Chiefs headlines for Wednesday, May 1
The latest
The stadium is certainly impressive
Video of conceptual renderings on what a Chiefs stadium in KS could look like. Again this is from a developer not the Chiefs directly. pic.twitter.com/9tGZRgVqLD
— Alex Gold (@AlexGold) May 1, 2024
BREAKING: As the #KSleg considers revised STAR Bonds for stadiums, @fox4kc has obtained the vision of what a new #Chiefs stadium in KCK might look like. Designed for unnamed developer working to lure the team as envisioned by @manica_arch.
Details tonight at 9pm! pic.twitter.com/etEXm8Fw1z— John Holt (@JohnHoltNews) May 1, 2024
2024 NFL draft steals: Best value picks, including 2 Steelers players | USA Today
8. Jaden Hicks, S, Kansas City Chiefs (fourth round, No. 133 overall)
The L’Jarius Sneed trade reinforced an unfortunate truism for the two-time defending champions: Tough decisions are always around the corner regarding some of your top contributors. An essential part of this cost-control effort, however, is collecting replacements, ideally with mid-to-late round draft picks. With Hicks, who surprisingly slid all the way to the fourth round, the Chiefs might have identified a piece who could help them recalibrate their roster.
Justin Reid is set to be a free agent next season, and retaining him could be difficult given that defensive tackle Chris Jones already makes top-of-market money and almost assuredly will soon be joined by All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. The Chiefs do already have capable options elsewhere at safety in Bryan Cook, Chamarri Conner and Deon Bush. The 6-2, 211-pound Hicks, however, has the athletic profile of a starter comfortable erasing tight ends in coverage or delivering big hits against the run. If he can become a more consistent tackler and hone his instincts, he could be ready to replace Reid by the start of next season.
Which game should kick off the 2024 NFL season? Ravens-Chiefs among top options NFL.com
PICK: Baltimore Ravens
One of the popular beliefs coming out of last year’s AFC Championship Game was that the result came down to Baltimore blowing it instead of the Chiefs winning it. That makes for great theater in a rematch to start the season. Kansas City is chasing its third straight championship. The Ravens need to prove they didn’t waste their best chance to win a title in the Lamar Jackson era by melting down and relying on a bizarre offensive game plan. We obviously won’t know who’s going to win the AFC after one game. But we definitely would have a better sense of whether the Ravens actually can overtake the Chiefs as we move deeper into the season.
2024 NFL Power Rankings: A post-draft look at where every team stands | FOX Sports
1. Kansas City Chiefs (no change)
Pretty easy call to keep the reigning champs right where they left off. The Chiefs pulled off a repeat with the least-explosive offense of the Patrick Mahomes Era, but they’ve fixed that issue. We’ll see how Rashee Rice’s legal situation pans out, but the additions of Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy should help bring the fireworks back to Kansas City. It hurts to lose L’Jarius Sneed, but retaining Chris Jones helps offset that loss. The Chiefs have a real-deal shot at an unprecedented three-peat.
2024 NFL Draft takeaways: Best, worst and most interesting pick for each AFC team | CBS Sports
Kansas City Chiefs
Best pick (A+): S Jaden Hicks, Washington State (Round 4, Pick 133)
Large, intimidating safety who comes with the full skill set. Can cover tight ends. Deliver big hits over the middle. Make plays on the football with decent regularity. And he tackles well. Awesome addition to Chiefs secondary. Best closer to the line of scrimmage. My top safety in this class. (Chris Trapasso)
Worst pick (B): OT Kingsley Suamataia, BYU (Round 2, Pick 64)
Boom-or-burst prospect. 2022 was outstanding 2023 was not on film. Burst and especially lateral sliding ability are there. Has hard time locking onto EDGEs and securing them. Slips out of many blocks against the run. Hand work in pass pro can be outstanding at times. Raw but talented. NFL OT frame. Need filled. (Chris Trapasso)
Xavier Worthy’s high school coach explains import of his jersey number | Chiefs Wire
Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. sat down with Worthy’s high school coach Chris Maxey, to discuss the importance of the Texas standout’s jersey number, his influence on the future, and how his humble personality will fit in with the Kansas City community.
“Well, he always liked it,” Maxey said of Worthy’s inclination to wear the No. 1 jersey. “At first, he couldn’t get it, so I always told him that if he were that number one when you walk on the field, they’re gonna look at you no matter if you did bad, short or tall; they [are] all going to wonder why you got that number one, some unique number. He always held the standard, you want to be number one when you wear it, you got to fill the shoes, and he takes on the challenge. He continued to wear it and continued to show out.”
Around the NFL
Jaguars release receiver Zay Jones, kicker Joey Slye | ESPN
The Jaguars save $4.49 million against the salary cap by releasing Jones, who signed a three-year contract with the team in March 2022. His release was among a list of moves the team made Tuesday, which included releasing kicker Joey Slye.
The Jaguars drafted LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr. with the 23rd overall pick Thursday. Thomas led FBS with 17 touchdown catches in 2023. In addition, veteran receiver Jarvis Landry, a five-time Pro Bowl selection who did not play in the NFL last season, will be participating in the Jaguars’ May 10-11 rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
Jones caught 116 passes for 1,144 yards and seven touchdowns in two seasons with the Jaguars, including career highs in receptions (82) and receiving yards (823) in 2022. Jones missed eight games in 2023 because of a lingering knee injury that he suffered early in the season.
Former Broncos CB Chris Harris Jr. retiring after 12 seasons in NFL | NFL.com
After preparing for one more opportunity and failing to attract interest, the veteran cornerback is retiring from the NFL after 12 seasons.
“I just waited a year and I stayed in shape, but I realized that everybody was pretty much moving on with the younger players, the younger wave,” Harris told The Denver Gazette in a story posted Tuesday. “So I thought it would be great to just call it an end.”
An undrafted signee out of Kansas in 2011, Harris proved to be a gem in his pro career, filling a key role as a cornerback in Denver’s vaunted “No Fly Zone” defense of the mid-2010s. Alongside Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart, Harris and the rest of the Broncos’ defense posted a league-best showing in total yards and passing yards allowed per game, forming the NFL’s top unit on the way to a triumph over 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride
Why BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia could be Chiefs’ long-term left tackle
Coming out of Utah, Suamataia was one of the highest recruits in the country. Suamataia was a five-star recruit who was top-35 overall and the sixth offensive tackle in his class, which included J.C. Latham and Amarius Mims. Suamataia had offers from big schools across the country, Suamataia chose to follow in the footsteps of his cousin, All-Pro right tackle Penai Sewell, and commit to Oregon.
Suamataia only played for one year in Oregon, appearing in one game and redshirting before entering the transfer portal in 2022. Suamataia decided to return closer to home and enroll at BYU. Suamataia’s high school teammate, Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua, was a big part of the recruiting process. Suamataia had two successful seasons as a starting tackle at BYU — one year on the right, followed by another on the left — and made the All-Big 12 second-team in 2023.
Suamataia showed out at the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine. At the combine, Suamataia is shorter than most tackles at 6’4 5/8 (15th percentile) but at an impressive 326 lbs. (80th percentile) with 34 1/4” arms (58th) and 82 1/8” wingspan (54th). Suamataia only performed in the jumps, putting up a 28” vertical jump (46th) and 110” broad (82nd). Suamataia did run the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, putting up an impressive 5.04 40-yard dash with a 1.74 10-yard split.
Kingsley Suamataia is a OT prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.35 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 86 out of 1314 OT from 1987 to 2024.
Splits projectedhttps://t.co/G3aCo08oBt pic.twitter.com/jwhYKCHWo4
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 4, 2024
Social media to make you think
Rookie Xavier Worthy got some fresh ink dedicated to his new team
(via @XavierWorthy) pic.twitter.com/5TANT2DfQh
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 30, 2024
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