Arrowheadlines: Chris Jones is in ‘ongoing talks’ towards contract extension

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Chiefs, defensive star Chris Jones engaged in ongoing talks toward contract extension | Kansas City Star

Chris Jones will be a Chief this coming season. That much is certain.

But beyond that?

The 6-foot-6 defensive lineman is set to be a free agent in 2020, but the Chiefs want to lock him into a new contract before that happens. Jones is eligible for a contract extension, and the Chiefs are currently in conversations — negotiations — with his representation to make it happen.

NFL’s top five rivalries for 2019 season: Browns-Steelers at No. 1! | NFL

2) Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers

The Chiefs were one of the best stories of 2018, as Patrick Mahomes set the league on fire (and took home MVP honors) with 50 touchdown passes. If I’m being honest with you (not that I wasn’t up to this point), not enough was made of the fact Mahomes racked up 50 TDs in his first season as a starter. The no-look stuff was great, but 50!! Even in this era of ridiculous passing marks, that kind of stands out as an outlier.

However, as great as the Chiefs were last year, the Chargers were right on their heels. In fact, the Bolts had a huge rally in Kansas City to knock them off in the national spotlight of “Thursday Night Football”. And the Chargers would have won the division, too, if not for a tough loss at home to the Ravens in Week 16. Make these two teams the Monday nightcap in Week 1 and let’s party!

Three in four Patriots fans see the Chiefs as New England’s biggest challengers in the AFC | Pats Pulpit

The New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs faced each other twice during the 2018 season, and both times their battles were quite epic. While New England won each of the games — 43-40 in week six and 37-31 in the AFC title game — Kansas City showed that it was capable of hanging with the eventual world champions. It is therefore no surprise to find out that Patriots fans think highly of the Chiefs heading into 2019.

How do we know? Because of our FanPulse survey (sign up here!), which included a question this week asking participants about which team they viewed as New England’s biggest challengers in the AFC right now. The results are unsurprising, at least when it comes to the top spot:

Kansas City Chiefs: 72.3%

Here are the seven trades that need to happen before the 2019 NFL Draft | CBS Sports

5. Bengals trade John Ross to the Chiefs

Chiefs get: John Ross

Bengals get: 2019 fifth-round pick (167th overall)

If the Bengals are actually shopping John Ross, then the Chiefs might want to think about giving them a call. With Tyreek Hill under investigation for alleged batteryinvolving a juvenile, the addition of Ross would give the Chiefs some insurance in case Hill’s legal situation takes a turn for the worse. Although Ross was a top-10 pick in 2017 (ninth overall), it’s highly unlikely the Bengals will be able to get anything close to that in return. A fourth-round pick could potentially make sense here, but the Chiefs don’t have one, so we’re going to have them offer their fifth-round pick.

Here’s why Browns GM John Dorsey believes in combustible but talented core | Yahoo! Sports

“I’ve seen locker rooms with huge personalities [that won]. The San Francisco 49ers. The Dallas Cowboys back in the day, with Deion [Sanders] and Michael [Irvin] and all those guys. The Green Bay Packers with Reggie White and Brett Favre. You had some big personalities in those locker rooms.”

That’s why, in the pursuit of turning around a perpetually hapless franchise, Dorsey is OK with stacking the roster with players who draw lots of attention for their sometimes flammable personalities.

This offseason alone, Dorsey added running back Kareem Hunt — the NFL’s leading rusher in 2017 — who was cut by the Kansas City Chiefs last season after a video surfaced of him shoving and kicking a woman in a Cleveland hotel, and Odell Beckham Jr., a star receiver whose sideline tantrums and volatile personality made him a lightning rod for the New York tabloids. He also signed defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, who made lots of headlines early in his career with the New York Jets.

Want an old Arrowhead seat? Thousands could end up on the market — or scrapped | Kansas City Star

Outside Arrowhead Stadium, sprawled across parking Lot E , are piles of steel and red plastic that for 20 years supported the behinds of Chiefs fans in good times and bad.

Depending on one’s point of view, the more than 30,000 seats that the team recently yanked out of the stadium’s upper bowl and disassembled are one of two things: Junk fit only for the recycling center. Or valuable sports memorabilia that many a football fan would spend plenty to have in his or her home.

“I’d say the vast majority of them are probably unusable,” said Jim Rowland, director of the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority, landlord to the Chiefs and, across a swath of concrete, the Royals in Kauffman Stadium.

Around the league

Eagles acquire Bears RB Jordan Howard in trade | NFL

The Chicago Bears finally moved Jordan Howard.

Chicago shipped the running back to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2020 sixth-round pick on Thursday night, the Eagles announced. Conditions in the trade could flex that selection to a 2020 fifth-round pick.

Howard had been rumored as trade bait since before the 2018 season, as Tarik Cohen took on a larger role in first-year coach Matt Nagy’s offense.

Raiders make deals with RB Crowell, LB Marshall | ESPN

The Oakland Raiders announced the signings of running back Isaiah Crowelland linebacker Brandon Marshall on Thursday.

Crowell’s deal is worth up to $2.5 million, and Marshall’s deal is worth up to $4.1 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Dallas Cowboys trade for Dolphins DE Robert Quinn | NFL

The Dallas Cowboys added a much-needed pass rusher to the mix.

The Cowboys announced they have acquired defensive end Robert Quinn from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a 2020 sixth-round pick.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport first reported the deal. Quinn signed a new one-year deal worth $9.2 million with Dallas, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported, according to a source. Quinn can earn a maximum of $10 million if he records seven sacks, per Pelissero.

Cowboys Rumors: Demarcus Lawrence Offered $20M Per Year, DL Wants More | Bleacher Report

The Dallas Cowboys have made Demarcus Lawrence an offer that would make him the highest-paid defensive end in football.

It hasn’t been enough to move the needle.

Calvin Watkins of The Athletic reported the Cowboys’ current offer on the table would pay him $20 million per season over six years. Lawrence, who initially requested $20 million annually in long-term talks, has moved his price point to $22.5 million per season.

Schiano abruptly resigns from Patriots’ staff | ESPN

“This is not the result of any one event, but rather a realization that I need to spend more time on my faith and family,” Schiano said. “I don’t want to look back years from now and wish I had done things differently. Therefore, I am taking time away from the game to recalibrate my priorities.”

What re-drafting the 2018 NFL Draft would change (Baker Mayfield still goes to the Browns, phew) | SB Nation

The 2018 NFL Draft lived up to its hype. Baker Mayfield unleashed his Heisman-winning talent after Hue Jackson’s firing, putting up MVP-caliber numbers over the back half of his premiere season as a pro. That wasn’t enough to beat out the No. 2 pick from last spring in the offensive rookie of the year voting, however. Saquon Barkley did everything but throw the ball in the Giants’ offense, gaining a league-high 2,028 yards from scrimmage. Quenton Nelson and Derwin Jameseach capped their rookie campaigns with first-team All-Pro honors.

But not every pick was a home run. Injuries left late first-rounders Isaiah Wynn and Mike Hughesto play only six games combined due to injuries. Quarterbacks Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, and Josh Allen all had their share of growing pains while making the leap from college to the pros.

In case you missed it at Arrowhead Pride

FanPulse: More than half of Chiefs fans see 2019 as Super Bowl or bust

If the Chiefs don’t win the Super Bowl in 2019, would you consider the season a failure?

55 percent of fans said that, “yes, it would be a failure”

45 percent of fans said that, “no, it would not be a failure”

In this question, I would probably lean, “yes.” Keeping in mind the cold, hard truth that 31 teams go home unhappy, the 2019 Chiefs season is Andy Reid’s seventh year (what, already?) with the club. I think we can all agree that Clark Hunt brought Reid to Kansas City for two reasons: 1) Turn the franchise upside-down and around (check). 2) Win a championship.

Rounding up the Chiefs’ draft needs, who’s available and trading up

To start, we’ll divide the team needs into three tiers. I know the needs of a team are always subjective, so I’ll include an explanation with each one.

Here’s how that would shake out for the Chiefs:

Tier 1: wide receiver, edge rusher, defensive end and cornerback

Tier 2: tight end, interior offensive line, interior defensive line, safety and linebacker

Tier 3: quarterback, running back, offensive tackle

Report: Chiefs hosting DE Tim Ward on pre-draft visit

The Kansas City Chiefs are hosting Old Dominion defensive end Tim Ward on one of their 30 pre-draft visits Thursday, according to NFL writer Eric Edholm.

To be clear, there are pre-draft visits and there are workouts. Players that visit the Chiefs’ facility do not physically work out — those are just visits where prospects meet the coaching staff and/or front office, as well as go through a physical. The Chiefs can work a player out someplace else, such as before or after their pro day on campus. Teams are allowed 30 players to visit their facility.

Mahomes Madness: the final four

We have used the month of March here at Arrowhead Pride to identify Patrick Mahomes’ best 2018 play by way of a 32-play tournament called Mahomes Madness. We just wrapped up the “elite eight” right here. We had our closest matchup of the tournament in the elite-eight round, when “The Scramble” beat “No Look” by just 14 votes.

Now we’re down to the “final four,” and you have until Sunday, March 31, at Midnight Arrowhead Time to vote. Let’s get to it...

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