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Daniel Jeremiah compares Caleb Williams and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes | Chiefs Wire

During the call, he noted similarities between the potential top pick in April’s draft, USC quarterback Caleb Williams, and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

“It’s a good quarterback draft,” Jeremiah explained. “Caleb, to me, is a top guy, and when you look at him specifically and his evaluation, trying to stack him up with guys from the past, I think just talent, if we’re just looking at pure talent, you can put him up there with really any of the guys we’ve had just in terms of arm strength, athleticism, the creativity that he has, the play-making ability that he has.

“Now, he is not as clean or as polished as some guys we have had over the last few years. Obviously, (C.J.) Stroud was kind of ready-made and just came out there and hit the ground running. I think there’s still some more growth and some cleaning up to do with Caleb’s game, but it’s pretty special talent-wise.”

Williams won the 2022 Heisman Trophy and garnered multiple accolades during his time with the Trojans, showing plenty of upside heading into the draft. He is reportedly not expected to throw at the combine but is still a lock in many analysts’ eyes as the top overall pick.

“I’ve made the comment about him, and you’re going to have Patrick Mahomes’ name come up,” Jeremiah continued. “Look, you don’t want to compare somebody to the best player on the planet, but just in terms of how he kind of plays with the creativity and a little flare, and in all the different types of throws he can make in terms of driving the ball, layering the ball, extending plays, all those things, there are some similarities there.

Eric Stonestreet name-drops Travis Kelce at SAG Awards | Kansas City Star

The group presented an award for Ensemble Comedy Series, and they did a humorous bit.

All six tried showing how well they are all doing these days, putting on a brave face about no longer being on “Modern Family.” At one point, Stonestreet jokingly mentioned how he’s close friends with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, whose popularity has skyrocketed since he started dating Taylor Swift.

“I know Travis Kelce,” Stonestreet said out of the blue to laughs. “I could Facetime him right now. I’m being serious. So things are really great for me. No, I’m serious, things are really great for me, guys.”

Mecole Hardman confesses how Nick Bosa helped him win Super Bowl with Chiefs | Marca

Similar to the successful “corn dog” call in Super Bowl 57, “Tom and Jerry” aimed to outwit the San Francisco 49ers’ defense in man coverage.

During the execution, quarterback Mahomes audibly signaled the play, prompting wide receiver Hardman to feign towards Mahomes before capitalizing on the defense’s attention to Travis Kelce.

Exploiting the gap in coverage, Hardman glided into the end zone without encountering any resistance.

“Pat never tell me which one he was [Tom or Jerry],” Hardman told Kimmel.

Chiefs’ Team Needs to Fill in 2024 NFL Free Agency | Bleacher Report

Offensive Tackle

The offensive tackle free-agent market is not as strong as previous seasons.

That is a concern for the Chiefs in their bid to keep Donovan Smith around. The left tackle may try to cash in on his success in Kansas City elsewhere.

2023 third-round pick Wanya Morris is the internal replacement for Smith if the Chiefs do not do anything in the offseason.

Kansas City could dabble in the offseason markets for tackle depth, especially with an unproven tackle potentially taking over the starting job.

The Chiefs’ draft strategy may be dictated by Jones’ decision and the holes on the defensive line, but they could use a mid-round draft selection to land an additional offensive tackle who can fight for the starting gig.

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Latest Pre-Combine PRedictions For First 3 Rounds | The 33rd Team

32. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

LADD MCCONKEY, WR, GEORGIA

Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey makes a catch and runs for a touchdown against Florida State during the first half in the 2023 Orange Bowl. (Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports)

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 185 pounds

Class: Junior

Fit: Another big riser this offseason has been Georgia WR Ladd McConkey. As one of the best natural separators in this class, McConkey’s value comes in his route running and ability to create easy throwing windows for quarterbacks. McConkey would finally give quarterback Patrick Mahomes a reliable receiver who can help take some stress off his shoulders in the Kansas City Chiefs offense.

2024 NFL 2-Round Mock Draft: Former NFL GM has J.J. McCarthy land in AFC, Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix go Round 2 | CBS Sports

Round 1 – Pick 32

Graham Barton OT

DUKE • SR • 6’5” / 314 LBS

Ryan Wilson: Instead of giving Patrick Mahomes another weapon, Ryan strengthens the Chiefs offensive line by picking Graham Barton.

NFL mock draft 2024: J.J. McCarthy lands in top 15 of first round | USA Today

32. Kansas City Chiefs – Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas

At 6-4 and 196 pounds, Mitchell has proven himself comfortable racing past cornerbacks or plucking passes over their heads. Consistency is an issue, but it should be one matter Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid will work through given the potential payoff of a legitimate No. 1 receiver.

Around the NFL

Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson wants to win two more Super Bowls, hopes ‘it’s in Denver’ | NFL.com

Those might well be conflicting desires. Above all else, Wilson wants to hoist a Lombardi Trophy again, a point he made clear on the I Am Athlete podcast, which dropped Sunday night.

“I’ve got more fire than ever, honestly, especially over the past two years of what I’ve gone through,’’ Wilson told Brandon Marshall, via ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. “Whether it’s in Denver or somewhere else, I hope it’s in Denver, I hope I get to finish there. I committed there, I wanted to be there. I want to be there.”

These last two years have been rough for Wilson and the Broncos, who’ve gone a combined 13-21 under two full-time head coaches, with the quarterback ending the 2023 campaign on the bench for the last two games.

Eagles’ A.J. Brown calls out rumors, says, ‘I want to be here’ | ESPN

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown called into a sports radio show Friday afternoon to address rumors about his future with the team.

“I have no problem. I want to be here, it’s as simple as that,” Brown told Philadelphia radio station 94WIP. “I love where I’m at, it’s as simple as that. Next question.”

He also called rumors of friction between himself and quarterback Jalen Hurts ”total B.S.”

“I’m not going to get into me and his relationship on the air. But it’s total B.S., you know what I’m saying?” he said. “It wasn’t a problem when I was on my six-game streak. They wasn’t talking about that then, so they only started talking about that when we started losing. Of course, you see friction from everybody, from the coaches, the players and from everybody. So there you go.”

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs Free Agency: How Kansas City should handle linebacker

In-house free agents

Free agents: Willie Gay Jr., Drue Tranquill, Darius Harris, Cole Christensen*, Jack Cochrane*

*exclusive rights free agent

The Chiefs do have two of their four best linebackers hitting the open market this offseason in Gay and Tranquill. While both were vital parts of this defense, I wouldn’t expect them to keep both long-term. If they do sign Bolton to an extension, it doesn’t necessarily make sense to have three linebackers on long-term extensions while still having Chenal for at least two more seasons.

So, who should the Chiefs keep?

If the choice is Gay, it’s that his athleticism, speed and blitzing ability are too valuable for the style of defense the Chiefs run. His awareness and processing continue getting better every single year as the game slows down for him. He still has every high-end trait he had when drafted, but as the game slows down for him, he hopes to get even better.

If the choice is Tranquill, it’s based on the fact that he was outstanding last season.

The fact Tranquill played eight games as the MIKE linebacker and the Chiefs didn’t miss a beat defensively speaks to Tranquill’s greatness. He’s excellent in coverage, using his speed and range to take away throwing windows. His blitzing has been a consistent weapon for years, and he showed improved ability against the run. For the entirety of the season, Tranquill was the Chiefs’ best linebacker. His overall versatility allows players like Gay and Chenal to play faster and be used in more simplified roles as downhill linebackers.