Arrowheadlines: Travis Kelce to throw opening pitch for home opener in Cleveland

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Travis will be joined by his mother

2023 NFL Draft: Five Round 1 trades that would make sense | NFL.com

Chiefs receive:

No. 25 overall (Round 1)

Giants receive:

No. 31 overall (Round 1)

No. 95 overall (Round 3)

The most difficult thing to do in sports is stay on top. The defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs know the Bengals and Bills will be knocking on their door, with another seven or eight teams keeping their eyes on the prize in the ultracompetitive AFC.

GM Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid might feel another difference-maker on offense is needed to keep the train rolling. Even if they think Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney can take the spots of free-agent departures JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman, an additional receiver could come in handy if injuries hit again this season. At least one of the top wideouts should be available at 25, with Zay Flowers and Jalin Hyatt the most likely candidates.

The Giants moved down twice in the second round last year, accumulating fourth- and fifth-round selections to build roster depth. GM Joe Schoen must have learned during his time as an assistant to Beane in Buffalo about the value of dropping a few spots in exchange for a top-100 selection, especially when the team can still find a center or corner prospect waiting to become the final pick of the first round.

NFL Exec: Patrick Mahomes Would Get Fully Guaranteed Offers in Lamar Jackson’s Shoes | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report

While it appears to be a major hurdle for free-agent quarterback Lamar Jackson, a fully guaranteed deal wouldn’t get in the way of Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes’ finding a team in the eyes of one NFL executive.

“If Patrick Mahomes were in Lamar’s shoes, he would have 30 offer sheets, all guaranteed,” the executive said to The Athletic’s Mike Sando.

Despite being the 2019 MVP and a two-time Pro Bowler in the prime of his career, Jackson remains unsigned. He has yet to agree to an offer from another team or sign the non-exclusive franchise tender the Baltimore Ravens applied to him.

Lance Zierlein 2023 NFL mock draft 3.0: Ravens select C.J. Stroud after trade; Patriots pick QB | NFL.com

31 - Kansas City Chiefs

Cedric Tillman

Tennessee · WR · Senior (RS)

Tillman totaled 17 catches for 352 yards and two touchdowns in games against Georgia and Alabama in 2021 when he was fully healthy. With his high ankle sprain behind him, this is a steal.

Three-Round 2023 NFL Mock Draft: Colts zero in on Anthony Richardson, Jets select Calijah Kancey | NFL Draft | PFF

31. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: EDGE MYLES MURPHY, CLEMSON

The Chiefs love strong defensive ends, and Murphy is right up there with anyone in the class in that regard. He was already a dominant run defender as a true freshman at Clemson but never quite developed a pass-rushing package.

Chiefs P Tommy Townsend to be celebrated by his hometown in Florida | Chiefs Wire

Chiefs stars Creed Humphrey and Carlos Dunlap were recently honored in their respective towns, and Tommy Townsend appears to be the next recipient. The Chiefs’ Pro Bowl punter is scheduled to be honored with a special “Tommy Townsend Day” declaration in Orange County, Florida. Townsend will be presented honors from Mayor Jerry Demings and Commissioner Uribe on Tuesday, April 11th and at 9 am, followed by a “Super Bowl Tailgate” celebration scheduled to take place from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET.

Around the NFL

Mac Jones trade rumors: Patriots reportedly shopping QB, plus five logical landing spots | CBS Sports

5. Broncos

They’re tied to Russell Wilson through 2023 (and would have to eat lots of money to dump him in 2024), but new coach Sean Payton has already hinted that new No. 2 Jarrett Stidham is a candidate for future starting reps. Why wouldn’t he unturn every stone as he looks to revive the franchise, especially considering he was admittedly high on Jones as a prospect while coaching the Saints? Stylistically, the QB’s short-area efficiency is at least a little reminiscent of Drew Brees.

Las Vegas Raiders sign QB Brian Hoyer to two-year deal | ESPN

The Las Vegas Raiders have signed quarterback Brian Hoyer to a two-year deal, it was announced Tuesday.

Earlier this offseason, the Raiders signed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year, $72.75 million contract on March 17. Las Vegas also has the No. 7 pick in this month’s draft.

Hoyer was released by the New England Patriots prior to the start of free agency.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs Free Agency 2023: DeAndre Hopkins back on radar given release talk?

There has been continued speculation about five-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who the Arizona Cardinals have allowed to speak with other teams. The Cardinals reportedly desire at least a second-round pick for Hopkins — but that is not all that might go into a potential swap.

The caveat regarding the 30-year-old is that there are two years (and north of $34 million) remaining on his current contract. That has made him less attractive as a trade candidate — which now leads to Breer’s latest piece of news: that he could become available via an outright release.

“If Hopkins’ price were to come down, I mean, some teams think they’re gonna cut him,” said Breer. “I think the Cardinals are going to wind up cutting him. His market is not great right now. And even for teams, like say Kansas City — Kansas City would need him to take a significant paycut.”

Per our calculations at Arrowhead Pride at the time of this writing, the Chiefs have about $5.5 million of available cap space for 2023. That assures a Cardinals-Chiefs trade is out of the question. But could the Chiefs get involved if he is simply available on the open market, ready to sign a new contract?

Breer confirmed that it might take Hopkins’ willingness to agree to a contract similar to what former Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster took last year. As a reminder, those numbers came in at one year for $3.76 million ($2.49 million guaranteed), not including incentives that could have earned Smith-Schuster up to $10.75 million.

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