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The latest
NFL offseason thoughts for all 32 teams | Sports Illustrated
Kansas City. Until he proves otherwise, Sammy Watkins will go down as a vastly overpaid ($16 million per) player. Think there’s a reason that, at 24, he’s on his third NFL team already? Pat Mahomes is a big part of the 2018 crop, because dealing the first-rounder last year brought Mahomes in trade—and allowed the Chiefs to import their best off-season acquisition, cornerback Kendall Fuller, in the Alex Smith trade from Washington.
Chiefs' Reggie Ragland, Anthony Hitchens nod draft approval | The Kansas City Star
“It’s good, it means they care about defense here,” Hitchens said. “I’m excited to get to work with those guys, just build from it. I’m excited to be a part of it.”
The Chiefs have some real holes on the roster, but the larger construction is such that Veach can be surgical with his moves. I believe he did that, addressing the defensive line and lack of versatility with his first three picks.
Rank's 11 post-draft fantasy sleepers: Mack attack | NFL.com
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs were one of the most prolific offenses last year, but coordinator Matt Nagy is now the head coach of the Bears. That might be cause for concern if Andy Reid didn't boast a resume full of quarterback building. At the very least, the Chiefs surrounded Mahomes with plenty of talent and will be given every chance to succeed. Love him late.
Ballard: Quenton Nelson 'easiest pick' I've ever made | NFL.com
Before landing in Indianapolis, Ballard worked in the Bears scouting department and the Chiefs front office for 15 years. Over that time span, tackle Eric Fisher (No. 1), running back Cedric Benson (No. 4) and wide receiver David Terrell (No. 8) were the only prospects drafted in the top 10 on his watch.
Around the league
John Elway: Broncos not giving up on Paxton Lynch | NFL.com
"We are not kicking him to the curb," Elway said, via Mike Klis of KUSA in Denver. "He can still develop. When we drafted him two years ago, as I said, we knew it was going to take some time."
How the 2018 Draft Proved That the Modern NFL Doesn’t Exist | The Ringer
While Cleveland’s selection of analytics darling Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick was a win for progressive thinking, Buffalo’s decision to trade up for the unproven Josh Allen sent the league in the other direction. The future of football lies somewhere in the middle.
Big Ben: Rudolph era won't begin for '3 to 5 years' | NFL.com
"Well, that's fine. He can do that," Roethlisberger told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about Rudolph eventually taking the reins under center. "But I plan on playing for three to five more years, depending on how the line goes and staying healthy, if I can stay healthy.
"If he's going to be their guy, that's great, but in my perfect world it's not going to be for a while."
Tom Brady: Why NFL ratings are down | Yahoo!
“There’s so much for us to consume, as we all know,” Brady said. “There’s so much happening… I hate to say it: I don’t follow it like I used to, because, so many other things to follow. And it’s just what can grab your attention. There’s a lot more competition today than there’s ever been, I think, especially with social media, for people to consume information or to consume content. The NFL has had a great product, people love watching the game. I think it’s still doing better than every other program out there. But compared to a time when there was less things to do, it doesn’t live up to those standards.”
NFL's emphasis on helmet hits remains work in progress | NFL.com
The NFL wants to take helmet hits out of the game and has approved a new rule in March aimed at doing just that. The new helmet rule, however, is very much still a work in progress, Judy Battista writes.
NFL draft: Even zero-star prospects become first-round picks | LA Times
With the first selection in the 2018 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns took Baker Mayfield. He was a three-star player after his senior year in high school.
In case you missed it at Arrowhead Pride
The Derrick Nnadi film review: pure strength
Given Nnadi’s great strength, you would think that he could consistently generate pressure with a bull rush or a push-pull move. But the reality is that while he occasionally will show a good bull rush or toss aside a blocker to get some pressure, he lacks the quickness to separate from blockers when they’re pass protecting, and when you’ve only got one real “move” to use, that’s generally not going to cut it.
The Kahlil McKenzie project: what the Chiefs are hoping for
“When you see this guy off the hoof, I don’t know if you guys have had the chance to, you will notice him the first day you get a chance to come out to the rookie minicamp,” Veach told the media via conference call Monday. “You will not have to ask which one is Kahlil.”
Who is going to replace Zach Fulton? - Arrowhead Pride
Fulton was never an elite NFL offensive lineman by any means, but his value came in his ability to play any interior position along the offensive line well. Fulton started his rookie season at right guard, and also mixed in center and left guard based upon the Chiefs’ need due to injuries thereafter. At the end of his Chiefs career, Fulton had compiled 40 starts, including playoffs.