<em>Can Alex Erickson build on his success as a kick returner to become a playmaker in the Bengals offense next season? If so Geno Atkins Jersey , how good can he be going forward?</em>In a down year for the Cincinnati Bengals, one surprising bright spot was the emergence of wide receiver/kick returner Alex Erickson. Erickson was recently named as the second team kick returner onthe Pro Football Focus All-Pro Team.Erickson started the year fighting for a roster spot with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent. After securing a spot on the 53 man roster, Erickson was awarded return duties. Making the most of his opportunities, he finishedthe year ranked first in total return yards. In addition to returns, Erickson also saw limited work as a receiver, catching 6 passes for 71 yards.Article continues below ...While Erickson didn’t necessarily shine as a receiver, his kick return abilities proved that he is capable of providing a boost to the Bengals offense. After finding success as a rookie, the questions that need answering are: How can the Bengals leverage Erickson to get the most out of his talents, and how good can he be after that happens?More from Stripe HypeNFL Free Agency: Options The Bengals Should Explore22h agoBengals’ Lewis Should Take Page From Sam Wyche’s Book1 d agoBengals’ Jeremy Hill Under Fire For 20171 d agoBengals’ Stats That Sum Up The 2016 Season1 d agoFour Bengals Land On Pro Football Focus All-Pro Teams3d agoCollege ExperienceErickson did the same thing in the NFL as he did in College: he walked on. Erickson initially joined the Badgers scout team after playing quarterback in high school. After working his way onto the team he played three years at the University of Wisconsin and got the majority of his playing time in 2014 and 2015 as a wide receiver. Playing primarily in the slot, Erickson caught 55 passes in 2014 and 77 passes in 2015 with three touchdowns each season. Erickson also returned 24 punts and two kicks for a total of 213 yards and a 7.3 yard average on punt returns.ComparisonsWhen looking at players with a similar skill set as Erickson, there is reason to be optimistic. Many of the more electrifying kick return specialists in the past–with dimensions close to Erickson’s 6-0 195 poundframe–haveprogressed to become valuable members of their team’s receiving corps. In addition, when looking at their first year in the league, they put up numbers comparable to Erickson’s (71 receiving yards, 57 returns for 1,005 yards with a 7.0 yard punt return average and 27.9yard kick return average).Here are some of the notable wide receivers/kick returners from the past decade that Bengals fans would love to see Erickson blossom into:What the Future HoldsWes Welker 5-9 190 lb.During his playing days, Welker was one of the best slot receivers in the game. Before he shined with the Patriots and Broncos, Welker started out returningkicks for the Chargers and Dolphins. In his rookie season, he didn’t catch a pass but did return 100 kicks and punts for 1,777 yards with an average of 10.8 yards per punt return and 23.2 yards per kick return. Welker ended up as a two-time first team all pro and a five-time pro bowl selection.The way the Patriots and Broncos used Welker has been a model for how to utilize slot receivers. Marvin Lewis and the Bengals staff could use Erickson in this role in the futureJosh Cribbs 6-1 192 lb.During his rookie season, Cribbs caught one pass for seven yards and returned 46 kicks for 1,099 yards with an average of 5.0 yards per punt return and 24.3 yards per kick return. Cribbs finished his careerwith a first team all-pro honor and three Pro Bowl appearances.Devin Hester 5-11 185 lb.Starting his career with the Chicago Bears as a cornerback,Hester tallied 1,128 return yards. He had an average of 12.8 yards per punt return, 26.4 yards per kick return and no receptions in his rookie season. He ended up earning three first team all pro honors and 4 pro bowl selections.OutlookLooking at the statistics of notable returners Womens Andy Dalton Jersey , Erickson is about on par with them in their first season. Does this mean that Erickson, an undrafted free agent that played sparingly at wide receiver is destined for greatness? Of course not, but does it mean that if he keeps making the most of his opportunities he can become an explosive asset to the Bengals offense in the future? Absolutely.Next: Bengals Free Agent Acquisitions?If Erickson has a positive off-season, look for him to keep making plays in the kick return game. He’ll also get more opportunities as a slot receiver in four and five wide sets. The season didn’t have many bright spots for the Bengals, but Erickson was one. Hopefully, he can build onthat success going forward.This article originally appeared on What should we expect from third-year receiver, John Ross? Does it seem like the team is responding to the new coach and is happy they won’t be on this year’s version of "Hard Knocks"? And, why are the Bengals always overlooked by the national media?" />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteCincy Junglea Cincinnati Bengals communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsLibraryBengalsOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections #BITESIZEFilm RoomRoster Transactions and ContractsOrange & Black InsiderSalary Cap And CBAFiled under:MailbagAnalysisVideosBengals mailbag: Knocking out stereotypes and getting it from RossNew,9commentsWhat should we expect from third-year receiver, John Ross? Does it seem like the team is responding to the new coach and is happy they won’t be on this year’s version of “Hard Knocks”? And, why are the Bengals always overlooked by the national media?EDTShareTweetShareShareBengals mailbag: Knocking out stereotypes and getting it from RossA major part of The Orange and Black Insider Bengals podcast here on Cincy Jungle is a listener question segment. It’s received so much traction lately that we have now opted to have a standalone episode for the listeners!We kicked off our inaugural episode late last week and the engagement was awesome! There were other questions we couldn’t get to on the air, though, so we’re grabbing those in this mailbag post. During the live Q & A portion, we answered questions ranging from doubts on Lou Anarumo as a first-time defensive coordinator in the NFL, as well as our favorite rookies, and even a discussion on Andy Dalton being the catalyst for some fans potentially jumping on the Browns bandwagon. Have a listen at the audio below, or check out the video above!*****We received this in the live Q & A comment section from reader/listener “let14inhofnow”:There hasn’t been a ton of news regarding Ross dominating practices, but the biggest takeaway seems to be his positive mindset. And, for many professional football players, that’s a huge deal. The answer to this question also centers around what one’s definition of “a breakout year” is in their mind. I think most would take a bridging of Ross’ team co-lead of seven touchdowns in 2018 with more consistency in receptions, yards and even as a decoy to open things up for others. If we want to use the 2018 Rams’ offense as the barometer, they had three receivers set to have at least 80 catches and 1,000 yards, had Cooper Kupp not go down with a knee injury in Week 8. Still Womens A.J. Green Jersey , there are reasons to not immediately expect Ross to be on that pace in year one of the Zac Taylor era. Aside from some likely growing pains in the new system, the Bengals have a plethora of weapons at Andy Dalton’s disposal. And, you can’t blame him for it, but not only No. 14 likes to hone in on A.J. Green for the bulk of his pass attempts, but he also seeks out Tyler Eifert in the red zone. Where I expect him to improve the most, and is the area in which he needs to show the most improvement, would be in catch percentage. This is something that is both the fault of scheme and Ross’ own drops, but his receiving of only 35% of passes thrown his way the past two seasons is a back-breaker. This should improve because of two aforementioned facets: his own comfortability with the new staff and in Taylor’s new scheme. We should expect more jet sweeps, as well as screens and routes to utilize his immense speed on easy yards-after-the-catch opportunities. Basically, the things the team should have been doing with him from the minute they called his name with the 2017 No. 9 pick. The other issue to note is Ross’ inability to stay fully healthy (an issue that plagued Dalton last year as well), so that could ding his 2019 numbers. But, if you’re forcing my hand right now, I’ll go with roughly 55 catches, 700 receiving yards and another year of seven combined rushing/receiving touchdowns. *****This email was a good one from Thomas:Thanks for the kind words—we appreciate your readership and listenership. “Hard Knocks” is interesting because the common perception is that the players relish the spotlight of the cameras, but the coaches’ hesitate to commit to the program because of the potential leaking of team schemes and the like. But, as Thomas notes (and in a way I haven’t thought about previously), it also gives some enigmatic assistant coaches a platform to promote themselves, so to speak. Hue Jackson was one of the more popular figures in the Bengals’ 2012 foray on the documentary and it may have helped him parlay that popularity into a Browns head coaching job. It’s hard to say exactly the mindset of the players when it comes to doing the program. For instance, a guy like Chad Ochocinco loved being in the limelight, while the media-adverse Geno Atkins is relieved that he probably won’t have to appear on it again in his NFL career. With Taylor touting the “It’s About Us” team motto this year, as well as his emphasizing character right away, it’s likely that the prevailing opinion within the Paul Brown Stadium walls is satisfaction in not being the main attraction of what can sometimes be HBO’s version of a circus. The quasi-introverted credo also points to the team looking forward to potentially taking the league by surprise this year, after so many outlets have doled out low expectations. Still, doesn’t this 2019 team and its low expectations seem like some sort of blend of those 2009 and 2012 Bengals squads? The most obvious being some of the same figureheads featured on that iteration from eight years ago.There aren’t necessarily the same characters on the roster as there were over a decade ago http://www.thebengalslockerroom.com/authentic-jessie-bates-iii-jersey , but it was a team that was coming off of an injury-plagued and miserable 2008 campaign. Those 2009 Bengals were on a mission to redemption and ended up writing a pretty nice story for themselves, albeit not a fairy tale one. At any rate, news out of OTAs has the Bengals players enamored with Taylor’s approach. And while the team may not be choosing not to be on the program, per se, they are following Taylor’s lead for the time being. *****Finally, we also received this text message from another listener:Yes, and no. Boston is obviously a major market and gets a lot of attention—rightfully so, given the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era. But, this was a team that had only two championship appearances (1963 AFL Championship and Super Bowl XX) in its first 36 years in existence. They had one other Super Bowl appearance thanks to Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells following the 1996 season, but the Pats were Lombardi-less until that fateful winter of 2001-2002. They’ve become the media’s darling after constructing the NFL’s version of The Infinity Gauntlet. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, isn’t a major media market—at least not to the level of Boston, Los Angeles, or New York. But, like it or not, it’s a sports town filled with teams that know how to win. The Penguins are a hockey dynasty, while the Pirates were baseball royalty in the Roberto Clemente-Willie Stargell days. But, the Steelers arguably rule the town with their brash style of play and their six Super Bowl victories. It isn’t just the success that endears the Steelers to the national media. Hate them if you will, but also envy them for their management style and the way they run their football operations. Like the Bengals, Pittsburgh is run by a longtime football family in the Rooney’s. And, while their team has been a bit of a circus lately with Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, their knack for tightly-run organizational management and consistently finding generational talents to shape the franchise has to be admired. Recently, we debated the notion if the Bengals’ lack of success was deliberate, or just a series of mistakes that were bred out of good intentions. While a little bit of bad luck is also to blame Giovani Bernard Jersey White , the point is that this just isn’t a discussion that is had in The Steel City. The conversation around Three Rivers is more about how to get back to winning ways, which is their annual benchmark. It also helps that the Rooney’s have done some solid P.R. work over the years. Dan Rooney was named a liaison to Ireland by former U.S. President, Barack Obama, while also spearheading “The Rooney Rule” to promote opportunities for minorities in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Brown family is painted as a family cooped up in their ivory tower, occasionally being alone on voting islands during the annual owner’s meetings. They don’t address the media often, do not honor their past greats in a way that nearly all other NFL franchises do, and largely run the team in an outdated manner. So, basically one of a few things will need to happen for the Bengals to get into the good graces of news outlets. The first and most obvious is to obtain generational talents. This doesn’t have to come with No. 1 overall picks, but they need to get their hands on players who can rise above the shortcomings of the franchise. The dominoes to fall after that would be better operational practices and increased P.R. measures. Obviously, the hope is that they’ve solved the coaching woes with Taylor and his staff. For now, Bengals fans will have to deal with being on the outside looking in, so to speak.If you’re unable to join us live for here at Cincy Jungle or YouTube every episode, all Orange and Black Insider content is available here on CJ, the Stitcher, Spotify and Google Play Music apps, our YouTube channel, as well as through Megaphone and, as always, on iTunes! You can tweet us @BengalsOBI or get in touch with us via email at theobinsider@gmail.com. Thanks for listening and go subscribe to our channels!

Safety Eric Weddle hasn’t played any games with the Rams yet Bobby Evans Jersey Mens , but he’s already drawn a couple of conclusions about his new teammates.One of them is an opinion that probably formed after a minute or two of offseason work. Weddle called two-time defensive player of the year Aaron Donald “one of the best players in the NFL at all positions” and he’s unlikely to hear much dissent on that front.Weddle also said that he’s been very impressed by what he’s seen from cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib in their first months working together in Wade Phillips’s defense.“Those guys are super, super smart,” Weddle said during an appearance on NFL Network. “The instincts are off the charts. Play-making ability. . . . Those two are the best I’ve ever played with in my career of guys that play with vision, play the ball, understand routes, trust a safety that is going to alert them and put them in a position to make plays knowing that I have their backs. I’m extremely excited to get on the field with them, give ’em those live reps, live-game atmosphere and take this secondary to the next level.”Weddle said earlier this offseason that he hopes his mentoring can push safety John Johnson to another level and the Rams have a capable slot corner in Nickell Robey-Coleman to fill out a secondary that they’ll hope looks as good on the field as it does on paper. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rams running back Todd Gurley has been ruled out of Los Angeles‘ regular-season finale against San Francisco because of a knee injury.Safety Lamarcus Joyner also won’t play Sunday at the Coliseum, Rams coach Sean McVay confirmed Friday.“Those guys are making progress, but we don’t feel like it’s going to be at the point where they’ll be ready to go,” McVay said. “So we want to continue to be smart with that.”Los Angeles (12-3) can clinch a first-round postseason bye with a win over the 49ers or a loss by the Chicago Bears Greg Gaines Los Angeles Rams Jerseys , but the Rams will have to do it without the centerpiece of their offense.Gurley is the NFL’s second-leading rusher with 1,251 yards, and he leads the league with 21 touchdowns. He is fourth with 1,831 total yards from scrimmage after leading the NFL last season when he was the AP’s Offensive Player of the Year.Gurley will miss the final two games of the regular season after sitting out last week’s win at Arizona, but McVay says he isn’t concerned about the star running back’s availability for the playoffs. While Gurley wasn’t ready to declare himself out for another week when he spoke to the media Thursday night, the Rams decided to be careful.“I think he understands his body better than anybody else,” McVay said. “I don’t get the sense that he’s concerned, but we want to be smart about this. If it’s feeling like something where he’s not going to be able to be the Todd Gurley that we’re accustomed to seeing, just based on the way that that thing is feeling, the smart thing for him, No. 1 Los Angeles Rams Jerseys 2019 , and for our football team is to be able to rest him and get him back as quickly as possible.”Gurley rushed for just 76 combined yards in his past two games earlier this month, and he appeared to be moving gingerly at times. He couldn’t identify a specific play on which he was injured, saying he just felt “something wasn’t right” during the Rams’ loss to Philadelphia on Dec. 16.C.J. Anderson is likely to be Gurley’s primary replacement again this week against the 49ers. The longtime Denver running back joined the Rams last week and immediately thrived, rushing for 167 yards and a touchdown in a 31-9 victory over the Cardinals last Sunday.Gurley participated in pregame warmups at Arizona. He said he could have played, but wasn’t sure how effective he would have been.Knee pain has stalked Gurley for months — no surprise given his heavy workload. After sitting out the entire preseason, Gurley also felt pain in his knee after the Rams’ season-opening win at Oakland back in September — and that was worse, he claimed.“It was bad,” Gurley said with a laugh. “I was contemplating on giving the Rams back their money and everything.”That win over the Raiders was Gurley’s first game after agreeing to a four-year, $60 million contract extension through 2023 at the start of training camp, making him the NFL’s highest-paid running back with $45 million guaranteed.The Rams won’t have any concrete idea about Gurley’s playoff availability until next week, but McVay is cautiously optimistic he will be back to full strength.“I would think so Greg Gaines Jersey nfl draft , but if you said a couple weeks ago that we would have to hold him out for the last two weeks, I probably would have been surprised about that,” McVay said. “But based on the information that we’re getting, there isn’t any reason for us to press the panic button or think that he won’t be available.”Joyner has started all 15 games for Los Angeles while playing more than 95 percent of the Rams’ defensive snaps, but he has an ankle injury. He is the Rams’ third-leading tackler with 78, along with one interception.Backup defensive backs Blake Countess and Marqui Christian will play extensively in Joyner’s absence, McVay said.

Sony Michel ran for 931 yards in his first NFL regular season with the Patriots and then had six rushing touchdowns in three postseason games to help the team to a Super Bowl title Infant Byron Cowart Jersey , so it’s hard to find much reason to complain about his rookie performance.If one did want to find an obvious area of improvement, it would be Michel’s work in the passing game. Michel only caught seven passes last season and the Patriots skewed heavily toward the ground game when he was in the backfield, so defenses could predict what was coming even if they weren’t able to stop it often enough.Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears doesn’t think they’ll have that luxury this year. Fears said Michel is “much improved” in the passing game and that the offense will reflect that once the regular season is underway.“The whole key to make it so we’re interchangeable, everybody looks at us saying they can do both. We like to be in that kind of mode Byron Cowart Jersey Draft , they got to worry about Sony catching the ball as well as running the ball,” Fears said, via Mac Cerullo of the . “I think you’ll find Sony is going to do very well in the passing game, and I bet you’ll find James White and the rest of the guys doing very well in the running game also. We’re going to try to keep that going.”Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said that the Patriots’ offensive identity is still taking shape. If Fears is right about Michel’s strides in the passing game Byron Cowart NFL Jersey , he’ll be at the forefront of whatever identity winds up ruling the day in New England. New England is up early making moves."The first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period was one of inactivity for the New England Patriots: while the club had to watch starting left tackle Trent Brown and standout defensive lineman Trey Flowers agree to contracts with the Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions, respectively, the reigning world champions did not make any moves — something that changed on early Tuesday morning.According to reports by the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, New England has tendered its two restricted free agents: while cornerback Jonathan Jones will receive the second-round tender worth $3.095 million Byron Cowart NFL Draft , wide receiver Josh Gordon will get the original-round tender — Gordon entered the league as a second-round supplemental draft pick — worth $2.025 million. The tenders are one-year contracts and will keep both from the open market.In case another team signs either of the two players to an offer sheet now, the Patriots would have five days to match or receive the draft pick appropriate for the tender as compensation — a second-round draft choice in Jones’ case, a third in Gordon’s. This scenario appears to be more likely in Jones’ case considering that Gordon is still indefinitely suspended and will reportedly be able to start the reinstatement process by May at the earliest. The Patriots tendering both players does not come as a surprise, though.Coming off a season that ended on an ankle injury during the divisional playoff round Byron Cowart Buffalo Bills Jersey , Jones rebounded well in 2018. While he saw inconsistent playing time during the regular season — he did remain a core special teams presence, though — the 25-year-old bounced back strong in the playoffs and played a key role in New England limiting All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill in the AFC title game, before a tremendous performance as a deep zone safety in the Super Bowl.Gordon, meanwhile Infant Jacob Bailey Jersey , appeared in 11 games for the team before getting indefinitely suspended for violating the terms of his reinstatement under the NFL’s drug policy. Before leaving the club in December, however, Gordon established himself as one of the team’s top-two at the wide receiver position: he played 71.2% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps and caught 40 passes for 720 yards and three touchdowns. Seeing him get tagged is a good sign for the team’s confidence in his return — and him still being in New England’s plans for 2019.

Here’s what they got."It’s NFL Conference Championship week Max Scharping Jersey Mens , and I haven’t given a speck of thought to the Houston Texans’ upcoming offseason. There will be months of it. Nine, in fact, until the Texans play another game. There will be all of February to talk talk about free agency, and March will be split between both free agency the upcoming draft, with April full of draft talk. All that will be here soon. What we have right now is finite. Three more games, soon to disappear altogether entirely. Loyal reader, I wanted to take a second from my monomaniacal pursuit to summarize the resources available to the Texans this offseason for everyone who is in that mode.For those who have already moved forward to 2019. As of right now, the Texans have $67,097 Youth Max Scharping Jersey ,417.00 in cap space. This is the sixth most in the league. They’ll be paying $1,769,452 in dead money to Jeff Allen, Braxton Miller, Tyler Ervin, and Treston Decoud. Remember them? This number is also before potential cuts. Houston can save $14 million if they cut Demaryius Thomas, $9,069,000 if they cut Kevin Johnson White Max Scharping Jersey , $6,203,125 if they cut Lamar Miller, $2,687,500 if they cut Ryan Griffin, and dare I say it, $13 million if they cut J.J. Watt. Whitney Mercilus is also a possible trade piece; Houston would save $6,250 Vyncint Smith Jersey ,000 if they cut ties with Mercilus. $67 million is a lot of money, especially for a playoff team to have at their disposal. The joys of having a quarterback on a rookie contract. The Texans have fifteen unrestricted free agents, three restricted free agents, and one exclusive rights free agent. That’s a long list. Rather than waste paper, here’s the list of free agents Houston has via Over The Cap. In addition to the $67 million in cap space, players they can release to create more room, and the 17 free agents they have this offseason, the Texans have draft picks. They finally have their first and second round picks again after the [NAME REDACTED] trade zapped a second rounder; their 2018 first rounder was lost in moving up to select Deshaun Watson. By trading second team All-Pro tackle Duane Brown in 2017, the Texans gained a second rounder in the 2019 NFL Draft. Houston will select 23rd overall in the first round Jordan Thomas Jersey , and then have back-to-back second round picks with the 54th and 55th overall selections before moving on to their third, fifth, sixth and seventh round selections as well.The fourth rounder is now Denver’s via the acquisition of Demaryius Thomas back in October.These are the resources Brian Gaine has to work with this spring. Keep this in mind as you scour upcoming free agents and stroll through cyberspace on the backs of Mock Draft camels. Now, back to the 2019 NFL Playoffs.Houston Texans Injury News: Bruce Ellington To Injured Reserve It wasn’t enough for Sunday’s embarrassing loss to the Giants to include the loss of rising inside linebacker Dylan Cole for the season.No, the Texans also had to lose their starting slot receiver as well.Texans fans will recall that Bruce Ellington exited the game after just three snaps two days ago with a hamstring injury.Ellington has had a hard time staying on the field throughout his NFL career, so while yet another injury hardly comes as a shock, it still stings, especially with Texans fans still waiting for the first glimpse of Keke Coutee in live game action.As fantastic as DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller V have been, having no WR3 would seem to be a glaring issue.Coutee’s hamstring better recover with a quickness (though I suppose Bill O’Brien could incorporate some more two tight end sets to cover up for the lack of a slot receiver; it’s not like Ellington was setting the world on fire through the first three weeks of the season).Daeshon Hall will take Ellington’s spot on the 53-man roster.If you’re keeping track at home Brandon Dunn Jersey , before the calendar has flipped to October, the Texans are now without the services of their starting right tackle (Seantrel Henderson), a promising rotational linebacker who was a very good special teamer (Cole),a starting—albeit struggling to the point of being a hindrance—cornerback (Kevin Johnson), and their starting slot receiver (Ellington).

With legalized gambling slowly spreading from sea to shining sea Cheap John Ross Jersey , odds will emerge for just about anything. Now that the 2019 schedule has been released, odds have been set regarding the last team to be unbeaten.Based on odds from the DraftKings Sportsbook, via Darren Rovell, the often slow-starting Patriots are surprising favorites to go unbeaten the longest, at +750 (bet $100 to win $750). The longest odds belong to the Bengals, at +12500.The Chiefs come in second Tyler Boyd Jersey , at +900. The Chargers, Rams, Seahawks, and Eagles are +1100 each.Here’s a sneaky attractive pick, given the odds: The Panthers at +2500. If quarterback Cam Newton fully recovers from should surgery (indications are that he will), the Panthers will be hard to handle — especially at home. They open with the Rams in Carolina; if the Panthers can get to 1-0 by taking down the defending NFC champs John Miller Jersey , that boost of confidence can carry over to wins against Tampa Bay at home, Arizona on the road, the Texans in Houston, the Jaguars at home, and then the Bucs in London.That’s six games. After the bye, the Panthers go to San Francisco Cheap Trey Hopkins Jersey , host the Titans, and travel to Green Bay.Ultimately, the identity of the last team standing depends on when the others fall, but Vegas doesn’t believe in the Panthers the way it should, and the notion of a healthy and motivated Cam carrying the Panthers to a strong start isn’t as ludicrous as 25-1 would suggest. The Cincinnati Bengals have signed wide receiver Damion Willis to the practice squad and subsequently released cornerback Anthony Chesley from it. Willis, who measures in at 6-3 and 204 pounds Clayton Fejedelem Jersey Limited , is a rookie out of Troy who was a college free agent signee of the Bengals in May and had opened the season on Cincinnati’s active roster before being waived on Wednesday. He played in all seven games with two starts this season and recorded nine grabs for 82 yards.Chesley, a rookie, was a college free agent signee of the Bengals in May out of Coastal Carolina, and he spent Games 1-7 on Cincinnati’s practice squad.I’d venture to guess we’ll see Willis back on a 53-man roster at some point this season. Hopefully, it will be for the Bengals, as he showed a lot of potential in the preseason after a strong training camp William Jackson Jersey Limited , similar to what Auden Tate did last year before bouncing between the active roster and practice squad. That turned out pretty well for the Bengals.

DETROIT (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams returned to their lockers in the Motor City Rob Havenstein Jersey , where NFC West championship shirts and hats were waiting to be worn.The victors, though, refuse to be spoiled by this accomplishment.Todd Gurley ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns to help the Rams overcome a sputtering start to beat the Detroit Lions 30-16 Sunday and clinch the division title for a second straight season.“We’re not satisfied yet,” said defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who had two sacks and forced a fumble. “But we’re headed in the right direction.”The Rams (11-1) moved a step closer to earning home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs, taking a one-game lead over New Orleans after it lost to Dallas on Thursday night. It is a cushion Los Angeles needs because its only loss was against the Saints last month.“We’re in a position right now that we feel good about,” coach Sean McVay said. “If we take care of our business, all the rest of that stuff takes care of itself.”The Lions (4-8) have lost five of six since a surge of success gave them a winning record in late October.“I’m extremely tired of losing,” center Graham Glasgow said.Detroit’s defense held Los Angeles’ high-powered offense in check for three quarters, giving the slumping team a shot to potentially pull off a stunning upset. The Lions, though, failed to make the most of the opportunity because their offense struggled to move the ball and score.Donald helped seal the win by forcing Matthew Stafford to fumble midway through the fourth quarter. The star defensive tackle had two strip-sacks in his last game on Nov. 19, a 54-51 win over Kansas City.“He held the ball and was loose with it,” Donald said. “I just took advantage.”Donald has an NFL-high 16½ sacks this season, and the Rams say he should be an MVP candidate.“He’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” quarterback Jared Goff said of the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year.Linebacker Samson Ebukam recovered Stafford’s fumble at the Detroit 24 and Gurley scored on a 13-yard run three snaps later, giving the Rams a 23-13 lead.Goff Tyler Higbee Jersey , perhaps rusty coming off a bye week, was off the mark on many passes and lost a fumble to help keep the game close. His lackluster performance led to Los Angeles settling for Greg Zuerlein kicking three field goals. Goff was 17 of 33 for 207 yards with a tiebreaking, 8-yard touchdown pass to Robert Woods late in the second quarter. Goff also threw an interception on an overthrown pass in the second quarter and lost a fumble in the third quarter.The Rams were able to lean on Gurley, who has a single-season franchise record with 15 rushing touchdowns. The star running back also caught three passes for 33 yards.Stafford was 20 of 33 yards for 245 yards with an 11-yard touchdown pass to tackle Taylor Decker, who faked the Rams out by blocking for a moment before releasing into the flat where he was left wide open. Decker’s touchdown pulled Detroit within three points late in the third quarter.The Lions had a chance to cut its deficit to three again late in the game, but Kenny Golladay couldn’t get both feet in the end zone on a pass from Stafford and they had settle for Matt Prater’s third field goal.SAVVY MOVEGurley converted a third down late in the game, and after breaking free, he chose not to score to run more time off the clock and force Detroit to take timeouts. It proved a good move because Gurley ran for a 2-yard score with 1:54 left and the Lions were left with no timeouts on their final drive. That ended with Troy Hill intercepting a pass in the end zone with 12 seconds left.“I wanted to waste some time,” Gurley said.SUH OR BOO?Rams defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh played against Detroit for the first time and made six tackles.“I got a warm welcome back,” he said.Detroit drafted Suh No. 2 overall eight years ago and he left for Miami as a free agent in 2015. After the Dolphins cut him earlier this year, he signed a one-year deal with the Rams.When he played for the Lions, the fans would say his last name after he made a play. When his name was announced after his first tackle Sunday, the crowd seemed to jeer him.“I don’t believe it was a boo,” Suh said.STILL COOKINGLos Angeles receiver Brandin Cooks, who had four receptions for 62 yards, became the first player in NFL history with 1,000 yards receiving in three straight years with three different franchises. He helped set up a field goal that gave the Rams a 13-3 halftime lead.Cooks surpassed 1 Jared Goff Jersey ,000 last year with New England and in 2016 with New Orleans. Cooks also had a 1,000-yard season with the Saints in 2015.INJURY REPORTRams: RB Malcom Brown left the game with a shoulder injury. CB Aqib Talib played for the first time since going down with an ankle injury in Week 3.Lions: LB Devon Kennard went out with a hip injury.UP NEXTRams: Play at Chicago on Sunday night.Lions: Play at Arizona on Sunday. Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan arrived as head coaches in the NFC West together last year as longtime friends and colleagues tasked with revitalizing struggling franchises.McVay has done a much quicker job overhauling the Los Angeles Rams than Shanahan has with the San Francisco 49ers. The teams headed in opposite directions meet for the first time this season on Sunday when the Rams (6-0) hope to remain the NFL's only unbeaten team when they visit the struggling 49ers (1-5).McVay credits Shanahan for his success, pointing to his four years as an assistant in Washington when Shanahan was offensive coordinator for much of his development."I wouldn't really say it was a give and take," McVay said. "It was more me taking information from him, and him a lot of giving. I think more than anything, just being committed to an identity. The way he prepared was so impressive. The way that he saw the game. His ability to make things look the same and attack defensive structures and rules and manipulate those. He's a great coach. I learned so much from him."That knowledge has helped McVay build one of the NFL's top teams with a dynamic offense led by quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley that ranks third in scoring (32.7 points per game) and second in yards per play (7.16) after winning the NFC West last season.The Niners haven't had nearly as much success, winning just six games last year and struggling mightily this year after quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 3.San Francisco showed glimpses of becoming what Shanahan envisioned with five straight wins to end last season with Garoppolo at quarterback, but the team has a 1-13 record under Shanahan when either Brian Hoyer or C.J. Beathard starts.Beathard has shown improvement in his second year, leading San Francisco to back-to-back 400-yard games, but his seven turnovers in three starts contributed to the losses.While the results have been different and the teams take slightly divergent approaches — the Rams preferring three-receiver sets and the 49ers relying more on a two-back offense with fullback Kyle Juszczyk — both coaches have taken what they did together in Washington to their current teams."He's a good coach and a real good friend. We got to put a lot of that stuff in together," Shanahan said. "Just like you do everywhere and everyone you work with, you're always a product of your environment. You carry things over, you change a few things. We've both gone some different directions over the last few years, but when you do turn on the tape it's very similar."Here are some other things to watch:TAKE THE TOP OFFHaving a healthy Marquise Goodwin last week provided a big boost to San Francisco's offense. He made four catches for 126 yards, including touchdowns of 67 and 30 yards in the first half. Perhaps even more importantly, his sprinter's speed forces defenses to provide help in coverage, opening up holes in the running game and opportunities for other receivers."Guys are respecting his speed Samson Ebukam Jersey , and you've got to respect his speed," Beathard said. "He can take the tops off of coverages, so it definitely helps having him out there."GOOD GURLEYGurley is off to a scintillating start with 870 yards from scrimmage and 11 TDs through six games. Since the merger in 1970, only two other players have reached those marks in six games: Priest Holmes for Kansas City in 2002, Emmitt Smith for Dallas in 1995. Gurley ran for 208 yards and two TDs last week in Denver. Gurley had 149 yards from scrimmage and three TDs in his only game against the Niners last year.RUN TO DAYLIGHTRaheem Mostert had just 13 carries since entering the NFL in 2015 before having a breakthrough performance last week for the 49ers. Mostert carried 12 times for 87 yards at Green Bay, forming a potent rushing duo with Matt Breida. San Francisco ranks third in rushing with 142.5 yards per game and a 5.12 average per carry.FAMILY AFFAIRThe 49ers are hosting alumni weekend and will be wearing 1994 throwback jerseys to honor their last Super Bowl championship team. That team means a lot to McVay, whose grandfather, John, helped build the 49ers dynasty as general manager. Sean McVay listed several of his favorite players from that era, including Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Dexter Carter and Merton Hanks. He also said he had a Deion Sanders jersey from that 1994 season."It's always weird going against them," he said. "But you feel so fortunate just to have the family history my grandpa established and developed."

The Saints have seen tight ends catch a fair number of passes from Drew Brees since Jimmy Graham was traded ahead of the 2015 season https://www.raiderslockerroom.com/authentic-antonio-brown-jersey , but Benjamin Watson Coby Fleener and others didn’t make the same kind of offensive impact that Graham made in New Orleans.There’s hope that Jared Cook can provide that kind of wrinkle to the offense after joining the team as a free agent this offseason. In fact, tight ends coach Dan Campbell suggested the team will reach into the vault to break out some of the plays they used when Graham was in town in order to get the most out of Cook this season.“The base is already here, the foundation for that is already here because they had a guy like [Graham],” Campbell said, via Luke Johnson of NOLA.com. “Look, we’ve already got what we need Womens Derek Carr Jersey , we can brush off some of the stuff we’ve done before without any problem. We’re going to do what [Cook] does best, we’re going to use those plays, but let’s see everything he can do. Let’s test him.”Scoring points wasn’t a problem for the Saints without Cook in the lineup. If he meets expectations, it should be even less of an issue for the team this time around. In a league where stars rarely win contract disputes and rarely choose their teams, Antonio Brown did both. Other players are noticing.Shortly after Brown got his wish of a trade out of Pittsburgh and a new contract, Chiefs offensive lineman Jeff Allen said in a series of tweets that Brown helped show that players can occasionally win a game that is usually won by the owners.“AB just disrupted a system that鈥檚 designed for us to contractually lose in. If you hate it then hate what the other side does everyday Antonio Brown Raiders Jersey ,” Allen wrote.Allen believes that Brown was wise to make waves publicly and force the Steelers’ hand.“He had to publicly do this to even have a chance of being moved. If he would have quietly tried this which a lot guys do he鈥檇 still be in Pittsburgh. Owners can move in silence because they have the power,” Allen wrote.In Allen’s view, if owners don’t want players to try to force their way out of situations like Brown just did, then owners should guarantee all contracts.“It鈥檚 football you get hurt. It鈥檚 a 100% injury rate. I鈥檓 fair and honest, you can care about winning along with your check. Guys wouldn鈥檛 care about money if contracts were fully guaranteed. AB was already paid he just wasn鈥檛 happy in Pittsburgh it鈥檚 simple,” Allen wrote. “What does a contract mean when you can get cut after getting hurt while laying your body on the line for your team or cut just because they feel like you aren鈥檛 worth what the contract says.”Allen said he personally wouldn’t do the same thing Brown did Womens Antonio Brown Jersey , but he knows he doesn’t have the leverage that a four-time first-team All-Pro like Brown has.“I can鈥檛 do what he did, you have to be honest with yourself,” Allen wrote.At a time when Brown has lost a lot of fans in Pittsburgh, he has surely gained a lot of fans among his fellow players, who are glad to see a player come out ahead in a dispute with his team.

We’re talking draft day/night trade scenarios for the Texans in this post." Red Zone Play2019 NFL DraftRed Zone Play: The Houston Texans Trade For... New Jordan Akins Jersey ,6commentsWe’re talking draft day/night trade scenarios for the Texans in this post.CDTNow that the bulk of the 2019 mock drafts have come and gone, the latest crop o’ mocks is dipping the collective toe in the trade waters, with more than one having the Texans trading on D-Day this Thursday night. For those wanting a quick recap, here’s the 411 on Houston’s major draft day trades over the course of the franchise’s history:Wikipedia: But that was then, and this is now. Houston has a new sheriff in town in general manager Brian Gaine, and while he did relatively well in the abridged 2018 NFL Draft, his free agency in 2019 hasn’t exactly lit a fire under the fanbase. This week is what we’ve all been waiting for.If the number of proposed trades from draft mockers is any indication, expect the Texans to do some wheelin’ and dealin’ later this week.Let’s take a look at some of the proposals involving your Houston Texans:Bleacher Report:Peter King:CBS Sports:Cynthia Frelund (NFL.com)“Wild” Bill Barnwell:Sport Illustrated:What do you think? Should the Texans make a move to jump ahead of some other offensive line needy teams? Or would you prefer they play the cards they’ve been dealt? Give us your draft day trade mock-up in the comments box. HOUSTON (AP) — J.J. Watt smiles and chuckles quietly when asked if he’s heard from Houston Texans fans who can’t wait to see if he’ll be the player he once was.Watt returns Sunday after injuries limited him to eight games over the last two seasons.“I’m very excited,” he said Wednesday. “I’m sure there are a lot of people who are cautiously optimistic. Obviously the last two years we’ve said the same thing. So, I’m just looking forward to going out there and playing football Keke Coutee Jersey , letting it loose, having fun and letting the chips fall where they may.”The three-time Defensive Player of the Year will get an immediate test when the Texans open their season with a trip to face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Watt is healthy and appears ready to make a comeback after playing three games in 2016 before having season-ending back surgery, and missing the last 11 games of 2017 after breaking his left leg.“They’ve been doing things for a long time at a very high level, so it’s always exciting to get out there on the field and be able to play against a team of that caliber,” Watt said. “Very much looking forward to the challenge and looking forward to get back on the field myself.”While the anticipation of seeing how Watt will perform in his first regular-season game since Oct. 8 is great, Watt insists that after everything he’s been through he’s simply savoring every moment instead of worrying what might happen.“It’s been a long road, it’s been a grind, it’s been a lot of ups and downs over the last couple of years, obviously …but the thing I’m most looking forward to is today’s practice,” he said. “Little things — I love practice Deshaun Watson Jersey , I love the meetings, I love focusing on an opponent, going out there with my guys and trying to figure out the best plan, and just the game of football. I just love being a part of it.”The return of Watt and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus, who sustained a season-ending injury in the same game as Watt, to play with 2014 top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney should make Houston’s defensive front one of the team’s strengths. New England coach Bill Belichick was asked about the difficulty of dealing with Watt.“He’s very hard to block,” Belichick said. “He’s a great player, one of the great players in the league. He has a lot of company up there, too. They have a very good defensive front.”Watt has twice led the NFL in sacks with the last time coming in 2015 when he had 17 1/2. But the 76 sacks he’s piled up in the first seven years of his career only tell half the story of his prowess as a pass rusher. He also developed such a knack for using his huge hands to swat down passes at the line that he earned the nickname “J.J. Swatt.”The four-time Pro Bowler was Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, 2014 and 2015 and never missed a game until 2016 Zach Cunningham Jersey , when he started struggling with a back injury that ended his season. He knows that his back problems combined with last season’s injury to his leg had some people doubting he can ever be dominant again.Watt, who Texans fans booed on 2011 draft night, used to worry about proving people who doubted him wrong. Buthe’s stopped worrying about stuff like that now that he’s approaching 30 years old.“I’ve realized there’s people that doubt the best players in the history of the game,” he said. “I’m sure there’s people that doubt Tom (Brady), which — he’s the best quarterback of all-time. I’ve learned that peoples’ opinion doesn’t really matter.“The peoples’ opinion that I care about are my family, my friends, my teammates, my coaches, my girlfriend,” he continued. “Whatever everyone else thinks doesn’t affect my day-to-day life D’Onta Foreman Jersey , but I’m going to go out there and try and make those people I mentioned proud.”Watt has done plenty to make people proud in the last year with a fundraiser he started to help victims of Hurricane Harvey raising more than $41 million. He announced last week that the funds have been used to rebuild 600 homes and 420 childcare centers, as well as provide 26 million meals, give 6,500 people health services and more than 10,000 people medication.

Here’s a one stop look at all coaching and G.M. moves Nick Vigil Jersey , interviews, rumors, etc. for the 2019 cycle. This is based on published reports and information PFT has acquired from sources with knowledge of the dynamics of the general and specific processes.Jets: Fired coach Todd Bowles. Expected to pursue Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. Expected to interview former Packers coach Mike McCarthy. Reportedly have interest in former Lions and Colts coach Jim Caldwell. Reportedly will interview Cowboys defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Kris Richard, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken and USC offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Iowa State coach Matt Campbell declined a chance to interview.Dolphins: Fired coach Adam Gase. Could pursue Ravens coach John Harbaugh. Reportedly will interview Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak, Cowboys defensive backs coach Kris Richard, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and Dolphins special teams coach/assistant head coach Darren Rizzi. Interviewed Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores.Bengals: Fired coach Marvin Lewis. Reportedly interviewed offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons. Also interviewing former Raiders and Browns coach Hue Jackson. Possibly will pursue Vikings coach Mike Zimmer. Requested interviews with Rams passing game coordinator Shane Waldron, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels Jake Fisher Jersey , but McDaniels reportedly passed on the opportunity to interview. Will interview former Broncos coach Vance Joseph, Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor and Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Rumors persist that Hue Jackson could get the job.Browns: Fired coach Hue Jackson during the season. Interviewed interim coach Gregg Williams and will interview offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens. Reportedly have contacted former Packers coach Mike McCarthy. Have requested permission to interview Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni and Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores. Reportedly will interview Saints assistant head coach/tight ends coach Dan Campbell. Reportedly have interest in former Lions and Colts coach Jim Caldwell. Sources tell PFT that the Browns are expected to hire an offensive coach who will work closely with and develop quarterback Baker Mayfield.Jaguars: Announced that coach Doug Marrone, G.M. Dave Caldwell, and V.P. of football operations Tom Coughlin will return.Broncos: Fired coach Vance Joseph. Could pursue Ravens coach John Harbaugh. Could consider Mike Shanahan. Reportedly will consider Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak, former Colts coach Chuck Pagano, Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor, Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores and Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.Raiders: Fired G.M. Reggie McKenzie during the season. Hired Mike Mayock to replace him. Reportedly interviewed Marc Ross and Trey Brown for the position.Packers: Fired coach Mike McCarthy during the season. Interviewed former Lions and Colts coach Jim Caldwell, former Colts coach Chuck Pagano. Reportedly will interview Saints assistant head coach/tight ends coach Dan Campbell Tyler Kroft Jersey , Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr., Steelers offensive line coach Mike Munchak, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur and Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores. Could pursue Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald.Vikings: Coach Mike Zimmer has declared that he is not resigning or retiring.Buccaneers: Fired coach Dirk Koetter. Could pursue Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. Could pursue former Packers coach Mike McCarthy. Bruce Arians has expressed interest. Reportedly will interview Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and Cowboys defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Kris Richard. Requested interview with Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards.Falcons: Fired offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel, and special teams coach Keith Armstrong. Head coach Dan Quinn will take over as defensive coordinator. Reportedly interviewing former Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.Cardinals: Fired coach Steve Wilks. Could pursue former Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. Reportedly will interview Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor, Saints assistant head coach/tight ends coach Dan Campbell and USC offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Fired Dolphins coach Adam Gase will interview. Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy passed on the opportunity to interview with the team. A lot of emotion after these two moves."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections #BITESIZEFilm RoomRoster Transactions and ContractsOrange & Black InsiderSalary Cap And CBABreaking NewsKeep track of the 2019 Bengals draft脳NFL Free AgencyBengals Free Agency 2019Twitter roundup on Tyler Eifert and Vontaze BurfictNew,7commentsA lot of emotion after these two moves. EDTShareTweetShareShareTwitter roundup on Tyler Eifert and Vontaze BurfictKen Blaze-USA TODAY SportsThe Bengals launched the second week of free agency with a wide spectrum of emotions.First things first, Tyler Eifert made it official and signed his new contract on Monday after news that he had reached a deal broke on St. Patrick’s Day weekend.Bengals fans and members of the media all had similar reactions. Most were very happy, if not trepidatious John Miller Jersey , about the prospect of another year with Eifert. Eifert even got shoutouts from some big names in the local food scene.And, of course, there were several minions-themed celebrations.With the news of Eifert inking his new deal, the Bengals released long-time LB Vontaze Burfict. Naturally, it is hard not to see a connection between the two moves.There were mixed reactions about Burfict’s release. Most agree that Burfict, though once an amazing player, has failed to live up to his Pro Bowl season form. His former teammates also had something to say.There were others, mostly outside of Cincinnati, that were relieved at the news.The interesting thing is that the two players have had similar career paths that are finally diverging. Both have had promising starts to their careers, but have not been able to stay on the field.In both cases Alex Redmond Jersey , we would have loved to see them stay. But, again, in both cases, keeping them would be an difficult business decision.Either way, the Bengals probably did the right thing on both counts.

KANSAS CITY Nick Allegretti Jersey nfl draft , Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs acquired pass rusher Frank Clark from the Seattle Seahawks for a package of picks Tuesday, then quickly agreed with him on a $105 million, five-year contract, as they continue to overhaul their much-maligned defense.The Chiefs sent the No. 29 overall pick in this year’s draft and a second-round pick in 2020 to Seattle, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke about the trade terms and contract details on condition of anonymity because they were pending a physical.Clark planned to head to Kansas City to complete that in the next 48 hours.The trade, first reported by the NFL Network, also includes a swap of third-round picks in this year’s draft. That means the Chiefs will move up eight spots on Friday night.Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said last week that he was aggressively trying to upgrade the defense, and he acknowledge the window for winning a Super Bowl title began last season. That’s when Patrick Mahomes took over at quarterback and had an MVP season as a first-time starter Super Bowl Nick Allegretti Jersey , leading Kansas City to a third straight AFC West title and the conference championship game.“We want to take the next step,” Veach said. “Certainly, it goes without saying our offense we pretty efficient last year and I think we are always looking to improve and get better.”Seattle already had the 21st pick overall pick Thursday night, and now general manager John Schneider has an additional first-day selection as he begins rebuilding his own defense.Clark was chosen by the Seahawks in the second round of the 2015 draft, though most agreed he was a first-round talent docked by off-the-field concerns. But he quickly became a dependable edge rusher, piling up 36 sacks over his first four seasons with a team-best 14 this past season.The Seahawks placed the franchise tag on him after the season, but Clark had yet to sign the $17.128 million deal as rumors of a trade swirled. Several other teams also inquired about landing him ahead of the draft as Seattle tried to accumulate additional picks.“This time, and the trade deadline Football Nick Allegretti Jersey , there’s some speculation about a lot of players,” Schneider said on Monday. “We’re involved in a lot of deals. We take a lot of pride in that. We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we weren’t listening to everybody.”Kansas City ultimately won the bidding for him.Veach has spent most of the offseason rebuilding one of the league’s worst defenses, one that played a key role in their AFC title game collapse. They lost in overtime to New England when the Patriots won the coin toss, marched downfield and scored the winning touchdown in a 37-31 victory — never giving Mahomes and one of the NFL’s most potent offenses a chance with the ball.In a matter of days, the Chiefs fired defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, hired new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and began sifting through their personnel as they switched from a 3-4 to a 4-3 system.They got rid of longtime safety Eric Berry and high-priced linebackers Justin Houston and Dee Ford, sending the latter to San Francisco for a second-round pick next year, and carved out enough cap space to find replacements. They signed safety Tyrann Mathieu Mecole Hardman Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys , cornerback Bashaud Breeland, linebacker Damien Wilson and defensive end Alex Okafor in free agency, then traded safety Eric Murray to former GM John Dorsey and the Cleveland Browns for defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah.All told, the Chiefs have signed or traded for five new defensive starters.“We didn’t win the Super Bowl,” Veach said, “so we can get better. I think all across the board, there is talent that we can acquire, and we can get more depth on both sides of the football. I think that’s what makes it fun and exciting. There’s certainly some specific areas that may be more apparent. But I think the things you do in free agency protect yourself in the draft Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys 2019 , so you don’t have to take a player that you feel is a second- or third-round value in the first round.”The Seahawks have also been busy retooling their defense this offseason, adding defensive ends Cassius Marsh and Nate Orchard as they shopped Clark. They are expected to continue to target help in the pass rush and the defensive backfield in the first couple of rounds of the draft.The additional first-round pick Thursday night also gives Seattle some flexibility.Schneider has a tendency to move around in drafts, and it’s possible the Seahawks could trade down and acquire additional picks. They still only have five selections overall, and in nine previous drafts in charge, Schneider has never made fewer than eight selections. The Chiefs parted ways with a couple of pass rushers this month and they added one to the roster on Thursday.According to multiple reports, the team has signed former Saint Alex Okafor to a three-year deal. The deal is worth $18 million and can go up to $24 million if he hits all the incentives included in the deal.Okafor had 8.5 sacks over 26 games — he tore his Achilles with six games to play in 2017 — with the Saints over the last two seasons and became a free agent when his contract for the 2019 season voided earlier this week.Okafor played in a 4-3 base defense with the Saints and that experience should be put to good use this season. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is putting something similar in place in Kansas City and Okafor should have a prominent role as long as he’s healthy enough to be on the field.