What’s happening in Chiefs Kingdom?
Right now, a lot of receiver chatter. The Chiefs recently signed a new WR and re-signed a familiar face, and Patrick Mahomes has been feeding the Justyn Ross Hype Train. Plus, DeAndre Hopkins made it (sort of) clear where he wants to go…
Let’s look at the most recent and relevant Chiefs stories for the morning of April 18.
Latest in Chiefs news
Top Chiefs news
- Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has nothing but great things to say about receiver Justyn Ross. “The talent is through the roof,” Mahomes said about Ross, who has been working with Mahomes during the offseason. “I think anyone can see that. He’s getting better and better.” While Chiefs fans should remain cautious about getting too excited about Ross, it’s hard not to feel the hype about the 2022 undrafted free agent entering offseason workouts.
- Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins sort of indicated that the Chiefs and Bills are his preferred trade destinations. It’s not surprising to see Hopkins want to go to a contender, but it’s tough to say whether he’ll ultimately get his (assumed) wish.
- Contract details for new Chiefs WR Richie James were recently revealed. James will earn up to about $1.23 million in 2023 — a pretty cheap deal for a player who earned over 500 yards receiving last year (with Daniel Jones as his quarterback, no less). James could end up being an under-the-radar steal for the Chiefs.
- The Chiefs re-signed WR Justin Watson to a two-year deal worth up to $6 million. That may seem like a lot for a guy who was essentially WR5/6 last year, but it’s a deal mostly loaded with incentives. It’s actually a good pickup — Watson was a reliable body on offense and special teams, with the ability to catch, block, return and even make tackles.
- So, given all this WR news, what’s the state of the Chiefs’ WR room, anyway? Here’s a look: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore, Richie James, Justin Watson, Justyn Ross, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Cornell Powell, John Ross and Ty Fryfogle. You can probably add one or two drafted players and a handful of undrafted players to that group after the draft later this month. Is this a good enough squad for the Chiefs to enter 2023 with? Some may say no, but remember that many believed that to be the case before the 2022 season. We all know how that turned out. On that note, Sam McDowell has a good writeup on this topic over at the Kansas City Star.
In case you missed it
- Mahomes admitted that his ankle is not quite 100 percent, but he made it pretty clear that he’s in a good place with his recovery right now.
- Chiefs coach Andy Reid expressed confidence in Jawaan Taylor’s ability to play left tackle: “Even though he was on the right side I think he can transfer over to the left side. He’s really a good athlete and I think he’s excited about that.”
- The Chiefs to began the voluntary portion of offseason workouts Monday, which is basically just meetings and strength and conditioning.
- Former Chiefs draft pick Breeland Speaks dominated his USFL debut. On that note, 12 former Chiefs players will get another shot in the USFL during this spring season.
Chiefs draft notes
- Chiefs Wire editor Charles Goldman released his 2023 seven-round mock draft version 3.0. This time around Charles committed to no trades, which seems impossible for a Brett Veach draft.
- So, who are analysts selecting for Chiefs at pick No. 31 lately? Mocks seem to be leaning more and more toward edge rusher.
- Forget the mocks: Who are Chiefs’ likeliest first-round draft picks based on ESPN’s draft day predictor? There’s a wide range, but defense seems to be the consensus.
- Charles has been grinding the draft tape lately, and found tight end prospects for the Chiefs in each round of the 2023 NFL draft.
- After a post made by The 33rd Team, Charles pondered: Is Jonathan Baldwin really the biggest draft mistake in Chiefs history?
Around the AFC West
Denver Broncos news
- Our friends at Broncos Wire put together a list of the 37 moves Denver has made so far this offseason.
- Broncos QB Russell Wilson flipped his golf cart at, um, Arrowhead Golf Course in Littleton, Colorado. Even though Wilson thankfully avoided injury, we’ll go ahead and refrain from making an Arrowhead joke.
Las Vegas Raiders news
- Raiders running back Josh Jacobs did not show up on the first day of voluntary offseason workouts. It’s voluntary, so this could ultimately mean nothing. Or, it could mean a little something.
Los Angeles Chargers news
- The Chargers re-signed WR Jalen Guyton, who tore his ACL in Week 3 last season. The 25-year-old still has plenty of potential, so he’ll be one to watch as he tries to bounce back from injury in 2023.
Around the NFL
- The Philadelphia Eagles made QB Jalen Hurts the highest paid player in NFL history by signing him to a five-year, $255 million contract extension. That’s over $50 million per year. Go get that bag, Hurts.
- Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder is gearing up to sell the team to Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils co-owner Josh Harris for $6 billion. It hasn’t been approved yet, but things are moving in the right direction.
- The Miami Dolphins plan to sign WR Chosen (Robbie/Robby) Anderson. The soon-to-be 30-year-old hopes to bounce back after earning just 282 yards and one touchdown last year.
- The Atlanta Falcons signed linebacker Bud Dupree to one-year deal worth up to $5 million. Dupree had four sacks last season with the Tennessee Titans.
