Arrowheadlines: Dates announced for the 2023 NFL Draft

Chiefs headlines for Friday, March 25

The latest

The Chiefs Are Entering Their Second Era Under Patrick Mahomes | The Ringer

In losing Hill, the Chiefs are betting on a lot of things. They’re betting that Patrick Mahomes inherently makes the passing game easier—the free-agent acquisition of JuJu Smith-Schuster serves that point, as JuJu’s promising early-career projection hit a speed bump called Ben Roethlisberger. They’re betting that Andy Reid can always make a passing game work, regardless of the changing weapons available to him. They’re betting that Hill’s prime won’t extend across the length of a four-year extension. They’re betting that the remaining wide receiver free-agent market, as well as the projected early draft picks, will give them another usable weapon or two before Week 1 kicks off.

Dates Announced for 2023 NFL Draft | The Mothership

The Kansas City Sports Commission announced, in collaboration with the NFL, that the 2023 NFL Draft presented by Bud Light will take place April 27 – 29, 2023.

“This will be one of the biggest and most-anticipated professional sporting events our city has hosted,” says Kathy Nelson, President and CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission and Visit KC. “Not only will fans from around the country be traveling to experience the NFL Draft and NFL Draft Experience, but millions of viewers will see Kansas City in the national spotlight on NFL Network, ESPN and other major networks.”

The 2023 NFL Draft is expected to take place in Kansas City in the iconic area around Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial, bringing together fans to celebrate one of football’s most popular and eagerly awaited traditions. As part of the event, NFL Draft Experience – the NFL’s interactive football theme park – will allow fans of all teams to test their football skills, enjoy interactive exhibits and autograph sessions, and take pictures with the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Draft Experience will be open all three days of the event.

NFL trade grades: Assessing relocations of Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill | NFL.com

B- Kansas City Chiefs

The move changes how we look at the Chiefs. The trio of Hill, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes has utterly beguiled opponents for years. JuJu Smith-Schuster steps into a key role, especially after Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle bolted in free agency. And K.C. snatched up Marquez Valdes-Scantling on Thursday, but even his deep speed can’t replace Hill’s juice. In a super-thorny AFC West, the Chiefs are in for a dog fight.

2022 NFL Mock Draft: Chiefs, Packers add wide receivers after dealing away Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams | CBS Sports

Logan Hall DL

Kansas City

Kansas City retained Frank Clark but the pass rush is still a concern. By adding Hall, the Chiefs would have two pass rushers capable of pushing the pocket from the interior. The athleticism of Chris Jones and Hall gives them ample opportunity to be creative with stunts.

Giants Mock Trade: Schoen leverages James Bradberry to the Kansas City Chiefs | Empire Sports Media

Trading Bradberry has been in the cards for quite some time, but general manager Joe Schoen is buying his time, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. On Wednesday, the Kansas City Chiefs traded All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins, providing them with insane draft capital. Reports have indicated that the Chiefs could be looking for a cornerback with their new money and assets.

Around the NFL

Suites, seats catch fire at Denver Broncos’ Empower Field at Mile High | ESPN

The Denver Fire Department responded at about 2:15 p.m. MDT to a fire that began in a construction zone in that part of a stadium. The fire was under control by about 2:45 p.m.

Approximately 75 firefighters were at the stadium, with a second alarm called before the fire was completely extinguished.

There was a stadium tour underway at the time and the group, as well as employees who were working in that part of the stadium, were evacuated from the stadium. No injuries were reported.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

3 ways the Tyreek Hill trade impacts the Chiefs’ offense

2. A tougher task for Travis Kelce

With Hill no longer striking fear in man-coverage defenses — forcing them to play zone — they will shift their focus to Travis Kelce as the top playmaker to stop. That could make things even harder for the All-Pro tight end.

Kelce eats zone coverage alive; his feel for spacing and manipulation of defenders’ coverage responsibilities allows him to consistently get open. If teams don’t have to worry about Hill beating a cornerback in man coverage, they will play more press-man than zone. As the years go by, that will become more and more difficult for Kelce to beat.

On top of that, Hill’s absence will make safeties feel more confident about playing closer to the line of scrimmage, where they will be ready to take away intermediate-level throws to players like Kelce. That’s why it will be necessary for Hardman to become a legitimate threat to create a big play at any moment.

Overall, nothing about this trade benefits Kelce. The onus to lead the pass catchers will all be on him. Unfortunately, he should be trending the opposite way: subtly limiting his snaps to preserve him as long as possible.

Unless he’s excited to try and pump up his statistics, this does nothing but make things more difficult for the 32-year old Kelce.

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