Arrowheadlines: Chiefs pass catchers ranked in the bottom half of the NFL

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2023 NFL Wide Receiver & Tight End Rankings, All 32 Teams | Sharp Football Analysis

18. Kansas City Chiefs

It was difficult to rank the Chiefs pass catchers as an isolated unit because Patrick Mahomes elevates everyone around him and Travis Kelce is the best tight end in the league. As a result, votes ranged from 12th to 26th. There’s a lack of proven talent, but Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, and second-round pick Rashee Rice give the Chiefs a number of potential weapons to replace JuJu Smith-Schuster’s production.

Could Patrick Mahomes’ behind-the-back pass be unveiled this season? | The Athletic

Well, midway through the Chiefs’ non-padded practice Saturday, finally, it happened: Patrick Mahomes, the most talented passer in the NFL, threw and completed a behind-the-back pass with 21 other players on the field — a first in front of fans during training camp since Mahomes became the franchise’s quarterback in 2017.

When practice ended, several members of the Chiefs’ video production department moved as fast as they could to get back to Blum Union, its headquarters on the campus of Missouri Western State. The buzz in the room, of course, was to look at Mahomes’ highlight — again and again and again — and share it on the team’s social media accounts.

“He’s just kidding… unless?” the Chiefs wrote on their Twitter account, which was accompanied with a flushed face emoji.

A couple of Chiefs legends could be heading for Canton next year

2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame lookahead: Julius Peppers, Antonio Gates headline as we predict the inductees - CBS Sports

Berry, Charles, Marshall and Nelson may have a shot at induction in later years. While injuries cut his career short, Berry was a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro who twice led the league in interceptions returned for touchdowns. Charles — Berry’s former teammate in Kansas City — retired with a whopping 5.4 yards-per-carry average. Marshall was a six-time Pro Bowler who is one of fewer than 40 players with more than 11,000 career receiving yards.

6 NFL Players Who Already Look Like 2023 NFL Free Agent Steals in Training Camp | Bleacher Report

LB Drue Tranquill, Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs have a lot of money committed to their biggest stars so finding value is key for them to become bck-to-back champions.

If Drue Tranquill’s training camp performance is any indication, they’ve found a steal to round out their off-ball linebacker rotation.

Tranquill came to Kansas City on a one-year, $3 million contract after playing four seasons with the division-rival Chargers. The Chargers didn’t re-sign after his only full year of starting in which he put up 146 tackles and five sacks.

His history playing against the Chiefs means he already has a reputation with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“He’s just a smart player,” Mahomes said of Tranquill, per Nate Taylor of The Athletic. “I hated playing against him because he’s one of those linebackers that’s calling out what you’re saying at the line of scrimmage because he studies that much. I’ve already had to make up new code words because I can hear him on the other side.”

Taylor noted that Tranquill has played all over for the Chiefs defense. He’s been disruptive as a pass rusher on blitzes and has covered well from his middle linebacker position. Other beat writers have noted his ability to get after the passer as well.

Tranquill might not even be able to crack the starting lineup given how many good linebackers the Chiefs have. But he’s capable of coming in and playing any of the spots well so he’s going to be a factor.

Every NFL team’s most likely future Hall of Famer: Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers locks; T.J. Watt closing in| | CBS Sports

Kansas City Chiefs: QB Patrick Mahomes

Current Hall of Fame “lock”? Yes

Mahomes is already knocking on Canton’s doors

Mahomes all but punched his ticket to Canton last season. He led the Chiefs to another Super Bowl win and in the process joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only players with multiple league and Super Bowl MVPs.

Around the NFL

Panthers rookie QB Bryce Young to start preseason opener | ESPN

Reich, however, did not commit to how many snaps or series the top pick of the 2023 NFL draft would get in the game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“I do have an idea,’’ Reich said. “There is flexibility in the plan. There has to be. That’s just being smart about it. We have a general idea how many plays we want to get through the whole preseason, but that can be adjusted by 10 or 20 percent depending on how things go.’’

The plan to play Young shouldn’t come as a surprise. General manager Scott Fitterer said on the day players reported to camp that Young needs reps.

“We’re not going to put him out there before he’s ready,’’ Fitterer said at the time. “But he needs those reps.’’

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs’ 10 Biggest Questions: Skyy Moore and impact in Year 2

All offseason, the Chiefs had been touting Toney as a “No. 1 wide receiver talent”. After trading for him at the trade deadline, the hope was that a full offseason to get healthy and learn the playbook would unlock Toney’s complete skill set. Unfortunately, it took one day for that plan to derail.

After taking punts in warmups, Toney injured his meniscus, leaving his status for the start of the season in question. Keeping Toney healthy through training camp was a major priority for the organization, and the plan didn’t take long to derail. Regardless of how talented Toney is, relying on him to be a major factor in this offense will always be challenging with his extensive medical history.

That leads us to Skyy Moore. Moore hasn’t received the same hype as Toney, but the organization has also been quick to praise him. Moore has spoken about how much more comfortable he feels in Year 2 with the playbook and Patrick Mahomes, so he should be in line to have a leap this season.

The question is, however, how much of a leap will that be?

A tweet to make you think

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