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Three Teams That Should Be Interested in Star Wide Receiver DeSean Jackson | SI All Bengals
Sammy Watkins and DeMarcus Robinson are both set to become free agents. Can you imagine the Chiefs adding more speed? Jackson could reunite with Andy Reid and play with the best quarterback in the NFL.
A trio of Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman and Jackson would overwhelm opposing defenses.
Jackson wouldn’t have to contribute a ton during the regular season, but could certainly make an impact. He wouldn’t face many [if any] double teams because he’d be on the field with Hill and Travis Kelce.
This is the best fit and would give him a real chance to win a Super Bowl.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Matthews kept the due date secret, but now they’ve officially welcomed their baby girl into the world.
Both Mahomes and Matthews took to Instagram to announce that Sterling Skye Mahomes arrived on Saturday, February 20th at a healthy six pounds and 11 ounces.
Patrick Mahomes is a #GirlDad now ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aYERC9rPhQ
— ESPN (@espn) February 21, 2021
SF 49ers: Dee Ford the worst trade in John Lynch’s tenure | FanSided
As part of the negotiations with Ford on his 2019 new contract, he has an injury guarantee and can’t simply be cut in the wake of his ongoing back issues. And NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco described more of why this situation complicates matters for San Francisco:
He is scheduled to make $15.15 million in base salary for the 2021 season. Ford would certainly be a salary-cap casualty this offseason, but his contract complicates the matter for the 49ers.
General manager John Lynch said last month there are no assurances Ford would be ready for the start of the 2021 season.
But Ford has an injury guarantee written into his contract. If he remains on the 49ers’ roster on April 1, $11.6 million of his base salary becomes fully guaranteed.
With the salary cap dropping from nearly $200 million as low as $180 million amid the pandemic, nearly every team across the league will be making tough cap-casualty cuts. Ford, as Maiocco pointed out, would be one of them.
But that injury guarantee creates quite a sticky situation.
Right now, it’s unclear if the SF 49ers can manage to get out from under Ford’s contract in any way. And with the clock ticking on that April 1 date, time is running out.
With Ford’s status up in the air for 2021, there could be hope he gets healthy enough to return to the field. After all, the Niners are scheduled to pay him over $20 million, which accounts for 11 percent of the team’s roster salary and is second only in contract value to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
Kansas City Chiefs have no business re-signing these 3 players | FanSided
Back in 2018, the Chiefs made the transition from Alex Smith to Mahomes, and wanted to bring in explosive complementary players. At the start of the new league year, the Chiefs decided to pay former Los Angeles Rams wideout Sammy Watkins to a three-year, $48 million contract.
Watkins regular-season numbers through his three years in Kansas City were less than desirable, as he recorded a grand total of eight touchdown receptions in that span. That, and Watkins has dealt with a variety of injuries through that span. Most recently, Watkins suffered a calf injury in Week 16 of the 2020 season and did not return until Super Bowl 55.
We will give Watkins credit though because he did show up for the Chiefs in the playoffs. In the 2018 AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots, Watkins recorded four receptions for 114 yards on eight targets. In Super Bowl 54 against the San Francisco 49ers, Watkins caught five-of-six targets for 98 yards, including a clutch 38-yard reception against Richard Sherman on the game-winning drive.
Kansas City Chiefs
Needs: G, OT, CB, EDGE, WR, DT
The Chiefs may have to replace three starters on their offensive line this offseason. Kansas City may also have to replenish its receiving corps if Demarcus Robinson and Sammy Watkins leave in free agency. Possible defensive departures this offseason include defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon, linebacker Damien Wilson, free safety Daniel Sorensen, and cornerback Bashaud Breeland.
The Chiefs’ cap situation will force them to address most of these needs via the draft. While they will likely address their offensive and defensive lines during the first few rounds, Kansas City will certainly use some picks to address its secondary and receiver positions. One name to monitor is receiver Tylan Wallace, who flourished in Oklahoma State’s wide-open offense.
Estimated current cap space (top 51): -$18.1 million
CBS draft projections: DT Daviyon Nixon (Ryan Wilson), OL Jackson Carman (Chris Trapasso), LB Nick Bolton (Josh Edwards)
Free agents to watch: G Tom Compton, CB William Jackson, DE Ronald Blair, WR Damiere Byrd
Ranking the NFL’s most productive 2020 rookie draft classes from 1 to 32 | ESPN
4. Kansas City Chiefs
Why they’re ranked here: Taking a running back in the first round is something we at PFF would never condone, but the Chiefs made up for it with a couple of value picks later on. Linebacker Willie Gay (No. 63 overall) and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (No. 138 overall) surpassed their expected rookie-season WAR.
How their top pick fared: Clyde Edwards-Helaire didn’t quite have the season many — mainly the fantasy community — expected, but he still finished 20th among 63 qualifying backs in rushing grade this season. He was even better on zone runs, jumping to 10th league-wide in rushing grade on such plays. That still doesn’t justify taking him in the first round, but it’s noteworthy nonetheless.
Best value pick: Sneed wasn’t even one of the first 15 cornerbacks off the board in the 2020 NFL draft, yet he finished the regular season with the highest PFF grade of any rookie at the position. Including the postseason, Sneed allowed just one catch to go for a 20-plus-yard gain while racking up three interceptions, four pass breakups and eight passing stops.
Around the NFL
“I think [Ben] should shut it down and the reason why I think Ben should shut it down is because he’s done everything he possibly can,” Taylor told TMZ in a recent interview. “I think Ben did everything he could.”
Not only did Taylor play 11 seasons with Roethlisberger, but they went to three Super Bowls together and won two of them. If the Steelers are going to continue their unparalleled run of success that dates back to the 1970s, then Big Ben needs to retire or he’ll set the franchise back a few years, according to Taylor.
“You’re setting them back a year or two or three [with a comeback],” Taylor said. “The reason why I think you’re setting them back is because you’ve seen the progression in Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow — before he got hurt — and Baker Mayfield. So, we’re talking about three young quarterbacks in one division. Who you going to pick last?”
Sherman: Terry McLaurin would ‘be special’ alongside a solid No. 2 WR | NFL.com
“If he had anybody else beside him and they couldn’t just double him and cloud him all the time he’d be special, but that’s the hard thing, they can’t find anybody else,” the 49ers cornerback said on the Cris Collinsworth Podcast featuring Richard Sherman, per 106.7 The Fan in Washington D.C. “They’ve got a bunch of guys who kind of flash, but he plays hard. ...
“He’s one of the better up-and-coming wideouts in the league.”
Ranking the 2016 NFL Draft quarterbacks 5 years later | SB Nation
No. 4: Jacoby Brissett
It’s bizarre the Indianapolis Colts now have two of the top quarterbacks from 2016, but here we are. It’s been a wild ride for the former 3rd round pick who went from backing up Tom Brady, to taking over for Andrew Luck, and actually showing some flashes along the way.
Still, Brissett to me looks like a lifetime backup any team would love to have. He’s going to step in where needed, win you some games, and look great in the process — but things go bad under the weight of a 16 game schedule. Especially when defensive coordinators are aiming to stop him.
In case you missed it at Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs 2021 opponents: What we know about the NFL schedule right now
2021 opponents
Home: Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, Bills, Browns, Cowboys, Giants and Steelers
Away: Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, Bengals, Eagles, Ravens, Titans and Washington
Strength of schedule
The Chiefs play the 19th-toughest schedule in the league in 2020 based upon a combined 2020 opponent record of 125-129-2 (.492)
A 17th opponent
The league is also expected to add in a 17th game for the 2021 season, which will pit the Chiefs against a first-place NFC team to be determined (Packers, Saints or Seahawks).
A tweet to make you think
Most 300+ yard passing games since 2018: Patrick Mahomes - 26 pic.twitter.com/qqYe8w1Sl1
— PFF (@PFF) February 21, 2021
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