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Joe Burrow hopes Bengals can emulate the Chiefs’ success | Kansas City Star
That eliminated the Bengals from the postseason. The Chiefs didn’t lose again, winning their regular-season finale, igniting another Super Bowl championship run. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes won a third Super Bowl MVP.
Burrow took note of the Chiefs’ success and how the Bengals can copy it.
“The blueprint is right in front of us,” Burrow said. “We watched it unfold. I feel really good about that matchup for our team. We just have to put ourselves in that position next year to have that opportunity at the end to go and win it.”
The Chiefs have been in the last six AFC Championship Games and advanced to four of the past five Super Bowls. They’ve won the Lombardi Trophy three times in that span.
Burrow, who will be entering his fifth NFL season, is hoping to emulate the success had by Mahomes and the Chiefs.
“They’re the gold standard right now,” Burrow said. “They’ve been to what, six straight AFC championships and four of the last (five) Super Bowls?
Kansas City Chiefs
Two-time First-Team All-Pro Chris Jones is the anchor of the Kansas City Chiefs’ second-ranked scoring defense (17.3 points per game allowed in 2023). No defensive tackle has more sacks (35.0), tackles for loss (38) and quarterback pressures (217) than Jones in the past three seasons.
How elite is Jones? Well, since 1980, he is one of only four defensive players to be a First-Team All-Pro selection and win the Super Bowl in the same season twice. The other three are all Hall of Famers: Ronnie Lott (1981 and 1989), Richard Seymour (2003-2004) and Troy Polamalu (2005 and 2008). Kansas City needs to make the most of the salary cap’s historic spike this offseason and pay this man his money.
2024 NFL free agent rankings: Top 50 led by Chris Jones, Kirk Cousins | FOX Sports
1. Chris Jones, Interior defensive lineman, Chiefs
Jones held out during training camp and into the first week of the regular season before signing a one-year deal worth up to $25 million for 2023. The 29-year-old remains one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league, totaling 10.5 sacks this season. His 66 quarterback pressures were tied for third among defensive tackles during the regular season. The Chiefs retain the ability to place the franchise tag on Jones, giving them some leverage in contract negotiations at the start of free agency. But the tag would be prohibitively expensive. Jones wants to remain in Kansas City and the Chiefs want to keep him in the fold.
POTENTIAL LANDING SPOTS: Kansas City, Las Vegas, Detroit
Cash-Strapped Contender Won’t Re-Sign Three-Time Pro Bowler | Last Word on Sports
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the most fascinating offseasons of any team. With L’Jarius Sneed on the franchise tag and Chris Jones set to hit unrestricted free agency, they might not have the money to invest in one of the top wide receivers in free agency. If they’re strapped for cash, they could decide to target free agent Odell Beckham. Beckham isn’t going to break the bank by any stretch of the imagination, and he’d be a good pairing with Rashee Rice and a rookie in this loaded draft class.
2024 NFL Mock Draft: B/R NFL Scouting Dept.’s Post-Combine Predictions | Bleacher Report
32. Kansas City Chiefs: WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
Supposedly, the Kansas City Chiefs offense wouldn’t be the same without Tyreek Hill. Technically, that turned out to be true. But the trade didn’t hamper Patrick Mahomes and Co. enough to prevent the franchise from winning back-to-back Super Bowls.
Even so, another field-tilting speedster could open things up again, particularly since Kansas City is still looking for other options in the passing game.
Travis Kelce will be Mahomes’ favorite target for however long the tight end continues to play. Rashee Rice developed nicely as his rookie season progressed. From there, the Chiefs need more talent at wide receiver.
Why not draft the fastest player in (recorded) NFL Scouting Combine history?
“Head coach Andy Reid is a sucker for speed and there’s nobody faster than Texas’ Xavier Worthy,” Klassen said. “That was true even before Worthy broke the combine record with a 4.21-second 40-yard dash.
“On film, Worthy pops off the screen, both with his short-area explosiveness and his long speed. He has his deficiencies when it comes to physicality (5’11”, 165 lbs) and ball skills, but the natural speed is going to be enough to make him a weapon at the next level. If anyone can unlock that ability, it’s Reid and Mahomes.”
Post-Combine 2024 NFL Mock Draft: Chicago Bears land Caleb Williams and Brock Bowers, Patriots get their QB of the future | PFF
Ladd McConkey
Rashee Rice performed well as a rookie — especially in the playoffs — but wide receiver is still a huge need for the Chiefs. McConkey averaged 3.26 yards per route run and dropped just 6.3% of the catchable passes thrown his way last season. He would give Patrick Mahomes another legitimate weapon in the passing game.
Patrick Mahomes leaves Brittany at home, travels to Germany for a very special visit | Marca
During his most recent trip, Mahomes visited the headquarters of his official supplier, Adidas, in Germany, and he crossed paths with some fellow stars. Mahomes posed for a photo with Liverpool manager Klopp, as well as South Africa captain Siya Kolisi and Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden.
Gulden posted the photo on social media after the meeting. “One of the best ever…. Patrick Mahomes visiting HQ! Not only a fantastic athlete but also a very very nice guy!,” he wrote on Instagram. “Thanks for coming… it is an honor to work with you!”
2024 NFL mock draft: Reid’s pick predictions in Rounds 1-2 | ESPN
32. Kansas City Chiefs
Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
Here’s the guy everyone is talking about after the combine — and in a pairing that just makes too much sense. Worthy set a new combine record with a 4.21-second run in the 40-yard dash, and he could thrive in Andy Reid’s offense. I’m not sure Patrick Mahomes could ever overthrow Worthy; the 5-11 receiver can run under anything. In Andy Reid’s offense, he could thrive as he brings a vertical dimension that the team lacked last season. He’s physical, too, but weighed in at 165 pounds in Indy, so that’ll be something to watch. I could see Worthy immediately stepping into the Marquez Valdes-Scantling role and thriving.
Around the NFL
Seahawks releasing safeties Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs | NFL.com
The Seahawks are releasing safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday, per sources. The tandem had been Seattle’s starting safeties since the start of the 2020 season, although Adams never played a full season for the team.
The moves will save the Seahawks $27.5 million in cash, per Pelissero, as well as freeing up significant salary-cap space for Seattle. Prior to the moves, the Seahawks had roughly $12 million in cap space available, according to Over The Cap.
Seattle is also releasing tight end Will Dissly, which will save $7 million in cash and salary space, per Pelissero.
Russell Wilson landing spots: Which teams make sense for QB? | USA Today
A rebuild hardly seems like an optimal situation for Wilson, and – given the organizational DNA – he hardly seems like the optimal quarterback for the Silver and Black. But he’s better than Jimmy Garoppolo and Aidan O’Connell and might be a preferable interim alternative for a team that’s drafting 13th overall next month. Going to Sin City would also allow Wilson to see the Broncos twice a year while perhaps helping lay a better groundwork for the future than Garoppolo managed. A bummer that U2’s residency ended over the weekend – nothing’s going your way, Russ.
Ravens put franchise tag on sacks leader Justin Madubuike | ESPN
It was expected that Baltimore would use the franchise tag, which is worth $22,110,200 for defensive tackles this season. A week ago, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said the team would probably use the tag if the sides couldn’t reach an extension before Tuesday’s deadline to designate franchise players.
“Justin is a great player and person, and we will continue to negotiate a long-term deal with him,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
NFL is considering rule changes to increase kickoff returns
The league has continued to tweak kickoff rules to improve player safety. But with only one in five kickoffs being returned in 2023 — and no kickoff returns in the league’s most-watched game — the NFL has now realized that things have been pushed too far. In late February, the league’s executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent told NFL.com columnist Judy Battista that another change was in the air.
“We know we won’t go back into what we saw last year, when it became a ceremonial play,” he said.
According to Vincent, the league’s Competition Committee (and special-teams coaches) were being tasked to come up with a proposal for a new kickoff format that would continue to keep players safe, but also provide more opportunities for returns. Owners would then vote on this proposal during the annual league meetings scheduled for March 24-27.
At a Saturday meeting during the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, special-teams coaches from around the league worked out a proposal that is similar to the kickoff format used in the XFL.
Under this proposed rule, the ball would still be kicked from the kickoff team’s 35-yard line. But the rest of the kickoff team would line up on the opponent’s 40-yard line. The return team would line up just five yards away on their 35 — and no one on either line could leave those positions until the ball is touched or reaches the “target zone,” which will be between the 20-yard line and the goal line.
Social media to make you think
The #Bucs have placed the franchise tag on All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield, per @AdamSchefter. That’s worth $17.1M fully guaranteed for 2024.
Both sides will continue negotiating on a long-term deal and have until mid-July to finalize something. pic.twitter.com/QG9kXvLR9H
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 5, 2024