2013 draft choices signed
Cincinnati β signed S Shawn Williams, 3rd-round, pick #84.
Cleveland β signed OL Garrett Gilkey, 7th-round, pick #227.
New England β signed WR Josh Boyce, 4th-round, pick #102.
Washington β signed TE Jordan Reed, 3rd-round, pick #85. …Read More!
Players say it all the time when they sign a contract with a different team in a different city:
“I really wanted to be here in (select city). I felt at home with everyone.”
Most of the time, that’s just something players say, one of those standard lines their agents prep them with before meeting the media and fans in their new town.
Tyson Jackson really means it.
“I love the Kansas City Chiefs, I love the organization, I think we have a special team here,” Jackson said this week. “I think this should be a good year to come out and play together and win a lot of ball games.”
Proof that Jackson isn’t just babbling β he took a nearly $9 million pay cut to stay with the Chiefs. There was one season left on the contract he signed coming out of LSU and it called for him to be paid over $14 million, with a salary-cap figure over $17 million. It was part of the deal he signed as a rookie in 2009, when he was Scott Pioli’s first draft choice in Kansas City. That was a 5-year deal for $57 million, with $30 million in guaranteed money. That deal was redone in 2012 by Pioli, setting up the huge figure for the 2013 season.
That wasn’t going to fly with the Chiefs, whether it was Pioli, or the new regime of Andy Reid and John Dorsey. They needed relief from that $17 million cap figure. Jackson had a choice: take a big haircut on his money for the 2013 season, or be waived and become an unrestricted free agent.
Many β most β players would have picked freedom.
Jackson wanted to stay in Kansas City. …Read More!
Chiefs β signed S Sanford Commings, 5th-round draft choice, pick #134, to a 4-year contract, terms undisclosed; released G Lucas Patterson from the reserve/injured list.
2013 draft picks signed
Arizona β signed S Tyrann Mathieu, 3rd-round, pick #69.
Baltimore β signed LB Arthur Brown, 2nd-round, pick #56.
Carolina β signed LB A.J. Klein, 5th-round, pick #148; RB Kenjon Barner, 6th-round, pick #182.
Cincinnati β signed RB Giovani Bernard, 2nd-round, pick #37.
Houston β signed LB Sam Montgomery, 3rd-round, pick #95.
Pittsburgh β signed WR Markus Wheaton, 3rd-round, pick #79; CB Terry Hawthorne, 5th-round, pick #150; WR Justin Brown, 6th-round, pick #186.
San Francisco β signed DT Tank Carradine, 2nd-round, pick #40; TE Vance McDonald, 2nd-round, pick #55.
Tampa Bay β signed CB Johnthan Banks, 2nd-pick, pick #43. …Read More!
From the Truman Sports Complex
The Chiefs defense capped a strong week of performances with their best yet on Thursday as Andy Reid and his team wrapped up week No. 2 of OTAs with a practice outside.
Throughout the first 5 sessions in the OTAs the defense was dominant. But they really put the clamps on the Chiefs offense in OTA #6, making it darn near impossible for Alex Smith, Chase Daniel and the first and second units to move the ball at all.
“The defense is blitzing like crazy, the offense is moving around; it’s great work for both sides,” said head coach Andy Reid.Β ”We are keeping a positive attitude and we are working through it and trying to get shaper and more efficient every opportunity that we have.”
The star of Thursday’s defensive effort was LDE Tyson Jackson, who twice during the team period jumped up and knocked down passes from Smith. He didn’t just knock them down; he rejected them like a guy defending the rim in the NBA playoffs.
(LEFT: Free agent WR Mardy Gilyard has been working not only as a receiver but a returner in OTAs)
When Jackson wasn’t knocked down passes, defensive backs were knocking down throws to receivers and the pressure on the passer kept some plays from coming off at all.
“They are blitzing and doing a great job with their timing on the blitz,” Reid said. “As hard as it is for the offense, that’s OK. It will pay off at a later time.”
Over 15 plays in the final session of team work, all four quarterbacks took snaps β Smith had 7, Daniel 5, Tyler Bray 2 and Ricky Stanzi 1. Combined they completed 6 of 11 passing attempts, with two passes knocked down and at least three other passing plays that would have been sacks if the defense was allowed to tackle the passer. …Read More!
From the Truman Sports Complex
Tight end Tony Moeaki has been watching OTA sessions in the last two weeks as he rehabs from off-season surgery on his left knee.
And, head coach Andy Reid said Thursday that Moeaki would continue to watch the OTAs and the team’s 3-day mini-camp coming up in the next two weeks.
“I don’t forsee that,” Reid said when asked if Moeaki would practice in the next few weeks. “You’ll probably see him at training camp.”
Reid hesitated a bit when asked if Moeaki would be ready for the start of training camp at the end of July.
“We’ll see,” Reid said. “I’m thinking he will be, but we’ll see how things go. He’s working like crazy to get back.”
Injuries have slowed down Moeaki’s football career at both the University of Iowa and with the Chiefs. He played in 15 of 16 games last season after missing the entire 2011 season due a torn ACL in his left knee that required surgery. Moeaki admitted it wasn’t until the second half of the season that he felt close to being back to his previous level of physical health. He caught 33 passes for 453 yards and a touchdown.
After the ’12 season, he had another surgery on that same left knee and has been an observer for the entire off-season.
From the Truman Sports Complex
The Chiefs and 5th-round draft pick safety Sanders Commings have agreed on a 4-year deal.
Coming out of Georgia, Commings played cornerback, but he’s been working at safety in the Chiefs rookie mini-camp and in OTA sessions.
That leaves only No. 1 choice Eric Fisher, 3rd-round selection Travis Kelce and 4th-round pick Nico Johnson as the unsigned draft picks.
Chiefs β signed UFA SS Quintin Demps (Houston), UDFA FS Malcolm Bronson; released S Justin Glenn, CB James Rogers.
2013 draft choices signed
Carolina β signed DT Star Lotulelei, 1st-round, pick #14; DT Kawann Short, 2nd-round, pick #44; G Edmund Kugbila, 4th-round, pick #108.
Cincinnati β signed DE Margus Hunt, 2nd-round, pick #53.
Jacksonville β signed DB Demetrius McCray, 7th-round, pick #210.
N.Y. Giants β signed G Eric Herman, 7th-round, pick #225.
San Francisco β signed WR Quinton Patton, 4th-round, pick #128. …Read More!
From the Truman Sports Complex
The Chiefs players enjoyed cooler temperatures on the practice field Wednesday as they worked outside in OTA #5 at their facility.
Good thing too, because they were scrambling all over the field as the offense was pushing the pace with a no huddle and the defense was forced to react to them. It was a pace that did not lead to quality performances on this day, but Andy Reid has made it clear that he’s going to expect his team to go-go-go and that approach will pay off come September.
The players are starting to get the message, especially on offense where they worked in the 7-on-7 passing drill and during the team segment out of the no huddle and made frequent personnel changes as well. That required the entry players to get into position quickly and those players exiting had to be even quicker to get off the field.
There’s been a domino effect with the defense as well, forcing the defenders to up their level of communication to make sure they are reacting and putting themselves in position to handle whatever the offense brings to the field. Free safety Kendrick Lewis says the communicating on defense has been very important in allowing that unit to lead the way during these OTA sessions.
“We are more familiar with each other,” Lewis said. “We have a lot of the same people, we’ve played together. We know how each other plays, so communication is good.” …Read More!
The Chiefs continue to tinker with the roster as they are about to wrap up the second week of OTA practices. On Wednesday, they announced they had added 5-year veteran S Quintin Demps and undrafted rookie S Malcolm Bronson.
In related moves, the team released S Justin Glenn and CB James Rogers.
Standing 5-11 and weighing 208 pounds, Demps came into the league as a 4th-round selection (pick #117) of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2008 NFL Draft. The Texas native spent two years with the Eagles (2008-09) and then the last three seasons with the Houston Texans (2010-12).
He’s played 48 games over the last five seasons, but only 23 games over the last three seasons with the Texans. Demps had 69 total tackles, 1 sack, 3 interceptions, 1 forced fumble and 1 recovered fumble. In his rookie season with the Eagles, he was fourth in the NFL in kickoff returns, averaging 25.3 yards per return, including a 100-yard TD against Baltimore.
Last season, Demps played in 12 games with Houston, contributing 30 total tackles on defense, with 2 tackles for loss and 5 passes defensed. He also had 9 tackles on special teams. He will be 28 years old in late June.
Bronson is an undrafted free agent out of McNeese State. Over 4 years, he played in 40 games, with 230 total tackles, 10 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles and 2 recovered fumbles. He was the team’s MVP in 2011. He’s 5-11, 187 pounds and played in only 3 games last season because of a knee injury that required surgery. Bronson was a three-time All-Southland Conference first-team selection. His uncle Zack Bronson played at McNeese and in the NFL for San Francisco.
2013 draft picks signed
Atlanta β signed TE Levine Toilolo, 4th-round, pick #133.
Baltimore β signed OLB John Simon, 4th-round, pick #129.
Cleveland β signed S Janoris Slaughter, 6th-round, pick #175.
Players signed
Arizona β signed WR Charles Hawkins.
Oakland – signed DB Charles Woodson (Green Bay).
San Diego β signed OT Max Starks (Pittsburgh). …Read More!
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