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The latest
2. Chiefs (QB Patrick Mahomes, WR Tyreek Hill)
Doesn’t matter if you swap Hill for Travis Kelce, Chris Jones or Tyrann Mathieu. You’re not going to get much better than No. 15, whose otherworldly arm angles and pocket presence will forever give his team a chance.
No. 1: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Simms: “Patrick Mahomes is still the number one quarterback in football. He’s the best player in the NFL. We’re talking about a guy that’s got no weakness to his football game. I mean everything – whether it’s quick decisions, right decisions, unbelievable throws off platforms, throwing in the pocket, subtle moves in the pocket, the ability to extend plays outside the pocket, throwing balls off of unbalanced footwork – there’s nobody better in the game. I don’t know if there’s a team or an offense that’s more based around one guy and his talents in the NFL, and I don’t know if there’s been one more that I can think of in recent history…It’s insane what they ask of him, and he delivers…Was it a down year a little bit for him last year? Yeah, ok, he was banged up a little bit here and there, but still. They had a bullseye on their back. Nobody brings more belief and magic to the football field, to their team, on a weekly basis than Patrick Mahomes.”
Opinion: 2022 NFL season could have more QB turnover than already volatile 2021 | USA Today
Presumably entrenched (10)
Catastrophic injuries are always a possibility, and passers from the 2018 draft in particular are positioned for contract extensions for a job where the money flows ... and can create problematic consequences. But it’s a good bet the following quarterbacks will remain the faces of their respective franchises in 2022: Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals), Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers), Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens), Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Baker Mayfield (Cleveland Browns), Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys), Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams), Ryan Tannehill (Tennessee Titans), and Carson Wentz (Indianapolis Colts).
The Biggest Question Every NFL Team Must Answer in 2021 Training Camps | Bleacher Report
Kansas City Chiefs: What Can the New-Look Offensive Line Do?
Poor pass protection might have cost Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs a Super Bowl LV victory. This year, they aren’t messing around.
Gone are hobbled veteran incumbent offensive tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz, and joining the fray are steady former New England Patriots guard Joe Thuney and two-time Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
We know Thuney and Brown will start, but every other starting spot along that line looks up for grabs. Vets Mike Remmers, Austin Blythe, Nick Allegretti and Andrew Wylie will likely scrap it out with 2020 COVID-19 opt-outs Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Lucas Niang as well as rookie second-round pick Creed Humphrey, and the venerable Kyle Long could also be in the mix when he returns from a leg injury.
If the Chiefs want to make a third consecutive Super Bowl run, protecting Mahomes—who is coming off toe surgery—is of utmost importance.
Chiefs: Orlando BrownWas excellent at left tackle for Baltimore for half a season replacing Ronnie Stanley, but that is a very different offense that throws far fewer times than Andy Reid does. I believe Brown will be excellent, but it’s a small NFL sample size and upgrading the offensive line was priority 1, 2 and 3 for K.C. this offseason.
Bill Belichick reveals what methods are important for success | Patriots Wire
Tuesday, he spoke at the Ozzie Newsome General Manager Forum and Quarterback Coaching Summit. Belichick joined Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey and Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid at the summit.
While at the summit, both Belichick and Reid indicated that they do not like to use analytics. This could be true, or both coaches don’t want to reveal the components of their success. In any event, Belichick was sticking to his answer.
#Falcons take part in GM forum, QB summit — #Patriots Bill Belichick and #Chiefs Andy Reid are not fans of analytics. “I’d prefer good players, good fundamentals and good execution,” Belichick said. https://t.co/8ofx1y4qol pic.twitter.com/KIEWAdnS5p
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) June 22, 2021
Around the NFL
1 - Buffalo Bills
2020 record: 13-3
The Bills fell one win short of Super Bowl Sunday last season, and there are legit reasons to believe they’ll be better in the coming campaign.
First of all, it was a major win for Sean McDermott’s team to keep both coordinators, Brian Daboll and Leslie Frazier. These two interviewed for head-coaching jobs earlier this offseason, but they’re back for another year with the Bills. Huge for continuity’s sake. Daboll has a tremendous rapport with Buffalo’s most important player, Josh Allen. The 25-year-old quarterback has improved each year in the NFL, throwing himself squarely into last season’s MVP/Offensive Player of the Year discussions, with a 37:10 touchdown-to-interception ratio and eight more rushing scores. The guy’s become a star, combining a rocket arm with top-tier athleticism. Brandon Beane’s done a spectacular job surrounding him with receiving talent, too. Stefon Diggs, of course, leads the pack, having just led the NFL in catches (127) and receiving yards (1,535) in his first year with the Bills. Wait until the guy gets to feed off Bills Mafia, who are champing at the bit to cheer on their reigning AFC East champions with Highmark Stadium returning to full capacity. Folding tables, beware!
Domestic violence charges dropped against former Washington Football Team RB Derrius Guice | ESPN
Former Washington Football Team running back Derrius Guice had four misdemeanor charges, including three counts of assault and battery, against him dropped Wednesday morning after a settlement was reached with his ex-girlfriend.
Guice had been arrested on domestic violence charges in Loudoun County, Virginia, in August, stemming from three separate incidents earlier in 2020 at his home in Ashburn, Virginia. Guice had allegedly pushed the woman to the ground three different times. If convicted, Guice could have served jail time.
Washington released him two hours after his arrest.
Details of the settlement were not disclosed. According to Virginia law, some charges can be dropped if the victim states in writing that they are satisfied with the injury compensation. A release by the commonwealth’s attorney’s office said that this “process permits the parties to control the direction and outcome of such matters.”
XFL players get pennies on the dollar from bankruptcy | PFT
The pandemic killed the resurrected XFL. The league, before being sold to The Rock, went through bankruptcy. Now, the players for XFL 2.0 have gotten their money.
It’s not much.
Via Daniel Kaplan of TheAthletic.com, XFL players will get as little as four cents on the dollar for their claims for unpaid wages.
The average claims were in the range of $14,000. Some will get less than $600.
And it gets worse. They won’t get the money until the end of this year or early next year.
XFL 3.0 will return as soon as 2022. It remains to be seen whether the newest version will thrive.
In case you missed it at Arrowhead Pride
3 Chiefs who could start 2021 on PUP list — and how that might affect others
Offensive lineman Kyle Long
After attempting his football comeback after a one-year retirement, Long’s unfortunate leg injury could also make him a prime candidate for the PUP.
It has been reported that he may be ready by the time the season starts — but with his lingering injury issues, they may give him those six weeks to fully recover and give him the chance to feel as good as possible for the stretch run of 2021.
On the flip side, his stay on the PUP would allow other players to step up at right guard and right tackle. Players like Andrew Wylie and Nick Allegretti may earn the roster spot that Long would be vacating by being on the PUP. If the Chiefs get comfortable with the unit they have without Long, there could be a case for Long to be cut outright.
A tweet to make you think
.@stagdsp and @Ron_Kopp discuss how Chris Jones can succeed on the outside.
— Arrowhead Pride (@ArrowheadPride) June 23, 2021
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