:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63150532/usa_today_12036669.0.jpg)
The latest
Would the Falcons make a trade for Chiefs pass rusher Justin Houston? | The Falcoholic
The connections are very much in place for this to work. Falcons Assistant GM Scott Pioli was running the show in 2011 when Houston was drafted out of, where else, Georgia, and former Chiefs defensive coordinator Bob Sutton is now on Atlanta’s staff as a senior assistant.
As our friend Steve in Brooklyn notes, GM Thomas Dimitroff also had interest in Houston coming out of school. There are ties that bind.
A trade to Atlanta would send a great pass rusher out of the AFC for the championship-ready Chiefs, which would probably be KC’s preference.
Peter Schrager 2019 NFL mock draft 1.0: Kyler Murray goes No. 1 | NFL
Pick 29: Nasir Adderley - S
School: Delaware | Year: Senior
The Chiefs will look to add some depth to a defense that was both ravaged by injuries and beaten badly in big games. Adderley is a 6-foot tall ballhawking safety who had 11 interceptions while starring in college. If you want your connections, Chiefs GM Brett Veach is a Delaware Blue Hen through and through. If anyone knows the program, it’s the man making the pick for Kansas City.
The awkward reality of Justin Houston and the Chiefs this offseason | Kansas City Star
The Chiefs are shopping Houston, and now doing so publicly, with general manager Brett Veach telling reporters at the NFL Combine that “there’s a lot of dialogue...” This is simultaneously neither side’s fault and both side’s fault. You can blame either, blame both, blame none. Whatever you want, you can make a logical argument. Watch.
The Chiefs’ fault: they failed to surround him with enough talent.
Not the Chiefs’ fault: they paid him well.
Houston’s fault: he was too often injured with production unworthy of the new riches.
Not Houston’s fault: he earned that contract.
Whatever. None of that matters because here’s reality:
In four years on his rookie contract, Houston missed just five games, made 48 1/2 sacks, 234 tackles, 57 for a loss, and hit quarterbacks 67 times.
Kliff Kingsbury: Patrick Mahomes landing with Andy Reid, Chiefs was “perfect storm” | Yahoo! Sports
“Yeah, I think it was just the perfect storm landing there with Andy (Reid) and then having Alex (Smith) to learn from for a year,” Kingsbury said. “The talent is just there. The arm talent is unique. The personality is unique, he’s such a great young man. He’s very, very smart. I honestly thought he’d throw a few more interceptions because of the risk taking. I thought the numbers would be there, the yards to touchdowns, but he really did a great job protecting the football and leading. He really showed maturity, I thought, throughout the season as the leader of that football team.”
Mike Vick worked with Pat Mahomes as a rookie, said, “I’ve never seen that” | NBC Sports
“Mike Vick came by for a few days to do some coaching work with our young guys,” Veach recalled. “There were a couple throws Pat made, and I remember being in the film room with Mike and he was like, ‘Did he just do that? I’ve never seen that.’ We were joking, ‘This is Mike Vick!’ A quarterback like Mike Vick says he’s never seen something?”
Dorsey: Time in KC helped with signing Kareem Hunt | NFL
“We had done our research with regards to Kareem,” Dorsey told reporters. “And we thought at the appropriate time with all the information we did have, listening to his story, listening to how truly remorseful he was with regards to the egregious act that transpired knowing that once he comes here, there are no guarantees.
Iowa State’s David Montgomery is taking everyone with him | The Gazette
For what it’s worth, Montgomery was asked twice about playing for the Kansas City Chiefs and megastar QB Patrick Mahomes.
“It will definitely be cool if I were granted the opportunity to play with him and I’d definitely have fun with that,” Montgomery said. “I’m going to have fun with everything I’m doing.
Around the league
“It’s how the money lays out,” Gettleman said. “For example, right now the number being floated around is we have around $25-27 million in cap space. Here’s what you guys need to understand. We don’t have $27 million in cap space. Because you got to go into the season with $8-10 million in space. Because, if you don’t go into the season with $8-10 milli in space, if someone gets hurt, you’re playing a rookie.
Jason Witten ends retirement, will return to Cowboys | NFL
“The fire inside of me to compete and play this game is just burning too strong,” the tight end said in a statement, via the Cowboys’ official website. “This team has a great group of rising young stars, and I want to help them make a run at a championship. This was completely my decision, and I am very comfortable with it. I’m looking forward to getting back in the dirt.”
Five Takeaways From the NFL Combine, Day 1: The Quarterback Paradigm Is Shifting | The Ringer
Kyler Murray could be one of the shortest QBs ever drafted, and teams indicated on Wednesday that they won’t let the talented Oklahoma passer slip. Plus, more observations from Indianapolis.
Vikings expecting big things from Cousins in ‘19 | ESPN
“I can just give an example with Brett Favre, when he ran the same system in Green Bay forever and then he went to New York that year, a totally different system, and probably didn’t have his most productive year as a pro. Then he ended up coming back to us and got back into a system that he was familiar with and it made a huge difference.”
Bolstering the coaching staff around Cousins this offseason entailed making adjustments within the offense, including the use of “very similar” terminology to what Cousins worked with in Washington.
AAF 2019: Five players who could make an immediate impact in the NFL next season | CBS Sports
Rashad Ross, WR, Arizona Hotshots
You can probably guess the story by now with Ross: undrafted out of Arizona State and frequent visitor of multiple NFL teams without ever finding a situation that stuck. With the Hotshots, he’s been a true deep ball threat who flashes good hands and explosiveness in yards after the catch.
In the AAF, Ross has been the second highest-graded receiver on the field, per Pro Football Focus, but you could argue that he’s been the most consistent wideout.
Jets placing second-round tender on Robby Anderson | NFL
The New York Jets are putting a high price tag on Robby Anderson.
The team is placing a second-round tender on the receiver, who is a restricted free agent, a source told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Thursday. The tender is reportedly worth $3.11 million.
This move almost ensures New York will keep Anderson in the building in 2019, something that was telegraphed after Jets coach Adam Gase spoke glowingly of Anderson on Wednesday.
In case you missed it at Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs GM Brett Veach says there is “dialogue” on Justin Houston happening
“Obviously, I’ve seen it myself out there,” Veach said. “Justin Houston’s a great player and our deal is to acquire and maintain as many great players as you can. I think this time of year, I’m no different than any GM standing on the podium. There’s 32 teams here. Every coach is here, every personnel member is here and we’re staying in the same hotel, so there is a lot of dialogue. I think right now we’re in the process of just collecting information and working with what we have and kind of leave here and get together again and discuss and see what we can do to make our team better.”
NFL Draft: The Arrowhead Pride three-round mock draft
29. Cornerback DeAndre Baker, Georgia
Baker is more of a like than a love for us down in the AP Laboratory. He’s well-rounded as a player and solid in man coverage. He’s physical, aggressive and displayed some ball skills as well...The athletic testing this week at the combine will be important to show that he has an above average profile. Regardless of if he does indeed perform well in Indianapolis, there isn’t much on film athletically that excites in his hips or feet. Baker will be a solid player in the league, but there isn’t CB1 upside.
LeBron James calls Patrick Mahomes MVP, says he deserves courtside seats
Following the game, reporters asked James — who tallied 33 points and 10 assists — if he noticed Mahomes’ reaction to the crucial three-pointer.
“I did not,” James said. “I knew he was at the game. I seen him on the jumbotron, but I didn’t know where he was sitting. I know he was courtside. As he should be courtside. He’s MVP.”
Follow Arrowhead Pride on Social Media
AP Facebook Page: Click here to like our page
AP Instagram: Follow @ArrowheadPride
AP Twitter: Follow @ArrowheadPride
AP Editor-in-Chief: Pete Sweeney: Follow @pgsween
610 Sports Twitter: Follow @610SportsKC