Arrowheadlines: L’Jarius Sneed named a top 5 cornerback

Chiefs headlines for Tuesday, August 15

The latest

Ranking Top 9 NFL Cornerbacks Entering 2023 Season | The 33rd Team

5. L’Jarius Sneed, Kansas City Chiefs

Few units are as underappreciated as the Kansas City Chiefs cornerbacks, and L’Jarius Sneed is the group’s key player. Sneed can travel anywhere, playing man and zone outside (like every corner) and inside (like almost no other corners). He is a physical run defender and blitzer, leading all NFL cornerbacks with 103 tackles and 18 pressures in 2022.

Sneed is in a contract year, and the Chiefs have an outstanding trio of second-year corners in Trent McDuffie (first-round pick), Joshua Williams (fourth-round pick) and Jaylen Watson (seventh-round pick). After this season, it will be interesting to see what happens with the 26-year-old veteran.

Overreactions, reality checks from NFL preseason Week 1: Trey Lance QB1 shot gone? Panthers O-line big issue? | CBS Sports

Justyn Ross should make the Chiefs roster

Overreaction or reality: Reality

For a player that has battled back from injury after injury, the 15-yard touchdown catch Ross had in his first preseason game for the Chiefs was a sign he can still play football at a high level. Ross has had an impressive training camp, backed up with his two catches for 29 yards in his debut.

Two foot injuries and congenital fusion in his spine nearly ended Ross’s career, yet he’s still making highlight plays for the Chiefs nearly every day. Does he have a shot at making the roster?

Skyy Moore, Rashee Rice, Kadarius Toney, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling are the top four wideouts on the Chiefs roster. Justin Watson and Richie James are the two wideouts Ross will have to beat out to make the team.

If the Chiefs keep six, it’ll be hard to pass on Ross’s talent. A healthy Ross makes an impact on any team (regardless of injury), a player the Chiefs can’t afford to let go through waivers.

Who are the NFL’s top players 25 and under? League coaches, execs rank Herbert, Parsons and others | The Athletic

19. C Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs, age: 24 (6/28/99)

The Oklahoma product came right in and provided much-needed stability at the heart of Kansas City’s offensive line. He stood out in pass protection and as a run-blocker while earning All-Rookie honors in 2021 and a second-team All-Pro nod during the Chiefs’ 2022 Super Bowl run.

NFL Quarterback Council 2023: Ranking top 10 QBs by trait | ESPN

Decision-making with the football

Best of the best: It’s easy to focus on the fact that Mahomes dazzles with no-look and behind-the-back passes, but most importantly, he keeps the Chiefs moving down the field by taking care of the football. As defenses adjusted after Mahomes’ spectacular start to his career, regularly playing deep coverages designed to prevent his signature big plays, he, too, changed his approach. Instead of forcing balls into double coverage, which often results in turnovers, Mahomes became a tactician on short- and medium-range passes. And obviously, the results have been spectacular for the Chiefs. — Jason Reid

FMIA Training Camp Tour: Mahomes Channels Brady, Packers Love Affair, and Justin Tucker Magic | FMIA

Kansas City’s practice Friday morning was a tempo affair. New names, some brand new, all over the offense. With Tyreek Hill, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman having vanished in the last 17 months, Mahomes still has the omnipresent Travis Kelce to lean on. But on this day every other guy he targeted in the passing game had worn KC red for no more than 1.5 year. Go route to Skyy Moore (round two, 2022), deep out to Marquez Valdes-Scantling (UFA, joined KC in 2022), crosser to Rashee Rice (round two, 2023), fade to Justin Watson (UFA, joined KC in 2022). The faster the better. With Reid’s offense, every skill player’s alive on every play, and Mahomes doesn’t discriminate. My bet: Skyy Moore, more sure-handed and confident this year, breaks through with a big year.

Around the NFL

Source – RB Dalvin Cook to sign 1-year deal with Jets | ESPN

Cook, who turned 28 last week, was released June 8 after four straight Pro Bowl seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.

The move gives Aaron Rodgers another proven playmaker and comes after the veteran quarterback volunteered to take a $35 million pay cut, creating financial flexibility to sign big-ticket players such as Cook. The veteran running back visited the Jets last month, spending almost a full day at their facility.

Michael Oher Says Tuohy Family Never Adopted Him, Tricked Him, Took Blind Side Money | Bleacher Report

Former NFL offensive lineman Michael Oher, whose supposed adoption by a rich, white family was the subject of the 2009 movie Blind Side starring Sandra Bullock, alleged in court documents Monday that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy never actually adopted him, per ESPN’s Michael A. Fletcher.

Instead, Oher said he was tricked into agreeing to the Tuohys as his conservators after he turned 18, granting them legal rights to make business decisions on his behalf. In turn, he said the family made royalties off the Blind Side movie while he didn’t receive a penny.

The legal filing read, in part:

“The lie of Michael’s adoption is one upon which Co-Conservators Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy have enriched themselves at the expense of their Ward, the undersigned Michael Oher. Michael Oher discovered this lie to his chagrin and embarrassment in February of 2023, when he learned that the Conservatorship to which he consented on the basis that doing so would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact provided him no familial relationship with the Tuohys.”

Former Seahawks, Ravens RB Alex Collins dead at 28 as result of motorcycle crash | NFL.com

Former NFL running back Alex Collins, who played three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and two with the Baltimore Ravens, died on Sunday night as the result of a motorcycle crash in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, according to a Broward County (Florida) Sherriff’s Office report.

He was 28.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Alex Collins this morning,” Collins’ family said in a statement released through the Seahawks. “Alex was cherished by his family and friends as well as supporters from all around the world. All who truly know him can attest to his drive, determination, and larger-than-life personality. We kindly request your thoughts and prayers for our family during this difficult time. We ask for privacy as we navigate through our grief. We will provide updates regarding funeral arrangements as they become available.”

Ex-Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott signing with Patriots after camp visit on one-year deal worth up to $6 million | CBS Sports

This comes a few weeks after Elliott, who is expected to wear No. 15 for the club as a nod to his days at Ohio State, visited New England at the end of the team’s first week of training camp. The back initially left Gillette Stadium without a deal, but the visit, per the Boston Globe, went well and Elliott remained in town heading into Sunday. Elliott’s visit also seemed to include some recruiting on the part of quarterback Mac Jones, who was seen having dinner with him in Boston’s Seaport district on Saturday night.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs Injuries: Timeline for Kadarius Toney, Isiah Pacheco, 3 others | Arrowhead Pride

WR Kadarius Toney

Toney’s injury and timeline for return have sparked the most debate and speculation among fans. Toney partially tore his meniscus on the first day of training camp on July 23 and subsequently underwent surgery that week.

Like with Pacheco, Veach expressed optimism for Toney’s availability to return for the regular-season opener, although his comments to the media were vague. With the first game being six weeks after surgery, it is conceivably possible for him to be ready to return.

Given Toney’s injury history and the nature of meniscus injuries in general, it is doubtful he will be available in Week 1. The Chiefs will likely — and should be — very conservative in regard to Toney’s return. They will want him available for as much of the regular season as possible, as he is a large part of the offensive attack for 2023.

As of this writing, Toney has not returned to practice since undergoing surgery and the Chiefs will want to see him test the knee in practice prior to returning to any game action. If Toney does not return to practice in at least a limited capacity in the next two weeks, then there is more doubt he can be relied upon in Week 1. There is even a possibility he could be placed on injured reserve to start the season, allowing the Chiefs more flexibility in their roster construction to open the season as well as giving Toney additional time to rehab the injured knee.

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