Arrowheadlines: Could Mecole Hardman benefit from new kickoff rules?

Chiefs headlines for Wednesday, March 27

The latest

Our very own John Dixon could be onto something?

Ranking top 2024 challengers to potential Chiefs three-peat: Bengals, Texans among 11 candidates to explode | CBS Sports

Honorable mentions

The Baltimore Ravens could once again use more receiving help for reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. But Derrick Henry’s bruising style should help the run game, and Justin Madubuike’s return should help anchor the tough defense.

The Buffalo Bills turned over a big chunk of the lineup for cap purposes, and they’ve struggled to get over the hump. But they will be a threat as long as Josh Allen is under center, and the James Cook-Stefon Diggs combo remains elite.

The Green Bay Packers are still very young, reliant on a lot of up-and-comers at pass catcher. But Josh Jacobs should keep Matt LaFleur’s ground game intact, and Jordan Love’s got such a high ceiling as a gifted gunslinger.

NFL trade grades, 2024 offseason: Steelers ace Justin Fields deal; Giants hit on Brian Burns | NFL.com

C- Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs receive:

2024 7th-rounder

2025 third-rounder

Titans GM Ran Carthon used his massive swaths of cap space this offseason to remake his club into a threat in the AFC South. Sneed is a physical corner who might pick up penalties but also shuts down some of the top wide receivers in the NFL. Those kinds of guys are difficult to come by. Snagging one without giving up a 2024 pick is brilliant. Pairing Sneed with free agent addition Chidobe Awuzie turns something that was a weakness for the Titans last season into a strength this year. Tennessee should be able to play much more physically in new DC Dennard Wilson’s scheme with the two veterans on the back end. There remain questions up front, thanks to the attrition Tennessee saw there this offseason, but now Carthon can focus on that spot during the draft. The one concern that knocked the Titans’ grade down a smidge is giving a new contract to a player who dealt with knee issues during parts of 2023.

2024 NFL Mock Draft: NFC team moves up and down the board; Cowboys, Lions make big splashes to improve offense | CBS Sports

Round 1 – Pick 32

Kingsley Suamataia OT

BYU • SOPH • 6’6” / 325 LBS

The Chiefs draft the cousin of Penei Sewell to hopefully lock down their left tackle position for a long time.

Bucky Brooks 2024 NFL mock draft 3.0: Patriots select J.J. McCarthy; Vikings land Drake Maye | NFL.com

32 – Kansas City Chiefs

Kamari Lassiter

Georgia · CB · Junior

With L’Jarius Sneed on his way out of town, the move could prompt the Chiefs to look for a corner at the top of the draft. Lassiter is a rock-solid cover man with superb tackling skills.

Around the NFL

Sources – Steelers to sign ex-Falcons RB Cordarrelle Patterson | ESPN

Hours after the NFL adopted a new kickoff rule, the Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to a two-year, $6 million contract with versatile return man Cordarrelle Patterson, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

After a historically low rate of kickoff returns in the 2023 season, the amended rules are expected to emphasize the return game, making Patterson’s role a crucial one.

Patterson, who played under now-Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith with the Atlanta Falcons, has nine career kick return touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2013 to make him the NFL’s all-time leader in the category. He has three times as many kick return touchdowns as any other player in that timespan, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

NFL moving trade deadline back, expanding replay assist | ESPN

NFL owners agreed Tuesday to move the trade deadline back one week to the Tuesday after Week 9 and authorized a significant expansion to the league’s replay assist program.

Three penalty categories — intentional grounding, roughing the passer and hits out of bounds — were added to the list of plays replay assist can advise officials on.

In addition, they also agreed to allow teams to use a practice squad player as their emergency No. 3 quarterback on game days, after requiring that player to be an existing member of the 53-man roster last season. The flurry of moves came on a day when they also approved a massive revamp of the kickoff.

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott expected to play on current contract for 2024 season | NFL.com

The Cowboys and Prescott have a mutual understanding that there will be no adjustment to his contract entering the 2024 season, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday, per sources informed of the plan.

It was assumed the Cowboys would need to extend Prescott’s contract this offseason to lower the massive salary cap figure. Ultimately, the club and QB decided it was best to play out the deal and figure things out on the other side of the season.

Earlier this month, the Cowboys converted a $5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus, shaving $4 million off Prescott’s salary cap figure. That number still sits at a whopping $55.445 million. The club also added two additional void years through 2028.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs Hot Takes: Defense to struggle without L’Jarius Sneed

Kansas City’s defense will struggle without L’Jarius Sneed.

Before the 2023 season, most Kansas City Chiefs fans expected this to be L’Jarius Sneed’s last season at One Arrowhead Drive. However, Sneed played at such a high level this past season that those same fans started to wonder if he should be a part of the long-term plans.

The Tennessee Titans are getting an elite corner at the age of 27. It would be disingenuous to expect the Chiefs defense to be as good without Sneed.

Having said that, general manager Brett Veach has planned for this day. He traded up to take All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, and he’s taken flyers on players such as Joshua Williams, Jaylen Watson, Nazeeh Johnson — and most recently, Chamarri Conner.

Veach does a lot of great things, but you could argue that he does his best work evaluating defensive backs. This defense will be just fine.

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