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OK, so we’re going off script for this one. I don’t believe Mahomes is ranked too high -- he’s my No. 1 quarterback. I’m going by the assumption of where he’s going to be drafted this season, which could be Round 1. Please don’t do that. He was awesome in 2018 when he was the NFL MVP, and I expect him to be awesome again. But there’s regression coming, and you don’t want to chase points when evaluating someone from one year to the next.
Grading Every NFL Team’s Offseason Before the 2019 Draft | Bleacher Report
Kansas City Chiefs
The secondary added Tyrann Mathieu and Bashaud Breeland, but lost its best corner from a year ago in Steven Nelson. The inside linebackers remain a question mark. And now the pass-rush has just one proven option: defensive end Chris Jones.
There may be even more pressure on Patrick Mahomes to light up the scoreboard this season than there was in 2018—if that’s possible.
Grade: D
2019 NFL Draft guide: One burning question for each AFC team | NFL
Kansas City Chiefs: Trade up for an elite pass rusher?
Can the Chiefs afford to come out of this draft without a serious helping of pass-rushing juice? No, not really. In fact, the Chiefs really need to snatch up multiplepass rushers. Why? Because they recently lost 22 sacks from a year ago, due to the exits of Dee Ford and Justin Houston. Not to mention (but we’ll mention), very few draft picks actually develop their craft enough to become prolific sack artists -- heck, viable sack artists -- in the NFL.
So, might they trade up? Who knows, but the defense won’t elevate this team to the Super Bowl without enough guys who can pressure the quarterback.
The NFL Draft analyst [Todd McShay] for ESPN had the Chiefs selecting North Carolina State center Garrett Bradbury in the first round. He followed up with Penn State running back Miles Sanders and Florida pass-rusher Jachai Polite in the second round and Massachusetts wideout Andy Isabella in the third round. The draft is from April 25-27.
McShay’s reasoning comes down to philosophy. He noted that he calls the Chiefs’ preseason games and knows the team’s personnel well. But when going through each pick, he didn’t see the Chiefs taking a defensive back in the first three rounds, given what could still be on the board.
“I looked at the board and there were just better players,” he said. “It may be wrong of me, but I would always take the significantly better football player, if that’s what I believe, than reach for a need.”
6. There will be a lot of playoff rematches on the schedule
Not only will we be getting an NFC Championship Game rematch this year, but there will also be a rematch of the AFC title game when the Patriots host the Chiefs. That game also came with some controversy. In a 37-31 win by the Patriots, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense never got to touch the ball in overtime.
Mellinger Minutes: A replay rant, Royals bullpen, Chiefs trades, Sporting’s loss | Kansas City Star
The Chiefs are really close with this thing. Making NFL predictions about one season based largely on the results of the last season is an efficient way to look like a fool but it remains true that Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid were good enough to drag the league’s worst defense kicking and screaming and straight into overtime of the AFC championship game.
Around the league
Aaron Rodgers details tibial fracture, concussion in ‘18 | NFL
Rodgers told The Wilde and Tausch radio show on ESPN Milwaukee on Monday that the knee injury that he suffered in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears was “a tibial plateau fracture and an MCL sprain.”
”My two bones that come together on the outside made an indent fracture,” the Packers quarterback explained, per ESPN. “The good thing was it’s not super weight-bearing but there’s definitely some moves that affected it.”
NFL, NFLPA Meet to Discuss Negotiations for New Collective Bargaining Agreement | Bleacher Report
The current CBA, which was signed following the 2011 lockout, runs through the 2020 season. There has been widespread speculation about a potential work stoppage when the current deal expires; the NFLPA sent a memo to players in 2017 warning them to begin saving money.
Source: Pats retain Gostkowski with 2-year deal | ESPN
The New England Patriots and kicker Stephen Gostkowski have agreed to a two-year, $8.5 million deal, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Gostkowski, who turned 35 in January, has been the Patriots’ kicker since the team selected him in the fourth round (118th overall) of the 2006 draft.
Cowboys’ Stephen Jones says Dak Prescott deserves to be ‘paid fairly’ | Yahoo! Sports
During a Monday appearance on ESPN Dallas 103.3, Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones said the team would like to get quarterback Dak Prescott signed to an extension before the season starts.
“I mean, that’s what we’d like to do. You don’t get to control these things,” Jones said. “There’s two sides to this. We’ve really never just gotten into the weeds in terms with Dak himself in terms of what his preference is. I know he’s focused on winning and really getting as many players as he can out there working so we can have a great team next year.
Cardinals players come out in support of Rosen | ESPN
“He handled himself like a quarterback, like any other quarterback would,” outside linebacker Chandler Jones said. “He was a leader. I was impressed with how he spoke to the huddle. I wasn’t in the huddle all the time. Being in practice, you heard what he’s saying and he was good at grabbing everyone’s attention. He was a leader, for sure.”
Eagles sign WR Charles Johnson to one-year contract | NFL
Johnson led the AAF in receiving the entire season, totaling 687 yards receiving and five touchdowns on 45 catches in eight games.
In case you missed it at Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs host Notre Dame RB Dexter Williams and North Carolina LB Cole Holcomb
These two are the latest to have been reported as visiting the Chiefs before draft day
Chiefs 2019 preseason schedule announced
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid tends to use Week 3 of the preseason as a dress rehearsal for the starters, and this year that will happen against the San Francisco 49ers.
NFL draft hit rates by position, and how they impact strategy
Among these positions of need, no position stands out more than safety; 70% of safeties drafted in the third round become starting-caliber players. Of the four positions, it is by far the safest to draft in the third round.
25 Days of Draftmas: Sione Takitaki could be the Sam linebacker of the future
One-sentence bio: redshirt senior, turned his life around after an early theft charge his sophomore year in college; led the team in tackles in 2018 and was second in tackles for loss.
One-sentence scouting report: versatile linebacker who can rush the passer off the edge and drop into coverage.
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