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The latest
2023 NFL free agency: Overrated, underrated players at every position | ESPN
Underrated: Andrew Wylie
2022 team: Chiefs | Age entering 2023 season: 29
There are quite a few players we could put in this spot: Cameron Fleming, Jermaine Eluemunor and Kelvin Beachum all are mediocre pass protectors who shouldn’t cost too much. I think Wylie’s reputation takes a hit from Patrick Mahomes holding the ball longer than average and inviting some pressure (knowing he can almost always avoid a sack). Pass block win rate, which simply measures if an offensive lineman sustains his block for 2.5 seconds, is a fan. Wylie ranked ninth in the metric last year, though it’s worth noting he was playing next to an elite interior offensive line. Still, Wylie can get the job done and should be available for cheap.
16. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
An argument could be made that JuJu Smith-Schuster is the top wide receiver in free agency this year. He hasn’t been a Pro Bowler since his 2018 campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he’s one of the few free agents with the skill set needed to fill a No. 1 receiver role.
Smith-Schuster was a great addition to the Kansas City Chiefs this past season, finishing with 78 catches, 933 yards and three touchdowns. Given the relatively underwhelming free-agent receiver market, Smith-Schuster should parlay his 2022 campaign into a nice contract.
Patrick Mahomes tried to get Stephon Gilmore to join Chiefs | The Kansas City Star
With speculation that Gilmore, a two-time All-Pro and the 2019 defensive player of the year, would be departing the Patriots, he was recruited by players on other teams, including the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes. That’s according to a story by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who wrote about players reaching out to their peers. “
Right before the trade, Aaron Rodgers hit me up. Pat Mahomes hit me up,” Gilmore said. “A lot of guys (were) because it was midseason and those guys are getting ready to go to the postseason. Some guys you don’t follow, like who’s hitting me up? And then you’re like, ‘wow, I should follow them.’ It was a fun moment.”
Gilmore, who appeared in eight games with the Panthers, became a free agent at the end of the 2021 season. He signed a two-year deal with the Colts a year ago.
Despite Gronk and Kelce being the same age, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end is still playing at an exceptional level, whilst the former has already retired from the NFL twice.
Rob Gronkowski recently made an appearance on NESN’s “Ultimate Betting Show” as part of Massachusetts’ introduction of mobile betting on Friday, where he looked like handing the title of the greatest tight end of all time to Kelce, but quickly reclaimed it.
Here’s what Gronk said about Kelce:
“I said receiving tight end,” Gronk said, ”I’m a complete tight end, baby.”
15. Kansas City Chiefs
Salary cap space: $16,955,715
Draft picks in first 3 rounds: 3
The Chiefs are still trying to work out a long term deal with Orlando Brown, who is days away from hitting the free agent market. They also have Andrew Wylie set to hit free agency, meaning Patrick Mahomes may not have both his tackles back from the Super Bowl championship team.
How will the Chiefs rebuild the tackle posiiton? With the release of Frank Clark, what will Kansas City do to improve the pass rush? The Chiefs are still one of the best teams in the NFL, but they have some serious questions that need to be addressed in the coming weeks.
Round 1 - Pick 31
Anton Harrison OT
OKLAHOMA • JR • 6’5” / 315 LBS
The Chiefs elected not to use the franchise tag on left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., so left tackle immediately becomes one of their biggest needs. Why not replace the tackle from Oklahoma with another tackle from Oklahoma? Harrison has quick feet and good hands that help make up for less-than-ideal size.
Around the NFL
Rams release LB Leonard Floyd after third season in Los Angeles | NFL.com
The Los Angeles Rams continue to shed salary ahead of the new league year.
L.A. released veteran linebacker Leonard Floyd, the team announced Friday.
After four years in Chicago, Floyd joined the Rams on a one-year prove-it deal in 2020. Following a 10.5-sack season, he inked a four-year, $64 million extension to remain in Los Angeles.
The Rams would save just $3 million on the salary cap with a $19 million dead cap if Floyd is cut outright. However, if designated a post-June 1 release, it’d save $15.5 million this season with $6.5 million in dead money each of the next two years.
Sources - Dolphins pick up 5th-year option on QB Tua Tagovailoa | ESPN
The Dolphins will exercise the fifth-year option on Tua Tagovailoa, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday, locking the quarterback in well ahead of the May 2 deadline.
The NFL Network was first to report the team’s decision.
Tagovailoa set career highs in passing yards, touchdowns, completion percentage and passer rating last season, leading the league in that last one. He missed five games, including the team’s wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills, after sustaining two concussions.
Patriots safety, three-time Super Bowl champion Devin McCourty announces retirement | NFL.com
The longtime New England Patriots defensive back announced on Friday he’s moving on from the NFL after 13 seasons.
“I’m officially retiring from the NFL,” Devin McCourty said in an Instagram post. “It has been a great ride. I’ve got the opportunity to Mr. (Robert) Kraft, to talk to Bill (Belichick), a lot of the guys on the defensive staff. Unbelievable ride, man. I think it’s always tough to kind of come to the end, as you know. This whole offseason has been so much back and forth for me mentally, probably not even sharing as much of the thoughts that I was just going between from one day to the next day. But ultimately, I think this is the best decision for me, my family, for my career, is to be able to now look back now at my 13 years and just enjoy it.”
A three-time Super Bowl champion, McCourty spent his entire career in Foxborough, generating 35 interceptions, 11 forced fumbles, 971 tackles, and three sacks.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs Free Agency 2023: 4 free-agent options at offensive tackle -
1. Donovan Smith
The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers left tackle was tasked with keeping Tom Brady upright during his stint in Florida, is coming off the worst season of his career. He battled injuries through a large chunk of last season — first, an elbow injury in September that caused him to miss two games, then he missed Weeks 15 and 17 with an injured foot.
In 633 pass-blocking snaps, Smith allowed six sacks and 31 quarterback pressures; he was also penalized 12 times in 2022. The picture gets worse when you look at his run-blocking — Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave Smith an anemic run-blocking grade of just 41.5. Now, here is the good news, as recently as 2021, Smith was playing at a Pro Bowl level — he allowed just one sack that year and had a pass-blocking grade of 84.7. So if you believe injuries were the cause of his slide last season, then he could be a solid solution to replace Brown.
Here’s the rub — Spotrac has his market value currently listed at $19.5 million per year. If the goal of not applying the tag to Brown were to save money, then signing Smith wouldn’t make much sense.
A tweet to make you think
Compensation update, per sources: Bears trading No. 1 overall pick to Carolina for:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2023
pick No. 9
pick No. 61
a first-round pick in 2024
a second-round pick in 2025
WR DJ Moore pic.twitter.com/hHrHn1UIR2
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