Tag: Sammy Watkins

How the Chiefs worked the salary cap to keep their best players

From a few dollars in salary cap space to the wherewithal needed to sign their best players, here’s how the Chiefs are building a dynasty.

When the Kansas City Chiefs walked out of Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium holding the Lombardi Trophy on February 2nd, they knew there was work to be done in the immediate future. Yes, the franchise had won its first Super Bowl in 50 years, but head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach aren’t just looking at this as a one-year wonder — they believe they may be in possession of the NFL’s next dynasty.

And with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, they may be right. However, for that to happen, there were important players to be re-signed, and not a ton to work with at the time. There was Mahomes’ long-term future. There was tight end Travis Kelce, who was set to become a free agent after the 2021 season. And there was defensive lineman Chris Jones, who played at an MVP level in the Super Bowl, has established himself as one of the best players at his position(s) in the league, and was set to become a free agent before the Chiefs gave him the franchise tag.

And there wasn’t a lot in the wallet. As Kevin Clark of The Ringer astutely put it:

The new league year set a salary cap of $198.2 million, which gave the Chiefs and every other team a base paradigm. Then, it was about getting things done.

Having Mahomes on his rookie deal was an advantage as it would be for any NFL team, but the Chiefs also knew that as goes Mahomes, so goes the potential dynasty. So, the first thing Veach did was to work a new deal for Mahomes that ostensibly keeps him in Kansas City through 2031. Mahomes carries a 2020 cap hit of just $5,346,538, per OverTheCap.com, and while things start to rise up precipitously after that as part of the contract, the deal is more team-friendly than one might assume for a 10-year, $503 million deal on its face.

The interesting aspect of the deal, per the numbers Pelissero presented, is that the first five years of the deal are pretty much guaranteed except for injury (there’s a $140 million injury guarantee built into the contract), and then, the cash and cap hits take a real uptick.

As Pelissero also points out, the structure of the rolling guarantees have the salaries and bonuses vesting before they’re due.

To say that Mahomes “has outs” if guarantee mechanisms aren’t exercised, as the Steinberg tweet does, may simply mean that starting in 2027, the Chiefs could find it prohibitive to pay the rolling bonuses from a cash and cap perspective. They could encourage Mahomes to renegotiate, or, per that possible language, Mahomes could become a free agent. There is a no-trade clause in the contract; it is not known whether there are prohibitions from placing the franchise tag on Mahomes in any year that it may be a little too beneficial on the team end.

In any event, the next step was to get Jones under contract. The defensive lineman was set to make $16.126 million on a one-year tag, and since that number is fully guaranteed, the cap hit would have been the same. Instead, the Chiefs re-upped Jones with a four-year, $80 million deal with $37.626 million in full guarantees, and a $60 million injury guarantee. With that deal, Jones dropped his 2020 cap hit from $16.126 million to $15,001 million. Not a huge savings, but getting your best defensive player not named Tyrann Mathieu happy and under contract is a Good Thing.

In winning the Super Bowl, and making it clear that the intention is to have the infrastructure to win more, the Chiefs also opened themselves up to what one might call the “Patriots Discount,” the unique phenomenon Bill Belichick’s team has enjoyed over the last two decades. Multiple players took less money to play for the Patriots than they would have to join other rosters because they knew there was a better chance they would be utilized correctly, their Super Bowl window was bigger, and thus, their overall value would increase.

Receiver Sammy Watkins, who was set to carry a salary cap charge of $21 million in 2020, restructured his contract to save $5 million in cap space, which gave the team the wherewithal to sign its draft class with no additional cap burden.

Watkins seemed excited at the prospect.

With a great season, and perhaps another Super Bowl win, Watkins can enter free agency next year at age 27, with the world as his proverbial oyster.

Then, it was time to do something nice for tight end Travis Kelce, which the Chiefs did on the same day the 49ers re-set the market at that position by giving George Kittle a five-year, $75 million deal. Kelce’s extension adds four years and $57.25 million to his contract, though there’s no new money in 2020.

If that’s the case, Kelce’s 2020 cap hit of $11,218,400 is just as manageable as it was before. And it’s always a good idea to make your half-billion-dollar quarterback happy.

Thus, the Chiefs turned $177 in March into a remaining cap space of $13,921,310 in August. From the cost of a half-decent dinner for two to the scratch needed to sign one’s draft picks, and a bit of flexibility beyond? It’s entirely possible that Veach, Reid, and the cap geniuses in Kansas City’s front office have done what they need to do to create that dynasty.

Of course, what happens with the 2020 season, and the estimated salary cap shortfalls in 2021 as a result of a COVID-related revenue hit? Weightier matters entirely, and the Chiefs could be in a major hole if the 2021 cap comes in at around $175 million, as anticipated. At that point, all involved will have to have an even sharper contractual eye. But for now, Chiefs fans should be eminently confident in the team’s shot-callers. That confidence has been earned.

Chiefs Wire Podcast: Sammy Watkins is grateful, focused on winning

Mitch Carney, Talon Graff, and Ed Easton Jr. grade each Chiefs position group heading into the new season in the weekly roundtable.

We’re back with an all-new episode of the Chiefs Wire podcast! This week we’re grading each Chiefs position group heading into the new season.

During this show, Chiefs Wire managing editor Charles Goldman shares his thoughts on Alex Okafor restructuring his contract and the immediate impact of Lucas Niang opting out this season. Mitch Carney, Talon Graff, and Ed Easton Jr. grade each Chiefs position group heading into the new season in the weekly roundtable. Lastly, we glance back at the training camp press conference of Sammy Watkins, discussing his reasons for resigning with Kansas City this past offseason.

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6 things we learned from Chiefs training camp media availability

Andy Reid and several Kansas City Chiefs players spoke to the media from training camp.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke to the media on Sunday along with a number of players. We heard from Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and WR Sammy Watkins. We also heard from rookie CB L’Jarius Sneed for the first time since the draft. There was a lot to be said as the Chiefs’ players enter the gradual ramp-up period of training camp.

Here’s a look at six things we learned during the course of the media availability:

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Chiefs players aren’t behind compared to a normal offseason

“Because they gave us a couple extra practices in pads, we’re going to be okay. We have four practices here without pads on, and we should be okay. We should be able to cover all the situations that we normally cover, which is important in this day and age of football. Situational football, because of margins between wins and losses, is very important. So, we’re focusing in on that, making sure we’re getting that taken care of, but at the same time getting the guys in football condition where they can sustain four quarters. You’re probably behind by reps that you’ve had in the offseason, but other than that, we should be able to catch up on some of that.” – Chiefs HC Andy Reid

While the Chiefs are behind in terms of the reps that they’d normally have by now, Reid is under the impression that they’ll be able to make it up in the time they’ve been allotted. You also have to remember that with 10 fewer players on the offseason roster, there are more reps to go around.

There has also been an emphasis on situational football, which is important. If they hadn’t placed such an emphasis on that in the past, perhaps they wouldn’t have been able to accomplish those comeback wins on their way to a Super Bowl victory last year.

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Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes excited to have Sammy Watkins back

Watkins is crucial to the Chiefs’ success on offense and the two masterminds behind it are elated to have him back.

Kansas City Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins took a pay cut to stay with the team this offseason. Had he not reworked his contract, he might have been among the salary cap casualties in Kansas City.

The love was flowing for Watkins on Sunday during the Chiefs’ media availability. Both Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes spoke about how important he is to the team and their success on the field.

“I’m a big Sammy Watkins fan,” Reid said. “I think he’s a heck of a football player and really helps make this thing go offensively. I don’t worry about all that, I’d hope that he’d want the ball more. That’s what great players want. That doesn’t bother me that he said that. I’m glad he’s back here and he’ll have opportunities for sure.”

Reid isn’t concerned that Watkins expressed the desire to get the ball more this offseason. He knows that’s a quality that great players have and he knows that Watkins is bought into the way they do things in Kansas City. The No. 1 priority is winning football games and everything else is gravy.

For Mahomes, he recognizes the subtlety to Watkins’ game that helps the rest of the offense work. It isn’t just when he’s catching the ball, scoring and making plays. It’s the other things that he does to free up his teammates to make plays.

“I mean it was extremely important,” Mahomes said. “To have someone of his caliber who really goes out there and plays well every single week, like you said he does so many things well. Obviously, he catches the ball well, he scores for us, makes a lot of plays after contact, but also I mean just a part of blocking and running the routes hard and getting other guys open, I mean in this offense it takes every single person and I think you saw that in the playoffs when his number got called, he made big plays happen, and so it’s a guy that we love having back and that’s going to continue to help our offense progress and get better.”

Beyond his impact on the field, Mahomes and Watkins have bonded off the field along with the rest of the receivers. They might not get to go out to eat this season due to COVID-19, but the fact that they previously bonded that way, is part of what makes this team so close-knit.

“I mean he’s been a great teammate,” Mahomes said. “He’s been someone that since day one who’s joined in that receiver room. I mean that’s the most fun room you could probably be in in this locker room, and he’s been a leader in that room and someone who’s gotten along with everybody. We as the quarterbacks, receivers, running backs and tight ends and guys we’ll usually, probably not this year, would go usually out to eat with the families, the girlfriends and we kind of all just hang out, eat dinner and sometimes go to Chicken N Pickle, play pickleball, whatever it is and so we all have great relationships in that room and in the whole offensive and defensive rooms and that’s what makes this team so special.”

The two masterminds behind the Chiefs’ offense are elated to have Watkins back for another year. Perhaps this is a sign that Watkins is due for a big season in Kansas City? It could also simply be that Watkins and his role within the Chiefs’ offense are more than meets the eye.

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Sammy Watkins explains importance of staying with Chiefs

Sammy Watkins shared his thoughts on remaining with the Chiefs during Sunday’s training camp press conference.

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This offseason was expected to mark the official farewell for wide receiver Sammy Watkins as a manner of the Kansas City Chiefs. His cap hit wasn’t desirable and made him a likely cap casualty for the team. Instead of pursuing a more significant contract elsewhere in free agency, Watkins would decide to restructure his contract and remain with the Chiefs’ franchise, intent on winning another Super Bowl title.

The former Clemson Tigers standout has found a home In Kansas City after stints in Buffalo and Los Angeles. Watkins was a vital player in the playoffs especially Super Bowl LIV, catching five passes for 98 yards including a 38-yard reception on the game-winning drive. The 27-year-old shared his thoughts on remaining with the Chiefs during Sunday’s training camp press conference.

“Very important to stay here,” Watkins said. “What we did, winning the Super Bowl, the type of team and coaches we have, the organization, why wouldn’t I stay? I’m a guy that’s been in the league going on seven years now. I’ve been on teams that were not so good, and we weren’t winning. My job is to really stay focused. We have a well-established quarterback, well-established coaches and a well-established team. I think the fun is in the winning more than anything.”

Part of Watkins’ decision to stay was the desire to win another Super Bowl. He thinks that he can accomplish that in Kansas City.

“Coming back here was the No. 1 thing in the offseason,” Watkins said. “Why wouldn’t I come back to one of the best organizations, the best teams? And, of course, we just won a Super Bowl. If you look at the team we haven’t lost not one player who was active last year. My job and focus was to come back and win another Super Bowl and I think that’s the biggest thing.”

Winning takes precedence over money, especially when Watkins knows the money is going to other deserving teammates that help the team win and stay competitive.

“As far as my contract, I think I’ve made enough money,” Watkins said. “I mean, I’d love more money, but as far as being smart and educated on this team, knowing that you gotta pay Pat (Mahomes), you gotta pay Chris (Jones), you got a lot of guys you gotta pay. For me to take a contract like I did was a blessing. I still have an opportunity to reach up to whatever amount that I can reach up to. But really just showing the world it’s not all about money. This is my happy place. Why not take a smaller contract and come out and play with the guys I’ve been playing with?”

Watkins is often second on the Chiefs’ depth chart lined up alongside Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, and Demarcus Robinson. The talented receiving corp hasn’t deterred his confidence regarding in-game opportunities.

“I just stay prepared. I stay prepared all season,” said Watkins, “When those plays are called and the opportunities are presented, I try to make the best of them. When my name has been called in the playoffs, I’ve been producing. That’s the best thing about staying prepared and staying ready for when your name is called.”

Watkins finished last season 52 catches and 673 yards making the most of each target. He will continue to be a key component of the Chiefs offense with his veteran leadership.

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Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins sheds new light on pay cut: ‘How much money do I need?’

When it came down to money or staying on a winning team, Kansas City Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins chose to win.

Kansas City Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins was as good as gone after the 2019 NFL season. His salary-cap hit was very prohibitive to the Chiefs’ ability to go out and re-sign players. Few believed it’d be possible to renegotiate a new deal with Watkins and thought he’d surely be a salary cap casualty.

Then, in early April, Watkins surprised by agreeing to a restructured contract for the 2020 season. The restructured contract lowered Watkins’ cap hit from $21 million to $16 million, creating $5 million in salary-cap space for Kansas City. In a recent interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Watkins provided some additional insight into his decision to take a pay cut and stick with the Chiefs.

“I’m at the stage of my life now where at first I was like ‘Man, I want to get paid big money again,'” Watkins said. “But then I realized, ‘How much money do I need?’ My family’s taken care of well. Do I want I go to a team and lose, and get 1,000 yards or go to a team that’s sorry, whatever the case may be. Or do I want to come back with one of the best coaches, the best quarterbacks, the best organizations, the best team, the best wideout group — arguably — and come try to fight for another championship?

“I sat my agent down, and we were trying to shoot for these big (contract) numbers. And I’m like, ‘Man, let’s just take heed of winning. I’ve been on a winning team within three years. I know how it felt to win. Shoot, I’d rather win another championship than go get another whatever type of crazy extension or crazy contract.”

The fourth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Watkins only saw one winning season with the Buffalo Bills in his three years with the team. Then, with the Los Angeles Rams in 2017, Watkins got his first taste of a winning culture. He’s been an integral part of the Chiefs since joining the team in 2018, showing up in some of the biggest moments for the team, such as a crucial catch in the comeback victory in Super Bowl LIV.
At this point in his career, Watkins has shown that he’s willing to sacrifice earnings for a culture, teammates and coaching staff that he feels comfortable with. It’s a common theme going around, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed a record-breaking yet team-friendly contract extension on Monday. Players like what the Chiefs are building and they want to be a part of it even if they’re forced to sacrifice a larger payday.

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This 2018 interception helped Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LIV

A preseason interception in 2018 helped Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes make a defining play in Super Bowl LIV.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes called on a learning moment from the 2018 preseason during Super Bowl LIV. It helped him in a defining play, his 38-yard pass to WR Sammy Watkins, which helped set up the go-ahead touchdown for the Chiefs.

During the Super Bowl LIV watch party on Wednesday, Mahomes shared this story. First, he had immense praise for Watkins’ play throughout the season and through the Super Bowl.

“Obviously, Sammy [Watkins] was the hidden hero all season long, especially in the playoffs,” Mahomes began. “If you look at his stats in the playoffs the last two years, it’s pretty remarkable how he steps up whenever the big games happen. You see this play, we have a good protection on. It’s a 7-man protection. They bring the pressure and it puts Sammy in a 1-on-1 on the backside and I just trusted him to make the play — him to get by a great corner in Richard Sherman and he did. I put it out there and he made a great play.”

This play might not have gone as smoothly for the Chiefs if it hadn’t been from a preseason interception that Mahomes threw against the Atlanta Falcons in 2018. Watkins was the target on a similar route concept, with an inside release, but the play ended much differently.

“It’s actually funny,” Mahomes continued. “It’s a play that, my first year, he did the exact same release inside, which you’re really not supposed to do on this play. And I throw it in the Atlanta Falcons game in the preseason and it gets intercepted. I remember the coaches saying, ‘If he releases like that don’t throw it.’ I thought about it and I was like, ‘Man he released, he got open again, I’m going to throw it again.’ And it worked out this time.”

Now if Mahomes had listened to his coaches he might not have thrown the ball to Watkins in the Super Bowl because of that inside release. It was the subtle differences between these two plays that made all the difference. Watkins had more separation on Richard Sherman, so Mahomes could lead the ball outside and away from the safety. Watkins didn’t have that separation in the Falcons game and leading the ball outside would have given the cornerback a shot at the interception.

Additionally, the 49ers tried to disguise their coverage, while the Falcons played single-high all the way. They had the Jimmie Ward moving pre-snap and breaking away from the play. Damontae Kazee was centerfield and broke on the ball in Atlanta before it was thrown. Jimmie Ward doesn’t get his hips flipped and break on the ball until it’s already out of Mahomes’ hands.

Mahomes essentially learned what he could and couldn’t get away with on this play in the 2018 preseason and it stuck with him. It’s fun to see interceptions lead to these types of pivotal moments because everyone made such a fuss about Mahomes’ interceptions during training camp and the preseason in 2018. As it turns out, they’re a crucial part of his process when it comes to learning his own limitations.

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5 Chiefs who have something to prove in 2020

These five Kansas City Chiefs players have something to prove during the upcoming season.

During the 2020 NFL season, there will be an opportunity for every player to improve their situation. Often these players are looking to prove something about themselves each season, be it staying healthy or something performance-related. Sometimes this can be the difference between a lost season or a Super Bowl run since they have a little more to play for.

Here are five Kansas City Chiefs players that have something to prove this season:

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

RB Damien Williams

Williams might quickly be forgotten for his Super Bowl heroics if he doesn’t perform well this season. Following the upcoming season, the running back will be an unrestricted free agent and will be looking to get paid and be the featured running back. That likely won’t be with the Chiefs considering they drafted LSU star RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round. Williams will need to outplay the rookie, along with the rest of a competitive running back group if he wants the starting job in Kansas City and a payday at the end of the 2020 season.

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Bills roster comparison: 2017 vs. 2020 offense

2017 to 2020 Buffalo Bills roster comparisons on offense.

After a couple of seasons, a lot can change in the NFL.

But in the case of the Buffalo Bills, maybe “a lot” just doesn’t cover it.

Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane both joined the team’s front office prior to the 2017 season. That year the Bills cracked the postseason in very unlikely fashion with a much-inherited team.

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The duo did make big roster moves before that season, like moving Sammy Watkins and Ronald Darby. But now entering the fourth training camp under this regime, the names and down-right talent on their roster is a night and day comparison, so let’s do just that.

Here’s a full comparison of the Buffalo Bills’ 2017 roster on offense compared to their current one:

Quarterback

Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

 

2017 2020
Tyrod Taylor Josh Allen
Nathan Peterman Jake Fromm
TJ Yates Matt Barkley
Cardale Jones Davis Webb

Advantage: 2020
At this rate, this is a pretty simple pick, even from top-to-bottom. Josh Allen has shown more potential than Tyrod Taylor, and now he’s been an even better gamer for some time now. Jake Fromm is going to push Matt Barkley for the No. 2 spot next season, and both are better than 2017’s No. 2 in Nathan Peterman. And we confess, the Bills did trade Cardale Jones just before 2017’s training camp, but when you have a chance to add 12-gauge into a story, you do it.

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Report: Brandon Beane refutes Sammy Watkins interest

Bills GM Brandon Beane denies interest in Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins.

The Buffalo Bills did not have interesting in adding wide receiver Sammy Watkins, according to general manager Brandon Beane in a bit of an abrasive way.

Bleacher Report published a head-turning article on Watkins on Tuesday morning. In that piece, there’s a slight mention of a possible reunion between the two sides, sprinkled in between a story that is a winding tale about Watkins and his beliefs in entities, energy forces of good and evil nature and even teleportation.

The B/R article was authored by Tyler Dunne, formerly of the Buffalo News. The Bills’ radio show on WGR-550 radio chatted with Dunne after the article was published on Tuesday and another shocking idea came out of that more definitively: Could the Bills have really had interest in bringing Watkins back? Per Watkins via Dunne, yes. 

But now Beane via the same station, in a very bold set of words, that Watkins saying the Bills talked to him is “100 percent false” and then some:

Up and down, left and right and all around with Watkins on Tuesday. Beane sounded very strongly in this written reply, but what do we really know? Watkins ended up re-signing with the Chiefs this offseason, but Beane felt he needed to voice this anyway. Perhaps he thought the Bills needed to reaffirm that Stefon Diggs was their first choice? But Watkins also was under contract with the Chiefs for the 2020 season already, so perhaps there was some sort of tampering aspect Beane was afraid of coming the Bills’ way.

Regardless, things probably worked out well for both sides in what eventually happened. The Bills got the more consistent and proven option in Diggs, while Watkins goes back to defend a Super Bowl title on a restructured one-year deal.

For what it’s worth, Beane was only a few months in his current role when he decided to send Watkins and a late-round pick to the Rams for cornerback EJ Gaines and a second-round pick.

 

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