Arrowheadlines: Raiders GM says entire league is chasing the Chiefs

The latest

Broncos, Raiders, Chargers add speed to try to catch Chiefs | USA Today

“Every move and signing we make we have to have them in mind,” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said of the Chiefs, who have ruled the division since 2016 and used a 21-0 burst over the final six minutes to beat San Francisco in the Super Bowl.

“Let’s be honest, the entire league is chasing the Kansas City Chiefs,” said Mayock. “But we’re in the same division. They keep getting faster and more athletic, more dynamic every time you turn around. Other teams have to do the same.”

Brian Westbrook at odds with Andy Reid’s Edwards-Helaire remark | 247 Sports

“I get this message on Friday morning that Andy Reid said that this kid that hasn’t played a down in the NFL is better than me already,” Westbrook said. “It took me years to perfect my game, and it took me years to get better at my craft. And this young kid that hasn’t played a down in the NFL is better than me already. It’s baffling.”

2020 NFL Draft: Best pick by all 32 teams, only three first-round picks make the list | CBS Sports

Kansas City Chiefs

Round 3, No. 96 overall - TCU offensive tackle Lucas Niang

Niang was once regarded as a potential first-round pick before his injury. He did not sacrifice many pressures in the Big XII. Kansas City needed to upgrade their offensive line more than many realized. They are setting themselves up for a sustainable championship run over the next five years.

32 NFL players most likely to be cut or traded after the 2020 NFL draft | ESPN

Kansas City Chiefs

Running back Darrel Williams

Williams and Darwin Thompson were the dark horses to pick up meaningful snaps for the Chiefs last season, but neither was impressive enough during the preseason to keep the Chiefs from signing LeSean McCoy. The LSU product scored a touchdown during the postseason, but Damien Williams and first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire are likely to split the bulk of the touches at running back in 2020, and the Chiefs also have former Raiders back DeAndre Washington on the roster.

Darrel Williams and Thompson both took special-teams snaps in 2019, but I suspect the Chiefs would prefer the player they once drafted (Thompson) to a street free agent in Williams.

NFL Power Rankings Poll: Buccaneers Rise, Patriots and Texans Fall in Offseason Edition | SI

1. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Points in poll: 191

Highest-place vote: 1 (5 voters)

Lowest-place vote: 2 (1 voter)

Season result: 12-4, won Super Bowl

Post-SB Rank: 1

SI Draft Grade: C+

When you win the Super Bowl and follow it up by bringing back 20 of 22 starters, including the consensus best QB in the league, you stay on top of the power rankings.

Darryl Williams grateful for opportunity in Kansas City | 247 Sports

Despite going undrafted, Williams was quickly picked up by Kansas City moments after the 2020 NFL Draft. The Chiefs signed Williams to a free agent deal late Saturday night and signed for a guaranteed $107,000 and a $7,000 signing bonus.

“I really didn’t get frustrated,” said Williams. “I was just thankful for the opportunity to play and it was very rewarding to go to the Chiefs. They were talking to me a lot and they are ready for me to go to work. The Chiefs were staying in contact throughout the draft and Coach Andy Reid told me to be ready to come to work. He said they want to finish where they finished last season and told me I better work my tail off. And I told him that’s exactly what I will do.”

Ranking each team’s QB situation after the NFL Draft | YardBarker

2. Kansas City Chiefs

The obvious No. 1 were this all about starters rather than QB stables, Patrick Mahomes has no present equal. He has an MVP and a Super Bowl MVP by age 24 and blends historic passing chops with underrated elusiveness ( as the Titans discovered ). The Chiefs have equipped him with a future Hall of Fame coach and a dangerous assortment of playmakers — which now includes first-round running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire — but Mahomes’ three playoff comebacks leave no doubt about today’s best quarterback. After missing 2019, Chad Henne is back as Mahomes’ insurance.

Around the NFL

The Eight NFL Draft Sleepers Who Could Make an Instant Impact | The Ringer

Now that Trumaine Johnson and Darryl Roberts are gone, New York heads into 2020 with free-agent addition Pierre Desir slated to start on one side and (likely) Blessuan Austin on the other, with Brian Poole in the slot. The lack of clarity around the team’s starting cornerback spots should give Hall a chance to earn a role as a rookie. The former Virginia star is a big, long-levered cornerback with excellent instincts and ball skills in coverage; he led all of college football with 22 pass breakups in 2018. Quarterbacks didn’t test him as much in coverage in those six games last season, but he still allowed an opposing passer rating of just 50.9, per Sports Info Solutions. The Jets could give Ashtyn Davis, the team’s third-round pick out of Cal, some looks at corner in addition to safety, but if Hall is healthy, don’t be surprised if the fourth-round rookie challenges for snaps at some point this season.

Former 49ers tackle Joe Staley reflects on retirement decision: ‘It’s a happy and sad day’ | ESPN

“It’s a happy and sad day,” Staley said. “Obviously, I did not want to quit playing football. I still have a huge love for it. It’s going to be a weird transition going into retirement because it wasn’t a thing where I was like, ‘All right, this is going to be my last year, I’m going to be done.’ But it was just the right decision for me, so I think because of that, it was really hard for me ... It’s what needed to happen. Football is what I know and what I loved since I was a little kid.”

Saints announce they’ve signed Jameis Winston | NFL.com

Two days after news came to the forefront that Winston was expected to sign with the New Orleans Saints, the team announced Tuesday afternoon it has indeed agreed to a one-year deal to add Winston to the roster of the reigning NFC South champions.

Winston was replaced by Tom Brady in Tampa Bay this offseason and will now presumably back up another legend in Drew Brees.

ESPN documentary to show former Chiefs QB Alex Smith’s injury recovery | Chiefs Wire

“No NFL player has ever been through what Alex Smith has,” said Andy Tennant, E60 executive producer. “He’s normally a very private person, but he wanted to document his road to recovery as well and as detailed as possible, with the hope that future players could use it as a road map. The access that he and his family granted to E60 is incredible, and viewers will see a story of strength, dedication, and perseverance.”

This Day in Football History: April 27 to May 3, 2020 | NFL.com

April 29

The Patriots acquired Hall of Famer Randy Moss from the Raiders for a 2007 fourth-round pick on this day in 2007. Moss was selected to six Pro Bowls in his career and named first-team All-Pro four times in his career. He had one Super Bowl appearance with the Patriots, catching the only pass touchdown of their Super Bowl XLII loss to the Giants. Moss led the NFL in receiving touchdowns five times, including his first season with New England in 2007 (23 receiving touchdowns). He played for the Vikings (1998-2004, 2010), the Raiders (2005-2006), the Patriots (2007-2010), the Titans (2010) and the 49ers (2012).

In case you missed it at Arrowhead Pride

Saying goodbye to Dustin Colquitt

When Colquitt joined the Chiefs, right guard Will Shields was still starting. Shields had been there for the 2003 loss to the Colts, along with the 1997 defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos, the 1995 loss to the Colts, and, as a rookie starter, the 1993 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC championship.

“It’s exciting that I got to sit across the locker room from 68 — Will Shields — for two seasons and got to pick his brain and see how he worked,” Colquitt said last September when he was on the brink of eclipsing Shield’s franchise record for games played. “For us to be tied right now, it’s exciting for my family and me. It’s cool that I can share this with him. I remember asking for his jersey in 2005 and he goes, ‘I don’t do jerseys until I’m done — that’s bad luck,’ and sure enough, as soon as he retired, he showed up and gave me his jersey — signed and everything — and I have it in my basement. I remember I didn’t have to ask again, either; he’s that kind of guy.”

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