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Statement from Chiefs Chairman & CEO Clark Hunt Regarding 2015 Negotiating Period Ruling from The Mothership
"As an organization, we take great care to conduct ourselves with integrity and operate within the guidelines of the NFL. We have been fully cooperative and transparent with the league in this matter, and we are disappointed with the league's decision. I want to make it clear that I fully support the leadership of both Coach Reid and John Dorsey. We will continue to explore our options under the appeal process."
Behind the Lens: The Top 10 Photos of 2015 - No. 4 from The Mothership
Date: December 20, 2015
Model: Canon EOS-1D X
Focal Length: 145
Exposure Time: 1/800
Taken By: Steve Sanders
NFL strips Chiefs of two draft picks, imposes fines for tampering with Jeremy Maclin pursuit from The Kansas City Star
The infraction, the league says, came during the pre-free agency negotiating period last March, when the Chiefs were courting Maclin, then under contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. The league says the Chiefs had direct contact with Maclin during the negotiating period, which is strictly prohibited. The Chiefs eventually signed Maclin to a five-year, $55 million deal.
The Chiefs will lose their third-round pick this year and sixth-round pick next year. The club will also be fined $250,000, while coach Andy Reid will be fined $75,000 and general manager John Dorsey will be fined $25,000. The Chiefs now have five days to appeal the decision in writing.
Clark Hunt, Chiefs dig in for fight with NFL over Goodell's heavy-handed punishment from The Kansas City Star
The Chiefs broke the rule. They are not even denying this. They broke the rule, and they did it sloppily enough to be caught, and there's an old line about not doing the crime if you don't want to do the time.
If that's as far as you want to go with this story that currently has the Chiefs fined, losing two draft picks, and dug in for a fight against the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell, then cool. Good for you. It's easier that way.
But this is the beginning of something bigger. This is the NFL coming down unprecedentedly hard on a franchise and leadership group without prior convictions. And this is Clark Hunt - one of the league's most respected owners - firing back at Goodell without the baggage of, say, Patriots owner Robert Kraft talking about deflated footballs.
NFL strips Chiefs of draft picks for tampering with Jeremy Maclin from Chiefs Digest
During the annual open-negotiation period, which in 2015 was a three-day window before the start of the league's calendar year, teams are allowed to contact and enter into negotiations with the agents representing players scheduled to become unrestricted free agent. That contact does not apply to the players themselves.
The NFL said in a statement the Chiefs cooperated fully during the investigation, including allowing "full access to all of the information requested, including electronic and telephone records, and unrestricted access to all club people whom we sought to interview."
Chiefs to blame for tampering with Jeremy Maclin, losing draft picks from ESPN
There is outrage among the fans of the Kansas City Chiefsand there should be. The Chiefs were stripped by the NFL of a couple of draft picks, a rattling blow to a franchise that needs all the help it can possibly get if it's going to catch the better teams in its division and conference.
That anger should be aimed not at the NFL, but the Chiefs themselves...
...Chairman Clark Hunt, in a statement released by the team, said he believes the league came down too hard on the Chiefs "particularly given the league's inconsistent communication of its policies on contact with potential free agents."
But the rule seems clear.
Chiefs re-sign veteran linebacker Derrick Johnson to three-year, $21 million deal from The Kansas City Star
After missing 15 games in 2014 because of a ruptured Achilles, Johnson bounced back in a big way last season, recording 116 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions in 16 games while breaking Gary Spani's all-time club tackle record, which had stood for 36 years.
Still, the stat that is perhaps most indicative of Johnson's positive presence is a team mark. With Johnson - who was chosen one of the Chiefs' two defensive team captains, along with emotional leader Eric Berry - back on the field, the Chiefs improved from 28th in rushing defense in 2014 to eighth last year.
Derrick Johnson's return headlines busy first day of free agency for Chiefs from Chiefs Digest
Less than two weeks after saying he wouldn't allow a good football player go when talking about the Chiefs' all-time leader in tackles, general manager John Dorsey stayed true to his word.
The Chiefs agreed to a three-year deal with inside linebacker Derrick Johnson, a source confirmed Wednesday night with ChiefsDigest.com and The Topeka Capital-Journal.
Why keeping Derrick Johnson makes sense for Chiefs from ESPN
He said the Chiefs increased their offer only in the hours leading up to the start of the free-agent signing period, as the possibility of losing Johnson started to seem real.
The situation contained a lot more drama than it otherwise had to. But it ended the way it needed to, with Johnson agreeing to a three-year contract worth $21 million about three hours after the signing period had begun.
The world wouldn't have been right otherwise. Johnson playing for an NFL team other than the Chiefs is a bizarre notion.
Chiefs sign right tackle Mitchell Schwartz to five-year free-agent deal from The Kansas City Star
The news, first reported by NFL Network's Rand Getlin, was later confirmed by a tweet from Schwartz.
"I'm excited to announce that I'll be joining the Chiefs," he wrote.
The brother of former Chiefs guard Geoff Schwartz, Mitchell Schwartz will turn 27 in June. Schwartz, a second-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2012, has started all 64 games in four seasons.
Chiefs add free-agent offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz from Chiefs Digest
After watching offensive lineman Donald Stephenson and Jeff Allen leave via free agency, the Chiefs moved quickly to fill the void.
The Chiefs signed free-agent offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz to a contract, a source familiar with the transactions confirmed Wednesday evening with ChiefsDigest.com and The Topeka Capital-Journal.
OT Mitchell Schwartz leaving Browns for Chiefs from ESPN
Schwartz is a cerebral player dubbed "the Oracle" by his fellow linemen, "because he's so smart he knows everything," teammate Joe Thomas has said.
According to ProFootballFocus, the Broncos' Von Miller had only one game when he had a negative grade -- when he lined up across from Schwartz in Week 6 last season.
Chiefs will re-sign Jaye Howard to two-year, $12 million deal, source says from The Kansas City Star
The return of Howard is huge for the Chiefs' defense, which ranked seventh in the league and will now return all three of its starters along the interior defensive line.
The deal allows Howard to hit free agency again at 29, when he's still in his prime, and potentially sets up another payday.
Chiefs re-sign Frank Zombo to three-year deal, a source says from The Kansas City Star
Add another player to the list of Chiefs free agents who will return to Kansas City.
On Wednesday, the Chiefs signed outside linebacker Frank Zombo to a three-year deal worth $3.6 million, with another $750K available in incentives, a source told The Star.
Tom Pelissero of USA Today reported the news first.
Sources: Chase Daniel expected to sign three-year deal with Eagles from The Kansas City Star
It looks like quarterback Chase Daniel will finally get his opportunity to compete for a starting job, as the former Missouri star is expected to join the Philadelphia Eagles on a three-year deal, sources tell The Star.
ESPN reported the news first, which Daniel later confirmed on Twitter.
"Thank you to the Hunt family, Andy Reid, John Dorsey, Chris Ballard and all my coaches and teammates for these last three years," Daniel wrote on Twitter. "You guys gave me a chance when no one else believed I could play and I'll be forever grateful for my time in Kansas City."
Chase Daniel almost had a perfect legacy in Kansas City from ESPN
Playing with several other backups, Daniel almost led the Chiefs to a victory. They would have had one, but Ryan Succop missed a 41-yard field goal at the end of the fourth quarter. The Chargers went on to win 27-24 in overtime.
That result ruined Daniel's shot at a perfect record with the Chiefs. It also leaves Eddie Wilson as the only undefeated starting quarterback in franchise history. Wilson and the Chiefs tied the Boston Patriots 24-24 in 1963 in his only start for Kansas City at quarterback.
Chiefs guard Jeff Allen to sign with Texans, sources say from The Kansas City Star
News of the deal, which is worth $28 million over four years, was first reported by Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports.
Jeff Allen, Tyvon Branch agree to free-agent contracts elsewhere from Chiefs Digest
Departures are inevitable at the start of the league's calendar year, as a team can't keep everyone.
The Chiefs aren't any different and dealt with that scenario by watching two contributors from 2015 bolt to other teams in the waning hours leading to the start of free agency Wednesday afternoon.
Chiefs lose safety Tyvon Branch to Cardinals from The Kansas City Star
Tyvon Branch will sign a two-year deal worth $5 million guaranteed and $10 million maximum with the Arizona Cardinals on Wednesday, a source confirmed to The Star. Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports reported the news first.
Branch, 29, thrived in a reserve-safety role for the Chiefs in 2015, recording 43 tackles and an interception in 16 games.
Branch signed a one-year "prove-it" deal with the Chiefs last offseason after he was released by Oakland, where he started 57 consecutive games from 2009 to 2012 before injuries derailed his last two seasons.
Jeff Allen, Donald Stephenson join not-so-exclusive club by leaving Chiefs from ESPN
Last year, the Chiefs lost four offensive linemen who started for them the previous season: Rodney Hudson, Ryan Harris, Mike McGlynn and Jeff Linkenbach.
Allen and Stephenson increase the count to nine in three years.
The Chiefs, though, have enough bodies to cover for their latest losses.
Chiefs sign outside linebacker Jonathan Massaquoi from The Kansas City Star
Massaquoi, 27, is listed at 6-foot-2 and 264 pounds. He logged 39 games for the Falcons from 2012 to 2014, recording 70 tackles and six sacks while starting seven games.
He was claimed off waivers by the Titans in March last year and was waived shortly before the 2015 regular-season opener. He did not log any stats for 2015.
Chiefs' Jason Avant isn't done yet, wants to continue his football career from The Kansas City Star
Jason Avant has been playing football long enough to know how this process goes.
He's a receiver, a pending free agent, who turns 33 in April. NFL teams are always looking to get younger, especially at the skill positions.
But Avant insists he is not quite done with football yet.
"I'm open to continuing my career," Avant said. "I've expressed interest, heard from some teams, but it's one of those (where they say), ‘We know you're available, you're on our radar.'
"When you get at this age, teams are going to exhaust young options. They want to see if their young guys pan out before they commit to an older player."
Kansas City Chiefs, Andy Reid fined and will forfeit picks for tampering with Jeremy Maclin from NJ.com
Former Eagles cornerback Troy Vincent stuck it to former Eagles head coach Andy Reid, Wednesday.
Vincent, now the NFL's Executive Vice President of Football Operations advised Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs that they will forfeit a third-round pick in the 2016 draft, a sixth-round pick in the 2017 draft and will be fined a total of $300,000 for tampering with former Eagles side receiver Jeremy Maclin during last year's free agency period.
Clark Hunt: Tampering penalty inconsistent with past discipline from ProFootballTalk
Offseason challenges to the league office's authority have become an annual event in the NFL. It looks like the Chiefs will be leading one this year.
Mitchell Schwartz leaves Cleveland Browns for Kansas City Chiefs from WKYC
Initially, it was reported early Wednesday that the Browns were close to reaching a contract agreement with a free-agent-to-be in Schwartz, who has started every one of the 64 games over the last four years since being selected by Cleveland in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft out of the University of California-Berkeley.
However, hours before signings with free agents from other teams could be announced at the official start of the new NFL year, it was reported by multiple outlets that the offer from the Browns had been pulled, and that despite being on the verge of losing a three-time Pro Bowler in Mack to the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland's front office was willing to let Schwartz test free agency.
Chiefs release guard Ben Grubbs with failed physical from ProFootballTalk
Grubbs played in just seven games for the Chiefs before landing on injured reserve with a neck injury.
The Chiefs replaced Grubbs at left guard with Jeff Allen and Zach Fulton for the remainder of the season. But Allen signed with the Houston Texans on Wednesday, leaving the Chiefs with one fewer option to potentially replace Grubbs this season.
Raiders looking to add CB Sean Smith to the secondary mix from The San Jose Mercury News
The Raiders spent the first day of NFL free agency trying to add another key piece to what has already been a solid haul.
The team is focused on landing Kansas City cornerback Sean Smith, who according to multiple reports is deciding among the Raiders, 49ers and a late push by the Chiefs to retain the eight-year veteran.
The secondary is the team's primary area of need, and Smith is Oakland's top target available to bolster a defense already expected to add former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin.
2016 NFL Mock Draft: Broncos pick Paxton Lynch to replace Peyton from CBS Sports
28. Kansas City Chiefs -- Jason Spriggs, OT, Indiana: Eric Fisher has yet to live up to expectations after being selected No. 1 overall three years ago and depth remains an issue all over Kansas City's offensive line. Head coach Andy Reid, a former offensive line coach, himself, could be intrigued by Spriggs, a former tight end whose athleticism stood out at the Combine. Protecting the edges is key with Von Miller and Khalil Mack in the division.
NFL great Willie Roaf makes his San Clemente home a free agent from The Los Angeles Times
Hall of Fame football player Willie Roaf is calling an audible on his 4,100-square-foot home in San Clemente after 14 months of ownership. He's listed it for sale at $1.575 million â a $305,000 uptick from when he bought it in December 2014.
Set on a cul-de-sac in the Misty Ridge area, the four-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom has seen a few upgrades since Roaf originally bought the property.
Barnwell grades free-agent deals from ESPN
Tamba Hali (Chiefs): C
Once one of the league's best pass rushers, Hali has slowed down significantly over the past couple of years, producing 12.5 sacks combined during 2014 and 2015 after averaging 12 sacks per season from 2010 to '13. He also had only 29 quarterback hits over that two-year span, and has never been a great run defender over the course of his career. Hali can still be a useful player, but the 32-year-old has been in decline for several years now, and the Chiefs are committed to him through 2018.