Tag: Joe Thuney

Joe Thuney adjusting to working alongside new Chiefs LT Donovan Smith

Joe Thuney spoke about working alongside new #Chiefs LT Donovan Smith at OTAs and mandatory minicamp.

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During the course of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, starting left guard Joe Thuney has only ever known working alongside Orlando Brown Jr. at left tackle.

Entering the 2023 NFL season, Thuney will have a new running mate at left tackle for the first time in the past two seasons. The player who is expected to get the nod is former Tampa Bay Buccaneers LT Donovan Smith, who brings 124 games of starting experience over eight seasons and plants it right next to the team’s most veteran lineman in Thuney.

Speaking to reporters last Wednesday, Thuney provided some insight into Smith’s progress and how the two are meshing on the left side of the offensive line.

“Donovan (Smith) has been great. (He’s) getting the playbook,” Thuney said. “And just when you come to a new team, just learning the playbook. But we’re just communicating a ton, talking, seeing how we (both) see the game and stuff like that. You know, just working together, day by day. But he’s done a great job.”

At this juncture of the offseason, the best thing that a new player can do is stack building blocks for when the tough work comes during training camp and the preseason. It starts with learning the playbook, but it’s also about learning the strengths and weaknesses of your new teammates.

With each passing repetition this offseason, Thuney and Smith should get a better feel for what it will be like to play with each other. The hope seems to be that the veteran cunning between the two will help lock down the left side of the offensive line.

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Chiefs players discuss upcoming Super Bowl LVII ring ceremony

#Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon, LG Joe Thuney and WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling spoke about the upcoming Super Bowl LVII ring ceremony on Thursday night.

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The Kansas City Chiefs will host their Super Bowl LVII ring ceremony on Thursday, June 15, just before players leave for a long break between mandatory minicamp and training camp.

Speaking to reporters during Wednesday’s media availability, several Chiefs veterans expressed excitement for the upcoming event.

“We get our rings tomorrow,” Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon said. “I’m excited about that. It’s going to be good.”

The team’s ring ceremony for Super Bowl LIV took place closer to the regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ll celebrate their Super Bowl LVII victory a little earlier this offseason, giving several former team members a chance to partake in the ceremony.

“I can’t wait to celebrate with the guys,” Chiefs LG Joe Thuney said. “Like I said, such a special group this past season. It’ll be good to see some of the guys. I appreciate the Chiefs organization for putting it together, and (I’m) excited to partake in it.”

Many Chiefs players haven’t yet seen the design for the ring, though they were fitted for their rings shortly after Super Bowl LVII.

“I haven’t seen it yet, man,” Chiefs WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling said. “So, I guess we’ll find out (tomorrow night).”

Emotions are sure to be high for several players who became champions for the first time. Jerick McKinnon says there won’t be any tears shed during the ceremony.

“Well, I cried at the Super Bowl,” McKinnon said. “I ain’t going to cry tomorrow. I’ll probably pour (myself) a nice little shot of tequila with the guys, and have a little shot with the guys. It’ll be smooth.”

As one of the heroes of Super Bowl LVII, McKinnon reiterated that trading a touchdown for a ring was the right move to make.

“Great trade, great trade,” McKinnon said. “I wouldn’t change it for nothing.”

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2 Chiefs veterans land on PFF’s top 30 over 30 list for 2023

PFF revealed their list of the top NFL players over the age of 30, featuring two #Chiefs players on the offensive side of the ball.

Shortly after unveiling their top 25 under 25 list, PFF showed some love to NFL veterans with their top 30 over 30 list.

The Kansas City Chiefs boast one of the youngest rosters in the NFL heading into 2023, but there are still a few old heads holding things down. Two of those players are still performing at an extremely high level per PFF.

The list is headlined by 49ers LT Trent Williams, who was almost a Chief — and Rams star DT Aaron Donald. The first player for Kansas City comes in at No. 3 on the list.

What does Ex-Patriot Shaq Mason’s new contract mean for Mike Onwenu?

Will Shaq Mason’s new deal impact ongoing negotiations between the Patriots and Mike Onwenu?

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Former New England Patriots offensive lineman Shaq Mason signed a brand new, three-year, $36 million contract with $22 million in guaranteed money with the Houston Texans on Wednesday.

Mason, 29, was acquired by the Texans in March, almost a year after the Patriots shipped him off to Tampa Bay to shore up the line in front of Tom Brady. With Brady now retired and the Buccaneers likely in a rebuild, they shipped off an elite guard to a team looking to protect their young quarterback, who we now know is C.J. Stroud..

With Michael Onwenu entering a contract year after performing well above his sixth-round pick status, the Patriots may have an understanding of the guard floor for that next contract.

In a previous article, I mentioned that the Patriots may be planning for life without Onwenu, but if they wish to retain young, homegrown talent, it feels like a contract of four years, $48 million is the starting point for the team in negotiations.

Onwenu is at the top of his position in terms of play and will likely cash in during the 2024 free agency period. However, with the Patriots only having 39 players under contract for 2024 and an estimated $100 million in cap space, they have the means to make it work. Even more so, the NFL salary cap continues to rise year after year with new money. So a $12-$14 million guard contract may seem silly now, but in a few years, the market will eventually even out.

The only thing that may hinder any contract negotiations is if the Patriots philosophically believe in their approach to draft the next guy and replace outgoing linemen, like they did with Ted Karras and Joe Thuney.

Frankly, I find that to be a good approach when you’re getting close to the cap, but with a 25-year-old, elite guard that has tackle flexibility sitting on the roster, they should do right and extend him early.

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10 most athletic Patriots’ draft picks of the Bill Belichick era

Who cracked the top-10 most athletic Patriots draft picks? Some names on the list might surprise you.

Whether true or not, New England Patriots fans believe the team typically drafts for old school style players that fit football schemes, while opting to pass on explosive playmaking athletes.

That might have been true when having the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, leading the offense. The team opted to select more intelligent, passionate players than flashy athletes they needed to develop.

But the truth is the Patriots did in fact draft high-end athletes. Let’s face it, they’re all elite athletes if they’re in the NFL, but in terms of comparing apples to apples (or NFL Players to NFL Players), they did so at a lower clip than most.

RAS, or relative athletic score, has been widely used to quantify just how athletic a player is based on their official combine performances for their position and size. Players are given a 0-10 score, which is derived from other players at the same position throughout history.

The closer a player is to 10.00—and there have been a few—the more “freakish” the athlete. Players like Calvin Johnson, Jordan Davis, and Anthony Richardson are examples of the short list of players since 1987 to score a 10.00 on the RAS scale.

Let’s take a look at the Patriots’ 10 most athletic draft selections in the Bill Belichick era.

Patriots’ history with the franchise tag under Bill Belichick

Here’s a look at the Patriots’ franchise tag history under Bill Belichick.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick rarely leans on the franchise tag in present-day negotiations with pending free agents. There was a time when he used it frequently as a negotiating tactic, but in the last eight years, only one player has been franchise tagged by the Patriots.

That run of not tagging players will likely continue in 2023 with wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and cornerback Jonathan Jones being the only legitimate tag candidates on the roster.

That isn’t to suggest both players don’t deserve pay raises. But it’s hard envisioning Belichick and the Patriots footing the bill for a rising price tag at positions they can address through free agency and the draft.

Still, for fun, let’s take a look at all of the Patriots players that have been franchise tagged over the years by Belichick.

Takeaways and observations from Eagles 38-35 loss to Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII

Here are key takeaways and observations from the Philadelphia Eagles’ 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in #SuperBowl 57

The Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35 on Sunday, to win their second Super Bowl title in the past four seasons.

An amazing contest was marred by a controversial holding penalty called on Eagles cornerback James Bradberry that gave the Chiefs a chance to run the clock down and kick a 27-yard game-winning field goal with eight seconds left, which Harrison Butker promptly made.

Regular season MVP Patrick Mahomes took home the Super Bowl LVII MVP as well after he finished 21 of 27 for 182 yards with three touchdowns. Kansas City scored a touchdown on its first three drives of the second half after trailing at halftime 24-14.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was 27 of 37 for 304 yards passing, while also rushing for three touchdowns (15 carries, 70 yards) and tied the game at 35 on a two-point conversion with about five minutes left.

With the confetti falling and all eyes on NFL free agency, here are ten takeaways from the 38-35 loss.

Instant analysis of Eagles 38-35 loss to the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII

Here is the instant analysis of the Philadelphia Eagles’ 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in #SuperBowl 57

The Chiefs defeated the Eagles 38-35 on Sunday, to win their second Super Bowl title in the past four seasons.

An amazing contest was marred by a controversial holding penalty called on Eagles cornerback James Bradberry that gave the Chiefs a chance to run the clock down and kick a 27-yard game-winning field goal with eight seconds left, which Harrison Butker promptly made.

Regular season MVP Patrick Mahomes took home the Super Bowl LVII MVP as well after he finished 21 of 27 for 182 yards with three touchdowns. Kansas City scored a touchdown on its first three drives of the second half after trailing at halftime 24-14.

With the confetti falling and all eyes on NFL free agency, here is an instant analysis of the devastating loss.

LOOK: Top photos from first half of Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl LVII matchup

We’re looking at the top photos from the first half of the #SuperBowl 57 between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs

The Eagles were the NFL’s top team for the bulk of the 2022 regular season and they established themselves as the more physical team through 30 minutes of football in Super Bowl 57.

Buoyed by three total touchdowns from All-Pro quarterback Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia jumped out to a 7-0 lead and overcame a fumble to lead 24-14 at the end of one half.

The Eagles were 6-10 on third downs and converted one crucial fourth down to finish off a scoring drive.

Patrick Mahomes reaggravated his ankle injury and his condition going forward in Glendale will be something to watch.

With the second half underway, here are the top photos from the first half of action in Super Bowl LVII.
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Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl LVII: 10 takeaways from first half as Philadelphia holds a 24-14 lead

Here are ten takeaways from the first half of #SuperBowl 57 as the Eagles lead the Chiefs 24-14 in Glendale, Arizona

The Eagles were the NFL’s top team for the bulk of the 2022 regular season and they established themselves as the more physical team through 30 minutes of football in Super Bowl 57.

Buoyed by three total touchdowns from All-Pro quarterback Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia jumped out to a 7-0 lead and overcame a fumble to lead 24-14 at the end of one half.

The Eagles were 6-10 on third downs and converted one crucial fourth down to finish off a scoring drive.

Patrick Mahomes reaggravated his ankle injury and his condition going forward in Glendale will be something to watch.

With the second half underway, here are ten takeaways from the first half of action in Super Bowl LVII.