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Kansas City Chiefs: T.E. Travis Kelce
It wasn’t crazy to vote Kelce the MVP over Patrick Mahomes in 2022. He’s about as reliable as they come, always finding green grass in the middle. And with Mahomes’ WR changing room again, he will still be the de facto #1 passing target.
The 7 Best Tight Ends Heading into the 2023 NFL Season | Team 33
1. Travis Kelsey, Kansas City Chiefs
My tight ends shouldn’t come as a surprise – Travis Kelsey. He averaged 2.24 yards per run, which was first among tight ends. Patrick Mahomes had a 122 passer rating when he took aim at Kelsey, which he did a lot. Kelce had 110 receptions for 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns, four of which came against the Blinkers.
He’s a smart player. I’ve never seen a tight end who could line up an outsider like him. If it was a receiver, it would still be made Pro Bowl. It’s not an overwhelming blocker, but it does cut men and get in the way. Does enough to help the Kansas City Chiefs running game.
Kelce can do it all. He catches touchdowns, short passes and long passes, and can run after catch. He has already played 10 seasons and won two powers. He can continue to build on that and improve. I hope he plays for many more years because there is no player I love to watch in the NFL more than him.
What we learned this NFL season about all 32 teams | Sports Illustrated
Kansas City Chiefs
What we learned: Bosses aren’t worried about the parlor.
Theoretically, the Chiefs might have one of the worst wide receivers in the league, but they don’t care. That’s the luxury of having Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelsey and coach Andy Reid. Just like last year after trading Tyreek Hill to Miami, the Chiefs will likely find a way to get him to work with Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore.
NFL 2023 “Triplets” Standings, Part 3: Bengals and Chiefs in a League of Their Own | CBS Sports
Level 1: A league of their own
2. Kansas City Chiefs (Average: 1.6, High: 1, Low: 3)
Last year: fourth
QB: Patrick Mahomes RB: Isiah Pacheco TE: Travis Kelce
1. Cincinnati Bengals (Medium: 1.5 High: 1 Low: 2)
Last year: the second
QB: Joe Burrow RB: Joe Mixon WR: Ja’Marr Chase
Kansas City received one stray vote on third, and that ultimately proved the difference between first and second in this drill. Patrick Mahomes is the best player on the planet, capable of reaching heights no other midfielder can achieve due to his unique combination of accuracy, timing, out-of-structure playmaking and arm strength. He and Kelce are the most unstoppable duo in the league, and it almost doesn’t matter what’s running alongside them.
That said, I have a feeling the remarkable difference between Mixon and Pacheco is what ultimately landed the Bengals the starting pitcher — even if Mixon was apparently on the verge of dropping out for part of the season. Burrow and Chase are basically a big game waiting to happen, and the work the entire offense did last year to counter top-down defenses who took the ball deep will help them deep into the future.
Latest NFL First Round Draft Picks With Untapped Potential Entering 2023 | Ovarian report
WR Kadarius Tony, Kansas City Chiefs
20th overall in the 2021 draft
Kadarius Toney moved from Daniel Jones to Patrick Mahomes midway through the 2022 season. That’s roughly equivalent to moving from a Toyota Camry to a Lamborghini.
The former first-round draft pick was not expected for the Giants. There was a walk of 10, 189 yards against Dallas Cowboys in prime time, but ended up being a one-time flash of his abilities.
The Chiefs traded picks No. 100 and 209 to Tony before last year’s trading deadline. It didn’t pay off right away. He had just 14 catches for 171 yards in the regular season, but stopped short of touchdown receptions in the Super Bowl.
It could be a harbinger of things to come for him. He’ll have every chance to finally explode in 2023. The departure of JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency leaves 101 goals waiting to be grabbed and the absence of Mecole Hardman will negate another 34.
Any offense Andy Reed runs with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback will generate a lot of yardage and explosive plays. Tony’s athleticism and electric ability with the ball in his hands was the reason he was selected in the first round in the first place.
Outside of Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the Chiefs don’t have many receivers who have proven themselves to be productive. There are a lot of possibilities for Toney to have an outstanding season.
2023 NFL season: How will touchdowns shake out in crowded center stacks? | NFL.com
Kansas City Chiefs
receiver
Tony Cadarius, Marquis Valdes-Scantling, Sky Moore, Rashi Rice, Justin Watson, Richie James, Justin Ross, John Ross
For the second season in a row, we’re guessing how Patrick Mahomes’ receiving corps will form. All the worry about it from a year ago seemed silly in retrospect when Mahomes carried the Chiefs to another Super Bowl title. Still, there are roles to settle here again.
There is high hope that Kadarius Toney will develop into a WR1 type, though tight end Travis Kelce remains the big dog until proven otherwise. One way or another, Tony’s game-changing ability as a runner, receiver, and returner should give him a much expanded role than he was asked after he was traded to Kansas City in 2022, especially after a few huge plays in the Super Bowl.
Skyy Moore also emerged late last season after trying some rookie moments and numbers to get more chances. He seems to be gaining Mahomes’ confidence as time goes on and could benefit even more in the slot following the departure of JuJu Smith-Schuster. Marquis Valdez-Scantling has probably done enough to earn a role as a deep outside threat, and Rashi Rice will be second in the mix in some aspects – the question is just how far, how fast. There are enough other interesting internal options to call this group a good one, whether or not the Chiefs add a veteran between now and week one.
About the NFL
Deion Sanders Won’t Need Foot Amputation, But Stroke Surgery Friday | ESPN
Colorado coach Deion Sanders will not need to have his left foot amputated at this time, though he will have surgery Friday to relieve clots in both legs.
Sanders said in a video Thursday that there is “no talk of amputation” of his left foot despite significant blood flow issues. The 55-year-old, who was slated to start his senior season in Colorado, recently had a meeting with his medical staff as a foot amputation was presented as a possible outcome. Sanders’ encounter with the doctors was broadcast as part of “Thee Pregame Show” on YouTube. During the meeting, he said he had no feeling on the bottom of his foot.
“The doctors were just telling me, ‘Worse is worse, this was going to happen,'” Sanders said in a video Thursday. “But I believe in staying right so we never have to take that left.”
Clark injured his knee during the last week of practice during organized volunteer team activities. Rapoport added that Clark requested a second opinion on the matter, and the injury explains why both Jets signed veteran Adrian Amos in the same week.
The Jets acquired Clark in a trade with the Ravens in March, sending the 2024 seventh-inning pick to Baltimore. New York made waves the following month in trading four-time Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers, who effectively turned the Jets into one of the league’s top contenders in 2023.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs 2022 season: Offensive stats from Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelsey, and more
The Chiefs have the ultimate football weapon in quarterback Patrick Mahomes – and everyone in the NFL knows that. That’s why many defenses have begun using soft, deep coverage schemes against Mahomes to limit big plays in the air.
To fight back, the Chiefs had to force defenses to respect the other side of football: the running game. They’ve done this by adding individual players like center Creed Humphrey, right guard Trey Smith, and running back Isiah Pacheco, but more importantly, the play matches the initiative. Play movement is key, but doing it from the gun doesn’t grab the attention of defenders off the ball as well as it does going down the post.
Generally, starting at bottom center in formations that feature two ends, three tight ends will force defenses to play closer to the line of scrimmage and with heavier personnel. The Chiefs improved on that in their play-by-play last year, and I expect that to continue this year. Tight end Noah Gray may be a bigger part of the offense than he was last year.