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Chiefs coach Andy Reid finds focus after Super Bowl parade shooting | USA Today
“It’s the youth,” the Kansas City Chiefs coach told USA TODAY Sports before shuttling to another session at the Indiana Convention Center. “We’ve got to do whatever we can to help our youth.”
Like so many, Reid was jolted by the senseless tragedy that occurred at the end of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebration at Kansas City’s Union Station nearly two weeks ago, when Lisa Lopez-Galvan, 43, a wife and mother of two, was killed by gunfire and 22 others were injured in the shooting.
Two men, Dominic M. Miller and Lyndell Mays, are facing second-degree murder charges and other charges, while two unidentified juveniles are also charged with gun possession and resisting arrest.
Chiefs GM Brett Veach: Retaining Chris Jones ‘at the top of the list’ of offseason priorities | The Athletic
“I love Chris,” Veach said. “Tried really hard to get something done, and we didn’t, but when we got together right after that Detroit game, we had a great talk. Both parties, I think, want to be here, so we’ll get to work. That’s certainly a guy we want back and love and want to see him finish his career here in Kansas City.”
Along with Jones’ agent, Veach will be meeting with star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed’s representation. Both Jones and Sneed are pending free agents.
Veach’s words Tuesday echo his sentiments from Feb. 8, when he said his offseason situation is “extremely hard because you have two keystone players there.”
“But we usually work through things systematically and have a list of the priorities,” Veach said before Kansas City’s Super Bowl win over San Francisco. “Certainly, Chris and LJ are at the top of the list.”
Ideal NFL Team Fits for Top Free-Agent WRs After Bengals Franchise-Tag Tee Higgins | Bleacher Report
Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts
With Tee Higgins off the market, Michael Pittman Jr. has become arguably the most prized receiver of the upcoming free-agent signing period.
The Indianapolis Colts star doesn’t have a Pro Bowl berth under his belt yet, but he’s amassed at least 88 receptions, 925 receiving yards and four touchdowns in each of the last three seasons. He’s coming off his finest season as a professional, reaching new career highs in targets (156), catches (109) and receiving yardage (1,152) in his fourth NFL campaign.
Perhaps most impressively, Pittman accomplished this despite little support from his teammates and instability at the quarterback position.
Pittman was the only Colts’ skill-position player to breech the 800-yard mark in 2024, vastly outperforming fellow Indianapolis wideouts such as rookie Josh Downs and Alec Pierce. The 6’4”, 223-pounder thrived with both rookie Anthony Richardson and veteran backup Gardnew Minshew II under center, proving he’s going to be successful no matter who throws him the ball.
While the Colts will likely do everything in their power to retain the 26-year-old who they selected near the top of the 2020 draft, Pittman would be an even better fit with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The back-to-back defending champions must reinforce the receiving corps if they are going to become the first team to three-peat in the Super Bowl era. Kansas City managed to preserve through a shaky regular season and several close calls in the playoffs despite a lack of elite wideouts but can’t afford to have Rashee Rice and an aging Travis Kelce as the roster’s only competent pass-catchers in 2024.
The finances may be tight, but the Chiefs have slightly over $28 million in cap space to work with at the onset of the offseason. Spotrac estimates Pittman will make $22.7 million annually on his next deal, making this a workable situation for both parties and could even be remembered as a value signing if Pittman makes a leap while working with a Hall of Fame passer in Patrick Mahomes.
Best Fit: Kansas City Chiefs
Projected Contract: Three years, $70 million
During an appearance on The Pivot (1:08:00 mark), Hardman opened up about the issues the Jets faced under offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett after star quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles in the season opener (h/t ESPN’s Rich Cimini):
“You just got a new [offensive] coaching staff that came in and there’s no standard there. Everybody does what they want to do. Granted, the defense has more of a stabilized standard with the coaching staff on that side, so the defense has a standard. But the offense is just like, ‘We’ll just figure it out. It’s Aaron’s show. Let Aaron do what Aaron does.’ Then when Aaron goes down, it’s like we don’t know what to do.”
Identifying Every NFL Team’s Dream Draft Target in 2024 | Bleacher Report
Kansas City Chiefs: WR Keon Coleman
This is going to happen, isn’t it?
There are differentiating opinions on wide receiver Keon Coleman across the league, but players of his stature (6’4”) and athletic profile simply don’t last long on boards.
Wideout Rashee Rice outperformed expectations for the Kansas City Chiefs in year one, and thrusting Coleman’s skill set into an offense led by Patrick Mahomes would simply be unfair.
Projecting Coleman’s game inside an architecture schemed up by Andy Reid and an offense captained by Mahomes would give opposing corners nightmares.
Round 1 – Pick 32
Adonai Mitchell WR
TEXAS • JR • 6’4” / 196 LBS
The 2023 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year could make a major impact in Kansas City as a rookie. The Chiefs’ 2023 receiver group led the NFL in drops (28) and drop rate (12%), according to SportRadar, so this is a critical area of need for the back-to-back Super Bowl champions. Mitchell led the Big 12 in touchdown catches (11) last season, showcasing his deep ball and red zone chops. He also had a knack for timely catches, including one to keep the Longhorns’ College Football Playoff hopes alive against TCU and another that kept them within striking distance of Washington in the CFP semifinal. That type of clutch playmaking is exactly what K.C. needs since it will continue playing in big moments for years to come.
Andy Reid didn’t get any of the pop-tarts that Taylor Swift made for the offensive lineman
Around the NFL
Many fans, and players, do not like this rule, but it seems like it is not going anywhere. The NFL competition committee went over the rule on Monday and the discussion to change it did not get very far, according to Judy Battista of NFL Media.
The competition committee defended the rule, saying the player carrying the ball is responsible for maintaining control, using this as the reasoning for why the rule does not need to be changed. Per NBC Sports, the competition committee is not expected to recommend to teams that the ruling is changed.
The rule is very different than when the ball goes out of bounds between the end zones. If a ball carrier loses control and the ball goes out of play in the 100 yards of the field, the offense maintains possession. Many use the disparity between what happens between the goal lines as a reasoning to change what happens if the ball goes outside of the end zone.
However, Poles outlined that if Chicago is to move on from the top pick for a second straight season, the cost would have to match that which the Panthers paid last year to the Bears.
“It’s hard to say right now,” Poles told reporters Tuesday at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, “but it’s gotta help our organization significantly to move around, because we saw what it did last year. And I’m looking for that type of return ticket to improve our football team.”
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Super Bowl weekend that the Bears would need a historic haul to trade the top pick again. Poles provided somewhat of a guideline, as he and Chicago received the ninth-overall pick in 2023, a second-round selection in 2023, a first-round pick in 2024 (which became said No. 1 overall choice), a second-round pick in 2025, and receiver DJ Moore for the 2023 No. 1 overall choice.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Chiefs News: Current plans for L’Jarius Sneed, Chris Jones
“That’s always a stress,” Veach described of the negotiation process at this stage. “You’d like to be able to tag all the guys and pay all the guys. It’s tough because the more you win, the more you have to pay players… then it’s equally tough because you’re drafting late. There are challenges; we’ll go through them and always put our best foot forward. We’ll certainly do what we can to try and keep both of those players, and that will be our goal and intent.”
Before Fowler’s report, common sense pointed to the tag being applied to Sneed: the $19.8 million cap hit is more manageable than the number would be for Jones. The logic is still there, but the motive could be different — and Veach acknowledged the potential chaos when speaking.
“Hopefully, we’re able to figure something out, but every free agency is different, unique and crazy,” Veach recognized.
“We do have one tag, and I anticipate probably using it to help us,” Veach hinted. “Our goal is to get both of those players done, then work our way down the roster.”
Social media to make you think
The mystery of the #Chiefs rapidly declining salary cap space has been solved. It’s now down to about $17 million because because Nick Bolton, Creed Humphrey, Noah Gray, and Trey Smith have earned mandatory fourth year raises from the Proven Performance Escalator
— Jared Sapp (@TrumanChief) February 28, 2024