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The latest
Patrick Mahomes being called by free-agent receivers: report | The Kansas City Star
Palmer talked about the Chiefs’ plans for wide receiver this offseason and then revealed opposing players are reaching out to Mahomes.
“They expect, or hope I should say, to resign JuJu Smith-Schuster and bring him back,” Palmer said of the Chiefs. “So it would be essentially the same group around Patrick Mahomes that he finished the season with and won the Super Bowl with. Obviously the other pass catcher you can say is Travis Kelce in that mix.
“It doesn’t mean they’re done looking. It doesn’t mean also that other wide receivers, I’m told, are not blowing up Patrick Mahomes’ phone. It’s my understanding guys have been calling him this entire offseason saying, ‘Can I come to Kansas City? Can I come and play with you guys?’ Like, that is a real thing that is happening.
“So I’m not saying they’re adding anybody else. And (the Chiefs’) Brett Veach is one of these general managers (like) we’ve talked about how (Eagles GM Howie) Roseman will always be weighing every single option that is out there on the table. There are receivers that are interested, but right now the plan appears to be bringing back everybody that they finished the season with, which isn’t a terrible thing to have. But again, when everybody wants to come, maybe a discount could be there in play, and it could be interesting.”
T JAWAAN TAYLOR SIGNS FOUR-YEAR, $80 MILLION DEAL WITH KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Fit/need grade: B+
Value grade: B
Contract: Four years, $80 million, $60 million total guaranteed
PFF projected contract: Four years, $68 million, $42.5 million total guaranteed
Taylor has never missed a game in his NFL career and will still be just 25 years old for the first few months of the 2023 season.
Taylor has become one of the better pass protectors on the right side across the NFL, ranking top fifteen in pass-blocking grade (76.7) and pressure rate allowed (5.2%) among tackles on true pass sets in 2022.
Taylor is expected to play left tackle for Kansas City, which is interesting because he does not have much experience on the blind side even dating back to his college days at Florida. With Andrew Wylie following Eric Bienemy to the Washington Commanders, Kansas City still needs to address the right side, but they make their splash signing with a big deal after letting Orlando Brown Jr. also walk in free agency.
Chiefs Sign OT Jawaan Taylor
Contract Terms: Four years, $80 million ($60 million guaranteed)
With both Orlando Brown Jr. and Andrew Wylie becoming free agents this year, the Kansas City Chiefs could be headed for a big-time shakeup along their offensive line.
That shakeup began in earnest Monday when they agreed to terms on a four-year, $80 million contract with former Jacksonville Jaguars tackle Jawaan Taylor, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal includes $60 million in guarantees.
The 25-year-old allowed five sacks in just under 1,100 snaps last year with the Jaguars, per Pro Football Focus. He was also called for seven penalties.
Given the success that the Chiefs have enjoyed in recent years despite shuffling players up front, it’s tempting to give Kansas City the benefit of the doubt here. But the Chiefs are reportedly planning to flip Taylor to left tackle in 2023, per NFL Network’s James Palmer.
Paying $20 million per season to a young tackle who will have to change positions is a lot to ask, especially when that young tackle was abysmal as a run blocker last season.
Grade: C-
3. Orlando Brown
The Chiefs allowing Brown to test the free agent market has other teams salivating to get one of the league’s top tackles on their offensive line.
Brown has been one of the best tackles in the game over the past four seasons, the only offensive tackle to reach the Pro Bowl in each of the past four years. The Chiefs left tackle allowed four sacks and 39 pressures in the regular season while allowing 10 pressures in three postseason games. Brown didn’t allow a sack since Week 15 against the Texans and just two sacks since Week 9 against the Titans.
Good left tackles are hard to find in this league. Brown is one of those players.
Report: KC Chiefs Re-Sign DL Tershawn Wharton to One-Year Deal | Arrowhead Report
On Monday afternoon, it was announced that general manager Brett Veach and his staff came to an agreement with offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor on a four-year deal worth $80 million. Late on Monday night, Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team reported some news regarding Steve Spagnuolo’s front four on defense. According to Meirov, defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton is returning to Kansas City on a one-year deal worth $2M.
Around the NFL
Source - Bears give LB Tremaine Edmunds $72 million contract | ESPN
The Chicago Bears are giving Buffalo Bills free agent linebacker Tremaine Edmunds a four-year, $72 million contract that includes $50 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
It is the largest four-year contract for an inside linebacker in the NFL.
Edmunds is the second starting linebacker added by the Bears on Monday. Earlier in the day, the Bears agreed to a three-year contract with Philadelphia Eagles free-agent T.J. Edwards worth $19.5 million, including $12 million in guaranteed money, a source told ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.
QB Sam Darnold, 49ers agree to terms on one-year deal | NFL.com
Darnold has signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported.
The 49ers needed some clarity at quarterback with injuries to Trey Lance and Brock Purdy and Jimmy Garoppolo signing with the Raiders.
Darnold, 25, is now joining his third NFL team. He was a first-round pick (third overall) of the New York Jets in 2018, starting 38 games there and struggling before being traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021. Darnold started 11 games that season before losing his job down the stretch.
Winner: Veteran cornerbacks
Jalen Ramsey kicked off this trend on Sunday, when the Pro Bowl cover man signed off on a trade from the rebuilding Rams to sunny Miami, where he’ll join a revamped Dolphins ”D” now led by Vic Fangio. On Monday, more struck gold: Edgy Steelers up-and-comer Cameron Sutton got $33M to join the ascending Lions secondary. And then Patrick Peterson, who enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance in his second season with the Vikings, landed in a perfect spot at age 32, replacing Sutton in Pittsburgh, where he’ll be able to lean on the rangy assistance of Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Can Jimmy Garoppolo unlock big-play potential of Raiders offense? | FOX Sports
Garoppolo played for Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels in New England when the QB entered the league as a second-round pick in the 2014 draft, so he’s intimately familiar with the offense in Las Vegas.
On Monday, the Raiders agreed to sign Garoppolo to a three-year, $67.5 million deal that includes $34 million in guaranteed money. So McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler can still draft a quarterback of the future next month, possibly at No. 7 overall.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero, Davenport has agreed to a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings worth $13 million.
The Saints traded up in the 2018 draft to select Davenport 14th overall, sacrificing their 2019 first-round pick in the process. Unfortunately, he has produced mixed results, as he’s never played a full season in his NFL career.
Atlanta Falcons Shore Up Defense, Agree to 4-year, $64M deal with Bates | The 33rd Team
The Falcons agreed to terms with safety Jessie Bates III on a four-year, $64 million contract, NFL Media reported. That came on the heels of a three-year agreement with defensive tackle David Onyemata. Atlanta further addressed the defense when it added linebacker Kaden Elliss on a three-year, $21.5 million deal, also per NFL Media.
Bates, who played last season under the franchise tag at $12.9 million for the Cincinnati Bengals, is productive in stopping both the run and the pass. Bates, the top-ranked player on The 33rd Team’s Top 150 Free Agents, made 71 tackles and four interceptions, and he had eight passes defended for the AFC North champions.
Austin Ekeler asks Chargers to let him talk to other teams about trade | USA Today
Ekeler has asked the Chargers for permission to speak to other teams about a potential trade, his agent, Cameron Weiss, told USA TODAY Sports on Monday.
Ekeler and his agent have been trying to negotiate an extension with the Chargers, but those talks haven’t progressed. Ekeler is entering the final year of a four-year, $24.5 million deal that he signed in March 2020. He will make $6.25 million.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Jawaan Taylor vs. Maxx Crosby, 3rd down
— Nate Christensen (@natech32) March 13, 2023
Vertical set, keeps drag hand ready, opens hips up the arc and washes him upfield. His hip fluidity/footwork are tangibly better than OBJ (sack rate tho amirite) pic.twitter.com/b7k09OmPXl
When you turn on Taylor’s film, the first thing that stands out is how well he gets out of his stance. Similar to former Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, Taylor’s primary pass set is a vertical pass set where he’s on an island. Taylor’s kick-slide is the foundation of his game.
He’s explosive out of his stance, mirroring the footwork of pass rushers to prevent them from rushing around the corner.
Taylor held up well against Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. On this play, Taylor gets out of his stance to match Crosby, keeping his hips closed to absorb the rusher’s power. Once Crosby reads this and decides to go around the corner, Taylor opens his hips, tracks Crosby’s inside shoulder with his hands and washes him out of the play entirely.
Taylor's ability to match out of his stance is fun. Truly good vertical setter, mirrors guys upfield well. His anchor is also quite good but it matches his ability to get out of stance. Keeps hips closed, resets feet and drives forward to stun power, drop inside foot on anchor pic.twitter.com/tmYjv5Vz5o
— Nate Christensen (@natech32) March 13, 2023
A tweet to make you think
Our guy @natech32 went straight to the film on the #Chiefs new tackle Jawaan Taylor. #APEmergencyPod@pgsween | @Arrowheadphones | @StephenSerda pic.twitter.com/qMxc7ZyTgc
— Arrowhead Pride (@ArrowheadPride) March 13, 2023
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