Bears are working out veteran OG Kelechi Osemele

The Bears are reportedly working out veteran G Kelechi Osemele, who last played in the NFL in 2020.

The Chicago Bears have been busy as can be working to upgrade their offensive line with young talent recently, most notably with claiming former 2021 first-round pick Alex Leatherwood off waivers from the Las Vegas Raiders. But they are also reportedly looking at veterans too, including another former Raider who has been out of football for the last year.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is reporting the Bears brought in veteran guard Kelechi Osemele for a workout on Thursday. Osemele last played in the NFL in 2020 for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Osemele was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft out of Iowa State. He played four seasons with the Ravens, helping them win Super Bowl XLVII as a rookie. Osemele signed with the Raiders in 2016 and elevated his game to a Pro-Bowl level. Osemele was an All-Pro in 2016 and made the Pro Bowl in 2016 and 2017.

His last two years in the league were spent with the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs in 2019, and 2020, respectively, where injuries shortened both seasons. Osemele was notably cut by the Jets in 2019 due to a standoff regarding his desire to get shoulder surgery. He then played five games with the Chiefs before being lost for the season due to a knee injury. The 33-year old has been out of football since.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles has some history with Osemele, playing a role in acquiring him from the Jets when he was the team’s executive director of player personnel. He and the Bears are turning over every leaf to see where they can improve on the line. Osemele has had time to get healthy and perhaps he gets a shot to restart his career in Chicago.

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Jets dead cap: 20 players account for over $31 million

The Jets have the 9th-most dead money in the league. Here’s a look at the 20 players accounting for over $31 million.

The New York Jets‘ salary cap situation includes a lot of dead money.

Between free agent signings that didn’t pan out, trades and other roster cuts, the Jets owe a shade over $31 million in dead cap to 20 different players, according to Over The Cap. While this mostly includes former Jets, there are a few current players on the list.

Below are the 20 players accounting for all that dead money.

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Chiefs free agent outlook: LG Kelechi Osemele

Osemele suffered torn tendons in both knees early in the 2020 season. Could he return to Kansas City in 2021?

In the aftermath of Super LV, the Kansas City Chiefs will be tasked with building a roster to get them back to the Super Bowl for a third consecutive year. Brett Veach will have a decision to make on a number of unrestricted free agents this offseason, many of whom contributed to the success of this franchise lately. One of those players is left guard Kelechi Osemele.

When the Chiefs had two offensive linemen opt out for the 2020 season, they went out and signed Osemele. He was coming off a tumultuous year with the New York Jets, where a disagreement over the need for shoulder surgery led to his eventual release from the team. That injury allowed the Chiefs to swoop in and grab Osemele late in the process.

Early on in training camp, Osemele and Mike Remmers rotated at the guard spot. Osemele opened up the season against the Houston Texans as the starter at left guard and was a difference-maker in the ground game. His people-moving ability was on display in Week 1 and helped Clyde Edwards-Helaire to his second-best rushing performance of the season.

In the early goings of the Week 5 game against his former team, the Las Vegas Raiders, Osemele suffered a gruesome injury. He was carted off the field after tearing tendons in both his left and right knee, ending his season and tenure with the Chiefs before it truly began.

Osemele has been hard at work on his 2021 comeback, consistently posting workout videos on his Instagram story. His latest video, shared by KSHB-TV producer Nick Jacobs, has many in Chiefs Kingdom yearning for his return.

If the Chiefs can clear Osemele of his injury, it might make sense for the team to bring him back on another one-year contract. The last one he signed only cost Kansas City just under $1.2 million against the salary cap. The difference that Osemele made in the first four weeks of 2020 is worthy of an attempt at an encore.

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Chiefs OG Kelechi Osemele named one of most underrated offensive free agents in 2021

Osemele flashed elite ability prior to his injury. Should the Kansas City Chiefs seek to retain him?

The Kansas City Chiefs have a number of pending free agents slated to hit the market in mid-March. One of those free agents, offensive guard Kelechi Osemele, was recently named to Touchdown Wire’s list of the 11 most underrated offensive free agents in 2021.

Osemele’s 2020 season got off to a great start in Kansas City and you could tell by the type of performance he put together in Week 1. He bullied the Texans’ defensive line and cleared the way for one of Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s best rushing performances of the year. The free-agent acquisition by the Chiefs was looking to be one of the most successful signings of the offseason, but it didn’t last.

Early on in the Week 5 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Osemele went down with dual knee injuries, tearing tendons in both his left and right knee. For the second consecutive season, Osemele’s year was ended early due to injury. Despite valid concerns surrounding his durability, Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield believes that Osemele is one of the most underrated offensive free agents in this crop.

Here’s a look at what he had to say:

“Osemele’s toughness and status as a true road grader up front will make him an asset to almost any NFL offense, and given the Chiefs’ issues with protecting Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, one might expect Kansas City to try and bring him back for the 2020 season. If such a deal is not reached, teams looking for some toughness and the ability to run a course of gap/power designs are going to be calling, even with the injury concerns. Sure, the guard market will be driven by the two players at the top (Brandon Scherff and Joe Thuney) but given what Osemele showed in his brief action last season, there is a lot to love about his game, and it will probably come at a discount.”

Fans will probably like Schofield’s optimism that the Chiefs could still opt to bring Osemele back, perhaps even on another one-year prove-it deal. I’ll play the role of the pessimist and point out that Brett Veach didn’t mention Osemele when talking about the team’s future plans for the offensive line during his Monday press conference. That doesn’t mean a return won’t happen, but it’s worth noting nonetheless, especially when he mentioned a few restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents as if they’d return.

The bottom line is that Osemele might be viewed as a bargain option for the teams that miss out on the big-named guys mentioned like Brandon Scherff and Joe Thuney. That could drive up his market price and put the Chiefs out of range when it comes to retaining him. It’s also possible that Osemele feels at home in Kansas City and gives the team a bargain they can’t refute. We’ll find out once the 2021 free-agency period officially opens on March 17.

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The best pick from each NFL draft class in Ravens history

We take a look back at each of the Baltimore Ravens’ drafts to find the best selection the team made.

The Baltimore Ravens have long been considered one of the best teams in the league when it comes to scouting, drafting, and developing players. The Ravens have been a part of 25 NFL drafts since being founded in 1996 and have earned their reputation by finding some real gems at a variety of rounds. In that time, Baltimore has drafted 31 players who have been to a Pro Bowl, 14 players who were named to the All-Pro team, and three players currently enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

However, not every pick or even draft year has been outstanding for the Ravens, with some selections having clearly been better than others. But instead of looking at which players were the best overall, we want to break it down year-by-year to find the best player Baltimore grabbed in every draft throughout franchise history.

Let’s kick it off with that inaugural 1996 season . . .

4 Chiefs players named to Touchdown Wire’s Top 101 free agents list

Find out who made the list for the Kansas City Chiefs and our thoughts on those players.

The Kansas City Chiefs have a whopping 27 players who are pending free agents. Those players will officially be free to sign with any team when the NFL’s free agency period for 2021 officially begins on March 17 at 3:00 p.m. CT. Even though we remain in uncertain times as it relates to the salary cap, several of these players will be among the most coveted in the league.

Our friends Doug Farrar and Mark Schofield over at Touchdown Wire recently put together a list of the top 101 pending free agents for 2021. A total of four Chiefs players made their list, but no players from Kansas City were among the top 50. It’s a bit of a surprise, being that the Chiefs were a Super Bowl team again in 2021. It seems that their free agents continue to be undervalued as they were last year to an extent.

Here’s a look at the four players for K.C. and where they ranked in Touchdown Wire’s list:

Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates ahead of Wednesday practice

Four Kansas City Chiefs players won’t practice on Wednesday.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided some injury updates when he spoke to the media ahead of the first practice of the week on Wednesday. Four players won’t be participating in practice according to Reid. He provided information on those players, including a new addition to the injury report in Taco Charlton.

“It’s not a personal day, he is hurt,” Reid said. “It happened later in the game and it just started bothering him. It was his knee and we’ll just see how it goes and give him some time here to let the thing heal up and see how bad it is.”

Charlton played in just 13 snaps during Monday’s win over the Bills. He was one of only three players available after Alex Okafor went down with an injury. This injury has the Chiefs approaching dangerous levels in terms of depth at the defensive end position. Only Frank Clark, Tanoh Kpassagnon and Demone Harris are currently healthy with Mike Danna on the injury report.

The other players that won’t participate in practice on Wednesday include Sammy Watkins, who suffered an injury in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Okafor won’t practice as he is dealing with a hamstring injury. Reid also said that Mitchell Schwartz wouldn’t practice on Wednesday as he continues to recover from a back injury.

Reid did provide another injury update on OL Martinas Rankin, who is able to practice for the first time this week after starting the season on the PUP list. Reid’s comments from last week suggested Rankin might not be ready to go, but today it sounded like he could be making his return to practice.

“He hasn’t done anything, so we’ll just see how it works out for him,” Reid said. “We’ll kind of take that day-by-day too. Again, we’ll just have to see, that’s why they have [the practice window] in here for us. You’ve got a [six] week period there that you can work with. Let’s just see how he does and where he’s at right now.”

If Rankin does indeed return to practice, he might not be a full participant right away. He could be a limited participant working his way up from individual work to something that could include some contact, though the Chiefs do a lot more walkthrough type of work during the course of the season.

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Chiefs announce two roster moves on Saturday

Le’Veon Bell is now officially a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and Kelechi Osemele is being sent to IR.

The Kansas City Chiefs have made a pair of roster moves official on Saturday.

The team announced that they’ve officially signed RB Le’Veon Bell to a contract. This is a move that was reported as agreed upon Thursday evening and this announcement merely lets us know that he has signed on the dotted line. There won’t be any Emmanuel Sanders situations here.

With Le’Veon Bell’s arrival, the team officially has five running backs on the 53-man roster, six if you count FB Anthony Sherman. You have to think that a corresponding move will come in the future once Bell is allowed to practice with the team.

In a corresponding move, the team announced that they have placed starting LG Kelechi Osemele on injured reserve. This is a move that fans knew was forthcoming after Andy Reid confirmed that Osemele had torn tendons in both of his knees. It’s likely that Osemele’s season is now officially over.

Now, with starting RT Mitchell Schwartz ailing, the Chiefs could find themselves down two starting offensive linemen in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills. That’d likely mean that there would be another move to elevate an offensive lineman from the practice squad using a standard elevation as part of the new practice squad rules in 2020.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates ahead of Thursday practice

Four Kansas City Chiefs players won’t practice on Thursday.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid provided some injury updates when he spoke to the media ahead of the first practice of the week on Thursday. Four players won’t be participating in practice according to Reid. He provided information on those players, several of whom were injured during the Week 5 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders, starting with linebacker Anthony Hitchens.

“As far as the injuries go, Hitch (Anthony Hitchens) is sick,” Reid said. “Not COVID, as we know it. So he’s been still testing and all, but he’s just sick.”

Hitchens suffered a hand injury during Week 5 and was in and out of the game due to that injury. He was also the team’s best linebacker on the field in Week 5, so his illness is something to monitor throughout the week. It’s worth noting the Chiefs hosted a familiar linebacker for a visit earlier this week.

Next, Reid confirmed the devastating double-knee injury to starting LG Kelechi Osemele.

“Kelechi (Osemele) did tear the tendons in his knees,” Reid confirmed. “So he won’t be out [at practice].”

It’s likely that Osemele’s season is over. Fans should expect a move to the injured reserve list for Osemele in the coming days.

Reid also provided an update on FB Anthony Sherman, who was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list earlier this week.

“Sherm (Anthony Sherman) will be out also,” Reid said. “[He’s] still in the protocol.”

Sherman is reported to have come into close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, which is why he landed on the list. Reid didn’t confirm or deny that report, he simply confirmed that he’s going through the protocols. He could be on the list for as few as five days depending on the outcome of the situation.

Finally, Reid said that Sammy Watkins wouldn’t practice on Thursday with his hamstring injury. The situation doesn’t seem to be as dire as previously reported. Reid doesn’t believe that he’ll need to take a three-week stay on injured reserve, though, ultimately the decision is up to the general manager.

“Yeah, I know Brett (Veach) is working through all of that,” Reid said. “With Sammy (Watkins) I don’t think that’s what it is. I think we’re just going to let him heal up and take it from there.”

It’s possible that Watkins only misses a week or two with his injury which would be big news for the Kansas City offense. We’ll have more updates on injuries for you after practice once the first injury report of the week is released.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid on potential replacements for Kelechi Osemele, Sammy Watkins

Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke about the players that could fill in for the two players injured in Week 5.

The Kansas City Chiefs have two players who suffered injuries Sunday afternoon who are expected to miss time.

Starting LG Kelechi Osemele is certain to be missing time after suffering tendon tears in both of his knees. His season is likely over and he has a long road to recovery.

As for WR Sammy Watkins, things are a bit more up in the air. Andy Reid said he “tore his hamstring” following the Week 5 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. It’s not yet clear the severity of his tear as he’ll be evaluated later today. It is possible that this is a minor tear, which wouldn’t keep him out for a long time or require surgery.

“Sammy’s a good player,” Chiefs HC Andy Reid said on Monday. “We’ll see how he does here. The guys are just coming in now. We’ll see how it looks, but if Sammy can’t play, we’ve done that throughout last year for a few games and the year before that. So we put the next man up and go. I’m not going to take away from how good of a player he is. He’s a terrific player, but we also have some other guys who can play too.”

The offense tends to play better with Watkins on the field. They’ve averaged more points per game and total yards per game over the past two seasons when he’s in the game.

“He plays a little bit of the low post for you,” Reid continued. “He does a good job with that. He’s strong. But again, we can work around that and we’ve got other guys who can step in and fill those types of roles.”

One of those guys is second-year WR Mecole Hardman. There were some lofty expectations for Hardman to start the 2020 season and he hasn’t quite met them. Through five games, Hardman has just 13 receptions on 17 targets for 194 yards and two touchdowns.

“Mecole (Hardman) just needs to keep growing and keep working,” Reid said of the second-year wideout. “He got a few reps yesterday and so that’s a step forward for him. We’ll see how he does as we go forward here.”

Shifting back to the Osemele injury, one player that has been somewhat forgotten is Martinas Rankin. Rankin is currently on the PUP list after suffering a knee injury in 2019. During the 2019 season, he started five games at left guard for the Chiefs and played very well. Rankin is eligible to return from the PUP list beginning in Week 7, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be making an immediate return.

“Yeah, so Rank (Martinas Rankin) has done a good job of working to get back,” Reid said. “He’s not quite there yet but he’s working at it.”

They’ll likely ease Rankin back into the swing of things when he does begin practicing. Another option brought up to Reid was second-year OL Nick Allegretti, but it doesn’t seem he’ll be getting an opportunity to start just yet.

“(Nick) Allegretti, he’s been in kind of that swing position,” Reid said. “Kind of covering the bases at both the guard and at center. He’ll still be in that position. (Mike) Remmers would be the one that steps in right now.”

Reid did note that Allegretti would play that swing guard position with Remmers being inserted into the starting lineup. The Chiefs don’t intend to go away from Remmers after he filled in during Week 5. He’s your new starter at that spot for the time being until something changes.

Right now, the Chiefs feel like they have the depth and options to overcome these injuries, short term and long term. They’ll stick with the “Next Man Up” mentality so long as it remains sustainable to do so.

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