants sign ex-Jets defensive tackle Ellis from The Journal News

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway has been chosen as the winner of the Byron "Whizzer" White Award, given annually by the NFL Players Association for exceptional community service.

The award was presented Wednesday at the NFLPA's meetings in Maui. It came with a $100,000 donation to Greenway's Lead the Way foundation, which has raised $1.3 million since 2008 for ill and physically challenged children in the Twin Cities area.

The award was named after White, the late Supreme Court justice who played briefly in the NFL.

The other finalists were Kansas City Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt, Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, New York Giants linebacker Jameel McClain, and Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman.

More Nigerian-Americans Are Reaching Highest Levels of Sports from The New York Times

While at Nebraska, Prince Amukamara said, he planned to attend law school until he heard the ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. project him as a first-round pick in the 2011 N.F.L. draft.

"My Dad said, ‘O.K., you can pursue sports,' " Amukamara, 25, said, adding, "Sports has always been secondary."

Athletes born in Nigeria have also continued to rise to prominence in North America in the decades after Christian Okoye's grinding success as a running back with the Kansas City Chiefs and Hakeem Olajuwon's Hall of Fame basketball career with the University of Houston and the Houston Rockets.

How far can the Saints move up in the draft? Inside look at draft-pick value chart shows many possibilities from The New Orleans Advocate

Pairing picks 31 and 44, which carry a combined value of 1,060, would allow the Saints to move up as high as pick 15, which is currently in possession of the San Francisco 49ers and carries a value of 1,050.

Or if New Orleans wants to acquire another first-round pick, the value chart would agree with the Dallas Cowboys dealing the 27th pick (680) to the Saints for picks 44 and 75 (675).

Throw in pick 78, which was acquired from Miami in the trade for Kenny Stills, and the value of those three picks comes in at 875. With this haul, the Saints could theoretically swing a deal for 18th pick (900), which belongs to the Kansas City Chiefs.