Tag: Danny Shelton

5 Chiefs we want to see more from in Week 2 of training camp

Impressive second weeks from these five #Chiefs players would be a welcome sight for fans in attendance at practices in St. Joseph.

The Kansas City Chiefs finished their first week of training camp practice on a high note on Sunday and began their second week of workouts on Monday. While receivers Justyn Ross, Skyy Moore, and Rashee Rice stole the show in Week 1 of camp, others had a quiet start to their preparation for the 2023 season.

The team has only conducted a handful of practices in pads, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Chiefs’ rising offensive stars dominated headlines early in camp. However, now that the team is in their full kit, defensive highlights should start trickling in as Kansas City gears up for their first preseason game next week.

Here are five Chiefs we want to see more from in Week 2 of Kansas City’s 2023 training camp:

71 days till Patriots season opener: Every player to wear No. 71 for New England

Here’s a list of every Patriots player to wear the No. 71 jersey number.

With 71 days left until the regular season opener for the New England Patriots, we are looking at every player for the franchise that has ever worn the No. 71 jersey.

Offensive guard Michael Onwenu, who is one of the most underrated offensive players in the NFL, currently wears the number for New England. He was snubbed from the Pro Bowl in 2022, despite having the fourth-highest Pro Football Focus grade at his position.

Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio was the only other AFC offensive guard with a higher grade than Onwenu.

Of course, there have been other standouts to wear the jersey, from offensive linemen to defensive linemen. Here’s every Patriots player that has worn the No. 71 jersey throughout franchise history (via Pro Football Reference):

Former Browns players who could win rings in Super Bowl LVII

What former Browns players have a chance to win a ring tonight?

Today is the finale of the 2022 NFL season as the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs take the field in Glendale, Arizona in Super Bowl LVII. A feat the Cleveland Browns have still yet to accomplish since the inception of the Super Bowl, they are now focused on free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft. There are, however, quite a few former players who once wore the orange helmet who have a chance to win a Super Bowl ring tonight.

From a former first round pick to undrafted free agents who got cut in training camp, some of the names may come as a surprise. Which former Browns have a chance at a new piece of jewelry tonight?

Here’s what Chiefs HC Andy Reid saw from Blake Bell, Danny Shelton in Week 16

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke about the performance of both TE Blake Bell and DT Danny Shelton in Week 16.

The Kansas City Chiefs had a player return to the lineup in Week 16, but they also had a player make his debut with the team.

Veteran TE Blake Bell returned to the lineup after being activated to the 53-man roster from injured reserve. Veteran DT Danny Shelton played after being elevated to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. Both players would appear in their first regular season game since the 2021 NFL season.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid liked what he saw from both players in the limited number of snaps they played.

“Yeah, so it was good to get Blake (Bell) back in and work,” Reid said. “He didn’t have a ton of snaps, but he had enough to help. Danny (Shelton) I thought was kind of in that same situation, not a ton of snaps, but he did a nice job when called on. Can I tell what’s going (to happen)? No. You’ll get Khalen Saunders back, and so how does that fit with Danny’s situation? Blake, he’ll probably still be in the rotation there. But Danny, I can’t tell you how that will go for him, but we sure are glad to have him. He’s a great kid and a good football player.”

It sounds like Bell will continue to work back into the lineup for Kansas City and could see an increased number of snaps in the final two weeks of the regular season. He’s been a vital piece of the offense as a blocker and a ball carrier on quarterback sneaks in his previous seasons with the team.

As for Shelton, he’ll continue on the practice squad as a key depth piece for the defense. Khalen Saunders is expected to return this week after dealing with an illness, which likely means that Shelton won’t be elevated from the practice squad for Week 17. Other illnesses and injuries could pop up along the interior defensive line, which makes Shelton’s snaps in Week 16 all the more important going forward.

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The NFL’s most surprising roster cuts in 2022

Here are the NFL’s most surprising player cuts as teams move to the required 53-man rosters.

“Success is never final, and failure is never fatal.”

That quote has been attributed to everybody from Winston Churchill to John Wooden, but whoever said it, it’s something important to remember as NFL teams got to their required 53-man rosters on Tuesday afternoon. Hundreds of players were told by their teams that their services were no longer required, and that’s always a big hit, no matter who you are.

That’s not a professional death sentence, by any means. Veterans who can’t catch on with one team can still do great things with others. And rookies who don’t make the cut in one city can certainly do so elsewhere.

I mean, the Pittsburgh Steelers cut Len Dawson and Johnny Unitas in the late 1950s, and those guys went on to have fairly decent careers.

So, with that in mind, here are our most surprising cuts from NFL teams as the required roster constrictions happened.

Here’s why DT Danny Shelton chose to join Chiefs in free agency

The #Chiefs had competition for DT Danny Shelton’s services, but he couldn’t pass up an opportunity to compete for a championship in Kansas City.

The Kansas City Chiefs weren’t alone in the competition to land Danny Shelton’s services.

The former first-round draft pick had recently worked out for the Las Vegas Raiders and took a visit with the Carolina Panthers back in July. He also had interest from the Jacksonville Jaguars, who seemed to have the most competitive offer compared to the Chiefs. But why did Shelton settle on Kansas City with all of the interest from other teams?

“Shit, honestly? I was just tired of flying around,” Shelton joked, before giving the real story. “When I heard that the Chiefs wanted me — it was between the Jags (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Chiefs — I had to go with the Chiefs. I’m just excited for this opportunity, excited to be here with the guys and try to catch up with them and contribute to everybody’s goal, getting to that championship.”

Championship aspirations aren’t a big surprise from a player joining this team. Kansas City has played host to the last four AFC title games. The Chiefs have played in two of the past four Super Bowls, winning a championship in 2019. If you want a chance at competing for championships, there is no safer bet than coming to Kansas City.

Shelton also named a few more reasons that he felt he couldn’t pass up this opportunity with the Chiefs. First was the reputation of the coaching staff. He said that both Steve Spagnuolo and Andy Reid played a part in his decision. The second reason was the players that he’d be working alongside both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

“I (have) always been a fan of (Defensive Coordinator Steve) Spags (Spagnuolo) and how he runs things and (Head Coach) Andy Reid too so just the opportunity to be out here,” Shelton said. “Obviously, we got these high-caliber players on our team. Just to be around those guys, it excites me to be able to compete with them and hopefully learn something that I can add to my toolbox.”

Those players have already welcomed Shelton with open arms, despite already being into the dog days of training camp and having bonded with other teammates.

“I’m not going to lie, it feels good,” Shelton said. “I’m coming in mid-camp and a lot of guys don’t want to hear a new guy talk and stuff. I’m here trying to soak up everything and add a little knowledge to the younger guys too so I’m here helping out as much as I can, but it feels great to be welcomed by these guys.”

Shelton has only been out at practice for two days, so things are still very new. He’s on an acclimation plan as he learns the new system and gets in football shape. With just four days to go before preseason Week 2, Shelton doesn’t know if he’ll get an opportunity to play many snaps. If he does, he’ll be ready to make the most of them.

“Honestly, if Coach puts me in there, I’ll be ready,” he said.

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Giants claim Warren G’s son, Olaijah Griffin, off waivers from Bills

The New York Giants have claimed the son of Warren G and step-nephew of Dr. Dre, Olaijah Griffin, off waivers from the Buffalo Bills.

The New York Giants claimed defensive back Olaijah Griffin off of waivers from the Buffalo Bills on Monday, bringing their roster to 88 men. That will need to be trimmed to 85 on Tuesday.

Griffin was signed by the Bills as an undrafted free agent out of USC in 2021. He spent his entire rookie season on their practice squad and has not yet appeared in an NFL game.

To the likely delight of wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who goes by the rap name “Yung Joka,” Griffin is the son of rapper Warren G and the step-nephew of rapper/producer Dr. Dre. The locker room rap battles are sure to be off the hook.

Meanwhile, two former Giants have also found new homes.

Defensive tackle Danny Shelton, who spent the 2021 season with the Giants, was officially signed by the Kansas City Chiefs. And linebacker Niko Lalos, who spent two seasons in East Rutherford and has a fan base that includes LeBron James, signed with the New Orleans Saints.

Lalos had been released by the Giants last week.

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Here’s what Andy Reid thinks Chiefs are getting in new DT Danny Shelton

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid explained what he feels the Chiefs are getting in new DT Danny Shelton.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid confirmed to reporters on Thursday that the team has, in fact, signed free agent DT Danny Shelton.

Shelton’s signing hasn’t been made official yet on the league’s personnel notice, but it was reported earlier in the week. The 28-year-old defensive tackle wasn’t spotted at practice on Thursday, likely spending the day getting situated, passing a physical, and taking his conditioning test.

Reid was asked about what he thought the team would be getting in Shelton. He’s confident that they’re getting a talented player and athlete, but also a bit of a kindred spirit for the Chiefs’ head coach.

“I think we’ll get a lot out of him,” Reid said of Shelton. “He’s a big guy. He’s a big kid, right? He’s really a gifted athlete, for as big as he is, he’s a gifted athlete. He’s had some real productive snaps. He was with the Giants last year and had some productive snaps there. He and I could probably afford to lose a couple (of pounds) and I think he’ll do that as we go forward.”

Shelton (6-2, 345 pounds) has the reputation of being an excellent run stopper. He’s coming off of what was considered to be a down year in New York, but as Reid mentioned, he’s had some productive snaps throughout his career. From 2016-2018, Shelton didn’t have a run defense grade lower than 72.8 per Pro Football Focus.

The Chiefs seem to hope they can get some more productivity out of the veteran should he make the 53-man roster. He fits the mold for what new DL coach Joe Cullen seems to like in terms of a 1-tech and 0-tech defensive tackle. He also has the pedigree, being a former first-round pick back in 2015.

As for whether Shelton will be suiting up for the preseason game in Chicago this Saturday, that seems unlikely. The team has been easing new players and players returning from injury into action at training camp. Expect them to do the same with preseason Week 1.

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Chiefs to sign free agent DT Danny Shelton on one-year deal

The #Chiefs are beefing up the interior defensive line with the free agent addition of veteran DT Danny Shelton per report.

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed a player who will help them in the defensive trenches.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chiefs have agreed to terms with veteran DT Danny Shelton on a one-year deal. The No. 12 overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2015 NFL draft, Shelton was traded to the New England Patriots in 2018. He spent two seasons there before landing with the Detroit Lions in 2020 and the New York Giants in 2021.

A run-stuffing DT by nature, Shelton (6-2, 340 pounds) has appeared in 100 career NFL regular season games with 72 career starts. The 28-year-old appeared in 13 games with the Giants last season, recording 31 total tackles, a tackle for loss and a half-sack on the year. His last start came in 2021 with the Lions, but he has plenty of experience at the position.

The Chiefs continue to beef up their defensive line later in the free agency period after adding Carlos Dunlap just recently. The addition of Shelton will provide some much-needed depth on the interior with Taylor Stallworth dealing with a knee injury. They also have quite a few developmental players on the interior defensive line lower down the depth chart.

The team will need to make room on the 90-man offseason roster, so expect a corresponding move coming soon.

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Panthers remain interested in Carlos Dunlap, Danny Shelton

GM Scott Fitterer said the Panthers are still looking into adding a big body or two.

On Tuesday, Carolina Panthers players officially reported to Spartanburg, S.C. for the start of 2022 training camp. And odds are, they won’t be the last.

When speaking to reporters on the team’s first day at Wofford College, general manager Scott Fitterer—as he previously has—stated he’s still looking into beefing up the defensive line. But how does he want to beef it up exactly?

“Yeah, we made our calls yesterday,” he said. “There’s some things we’re still looking into. We’d like to add a big body, a pass rusher. That type.”

That type could very well be veteran Carlos Dunlap and/or Danny Shelton.

Carolina’s interest in Dunlap has been known to this point, as they already brought in the two-time Pro Bowler for a visit six weeks ago. While Shelton, the 12th overall pick of the 2015 draft, had his visit on Monday.

Fitterer added that the rigors of summer workouts may force the Panthers into making a move . . . or two.

“I do think we need one more big body,” he then said. “Guys tend to get hurt during camp. I do think we need a traditional pass rusher. So I think we’ll do that.

“Ideally, we’d add one defensive tackle, one defensive end.”

So, there’s clearly some vacancy over in those Wofford dorms.

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