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The latest
New 49ers defensive end Dee Ford on trade from Chiefs: ‘I needed this, bro’ | Yahoo! Sports
To Ford, the cold, hard cash is tangible proof that he is, in fact, a good player, someone who lived up to his status as the No. 23 overall pick in 2014, even though the team that drafted him (Kansas City) didn’t value him enough to ante up.
“I feel appreciated,” said Ford, who had just gotten off a phone call with the 49ers brass and his agent and mentor, Adisa Bakari, minutes before. “Me knowing they believe in me ... talking to the GM, talking to the owner, talking to the head coach ... they couldn’t wait [for me to get there].”
Addition of Tyrann Mathieu adds defensive chess piece to Chiefs defense | Pro Football Focus
One of the more unique aspects of his game, and likely one of the reasons that the Chiefs had him as the top safety available on their free agency board,is Mathieu’s defensive versatility. The Honey Badger played at least 300 snaps each in the box (419), as a slot corner (352), and at free safety (301), and as his overall grade would suggest, he played well enough in all those roles to finish the season in the top 25 percent of all safeties around the league. That kind of positional fluidity will allow the Chiefs to move him around based on situation or matchup – a valuable commodity in today’s NFL.
Mellinger Minutes: the Chiefs’ real makeover, dumping Dee Ford, and so much more | Kansas City Star
Look, the Chiefs deserve credit for being aggressive in remaking this defense. A year ago, they did lip service. They traded Marcus Peters, cut Derrick Johnson, kept the defensive coordinator and called it a cultural makeover. That was nonsense, and they should have known it...Now, they are making drastic moves to maximize what’s left of Patrick Mahomes’ rookie contract. We can argue the details, but give them credit for effort, at least.
Mathieu is a versatile playmaker who will strengthen a poor secondary. He has a well-earned reputation for causing havoc, a trait that was sorely missed without Peters. Mathieu gives the Chiefs options. Different ways to attack. But, at least until we see what happens with Ford’s cap space, this is one step forward and one step back.
The Chiefs got worse by trading an effective pass rusher for a second round pick in a draft more than a year away. The judgments made in real time should reflect that fact.
Chiefs smart to trade Dee Ford given current cap situation, defensive roster | Pro Football Focus
We are already seeing the fruits of this increased cap space, with Kansas City agreeing to terms with Tyrann Mathieu on a three-year deal earlier in the week. While it’s unclear, with Kendall Fuller in the fold in Kansas City, what role Mathieu will play, he’s been above a 0.33 win player in five of his six seasons and over half a win in three of them. Like with the Ford deal, the Chiefs have a second-round pick this year from the Peters trade last year, so they have ammunition to stock up on coverage players in the draft as well as in free agency, with players like Ronald Darby and Pierre Desir still available should they go that route.
The Chiefs are still nowhere near where they want to be defensively, but being a poor defense while also being tied up financially is far less acceptable than being a defense in need of talent while also possessing the freedom that this Ford trade gives them.
Can Dee Ford rival Joe Montana deal in 49ers-Chiefs history? | Enterprise-Record
Every so often in 49ers history, a trade happens with the Kansas City Chiefs for a marquee player. The latest is a deal for pass rusher Dee Ford, and that can become official when the league year starts at 1 p.m. Wednesday. How does it stack up to others, at least in terms of magnitude? This could work out as the best. Let’s look:
1. Farewell, Joe Montana. The 49ers’ most cherished player sought the Chiefs as his destination after years of the NFL’s most legendary QB controversy with Steve Young. Montana was a 36-year-old, four-time Super Bowl winner when the 49ers packaged him, safety David Whitmore and a 1994 third-round pick to the Chiefs for the 18th overall pick in 1993, which they converted into defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield.
Travis Kelce: Pump the brakes on talk of Browns offense being better than Chiefs | Kansas City Star
Does the Browns’ arsenal rival the Chiefs? Some national writers were making the case. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, however, wasn’t buying it.
ESPN’s Andrew Hawkins tweeted at Kelce a list of Cleveland’s skill-position players. Kelce, who is from Ohio, responded: “don’t start that Hawk! We’ve already got the best offense in the league over here!! @Chiefs #ChiefsKingdom”
The NFL’s best remaining free agents at the start of the 2019 league year | SB Nation
It’s likely this trend — the biggest players agreeing to deals before free agency actually starts — will continue. That said, there are still plenty of good to great players still out there, waiting to find a team for the 2019 season. Below, we’re going to point you to the best still available — in alphabetical order — at each offensive and defensive position.
Edge Rusher
Signed: Anthony Chickillo, Frank Clark (franchise tag), Jadeveon Clowney (franchise tag), Dee Ford, Trey Flowers, Dante Fowler Jr., Brandon Graham, DeMarcus Lawrence (franchise tag), Steven Means, Brooks Reed, John Simon, Preston Smith, Za’Darius Smith, Terrell Suggs, Cameron Wake
Best Available: Ezekiel Ansah, Shaq Barrett, Markus Golden, Justin Houston, Clay Matthews, Shane Ray
Around the league
Jaguars release QB Blake Bortles after signing Foles | NFL
As the NFL’s new year officially opened, Blake Bortles’ tenure with the Jacksonville Jaguars officially ended.
NFL rumors: Earl Thomas, Ravens agree to four-year, $55M contract | Yahoo! Sports
The 49ers’ defensive backfield will not consist of half of Seattle’s famed Legion of Boom, after all.
Free-agent safety Earl Thomas agreed to terms Wednesday morning on a four-year, $55 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported.
Jason McCourty returns to Patriots on two-year deal | NFL
The McCourty twins are back in Foxborough.
Jason McCourty is staying with the New England Patriots on a two-year deal, a source told NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo on Wednesday.
The twin brother of longtime Patriots safety Devin McCourty, Jason was traded to the Pats in the final year of his deal last offseason having never won a Super Bowl or even made the postseason. Well, mission accomplished.
Source: 49ers to sign Coleman, boost RB depth | ESPN
The San Francisco 49ers are signing running back Tevin Coleman to a two-year deal worth up to $10 million, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Coleman, known as an explosive, big-play threat, averaged a career-best 4.8 yards per carry while starting 14 of 16 games for the Atlanta Falcons in 2018, as two-time Pro Bowler Devonta Freeman underwent season-ending groin surgery. Coleman finished the season with 800 yards and four touchdowns on 167 attempts, and he also caught 32 passes for 276 yards and five TDs.
Addition of Antonio Brown ‘changed everything’ for Raiders | Yahoo! Sports
‘He’s done everything in his power to be the best he can possibly be on and off the field,’’ Gruden said. ‘’His body of work is not only impressive, but fun to watch. He’s electrifying after the catch, he’s a great competitor, he wins the 50-50 ball, he’s outstanding in short areas. You have a great imagination as a football coach when you coach a man like this. He can play split end, he can play flanker, he can play in the slot. He can return punts and sell popcorn at halftime. We’re excited about this guy.’’
Brown is one of several additions the Raiders have made to start the new league year. They agreed to a four-year, $66 million deal with tackle Trent Brown to bolster the line and a four-year, $42 million contract with safety Lamarcus Joyner during the negotiating period.
Josh Rosen Trade Rumors: Giants Would Explore Dealing for Cardinals QB | Bleacher Report
Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reported Wednesday night on the Giants’ direction and mentioned that the team may be interested in exploring a trade for Arizona Cardinals second-year quarterback Josh Rosen:
”Sources said they would explore a trade for Arizona’s Josh Rosen, if the Cardinals decide to make him available, but that they aren’t sure yet whether that will happen or whether they would be sure to make an offer for Rosen if it did.”
Bridgewater meets with Dolphins; no deal done | ESPN
The Miami Dolphins met with free-agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater on Wednesday evening, but no deal was announced at the meeting’s conclusion.
Bridgewater likely will have to decide between staying in New Orleans as a backup and potentially a long-term option to replace Drew Brees when Brees retires or leaving for Miami, where he would have an opportunity to start in 2019.
In case you missed it at Arrowhead Pride
Breaking: Chiefs release Eric Berry
The Kansas City Chiefs have released safety Eric Berry, the team announced on its official Twitter account.
Veach’s bidding war victory over the Houston Texans for star safety Tyrann Mathieu on Monday likely made Veach, Reid and the Chiefs comfortable enough to move on from a situation that by the end, truly became a distraction.
Report: Free agent cornerback Ronald Darby is scheduled to visit Chiefs Wednesday night
Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Ronald Darby is scheduled to visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday night, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Darby, 25, is a 5-foot-11, 193-pound cornerback who first entered the NFL as a second-round pick by the Buffalo Bills back in the 2015 NFL Draft. Darby was traded to the Eagles after two seasons with the Bills and was on the team for the organization’s Super Bowl LII win over the New England Patriots.
Browns sign Demetrius Harris, Steelers sign Steve Nelson
As the Kansas City Chiefs were negotiating a deal to send linebacker Dee Ford to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2020 second-round pick, two 2018 Chiefs were working on deals with new teams.
The first came Tuesday night when cornerback Steve Nelson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Nelson signed a three-year, $25.5 million contract.
Report: Chiefs have tendered three exclusive rights free agents
According to Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest, the Kansas City Chiefs have tendered three of their exclusive rights free agents — placekicker Harrison Butker, wide receiver Marcus Kemp and defensive tackle Justin Hamilton.
What does this mean? Here’s the short answer: they aren’t going anywhere.
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