Tag: zgamb1

Chiefs sign HC Andy Reid, GM Brett Veach, President Mark Donovan to extensions

The #Chiefs extended the contracts of Head Coach Andy Reid, General Manager Brett Veach, and team President Mark Donovan on Monday night.

Just days before the 2024 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs signed head coach Andy Reid, general manager Brett Veach, and team president Mark Donovan to contract extensions.

The move comes after Kansas City secured its second-consecutive championship in Super Bowl LVIII with a win over the San Francisco 49ers back in February.

In a statement sent to the press, the Chiefs emphasized the importance of Reid, Veach, and Donovan in their front office, pointing to the accomplishments that the trio have been able to achieve:

“Together since 2017, Donovan, Veach, and Reid have overseen a Chiefs team which has gone 100-34 (.746) (reg. & postseason combined), claiming seven consecutive AFC West Division Championships, four AFC Championships, and three Super Bowl Championships,” the team wrote. “The club has been in six-consecutive AFC Championship Games including hosting an NFL record five-straight (2018-2022).”

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Clark Hunt’s decision to keep these three key figures in Kansas City for the foreseeable future should prove to help the Chiefs sustain their dynasty as the team looks to continue winning Super Bowls for years to come.

GM John Lynch explained how NIL in college football could impact 49ers’ 2024 draft plans

NIL in college football is now impacting how teams approach the draft according to 49ers GM John Lynch.

The 2024 NFL draft has always been a big deal for the 49ers’ immediate future. They need to start figuring out what the next iteration of their roster looks like with so many core players either. aging out of their primes or being priced out of the 49ers’ budget. However, general manager John Lynch on Monday in a press conference indicated a different way the team will have the future in mind in the draft.

Lynch revealed that 83 draft-eligible players the 49ers put grades on at the start of the 2023 college football season went back to school instead of entering the draft. He also said that could impact how San Francisco operates in this year’s selection process.

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“I was just looking at my notes and like one interesting thing to me, dynamic in the way of the world right now, we put a grade on players in the fall if we think there’s a more than 50-percent chance that they’re going to be in this Draft,” Lynch said. “So 83 players from this year’s class that we put grades on (returned to school). So thinking there’s more than a 50-percent chance, thinking they’re entering the Draft, are back in college because of NIL and things like that. There’s now a different route these kids can take and 35 of those are with starter grades. So that’s a significant amount. And how that affects this Draft, it’s gonna be interesting.”

This could mean a couple of things. The 49ers may be looking to acquire future picks when they move around the board during the draft. It might also affect what positions they’re selecting this year knowing there could be quality at other positions in next year’s class.

For now though the 49ers need to ensure they’re getting quality players in the 2024 draft. Finding a couple of starters this year would take some pressure off the next few seasons, which is helpful no matter how good the team thinks a particular draft class will be.

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John Lynch mum on Brandon Aiyuk contract talks

John Lynch didn’t want to say much about the Brandon Aiyuk contract negotiations. Mission accomplished!

49ers general manager John Lynch on Monday spoke with reporters ahead of the NFL draft which begins Thursday. Before taking questions Lynch addressed the sizable elephant in the room — the contract talks with wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Lynch last spoke with reporters at the NFL owners meetings in March and didn’t have an Aiyuk update. Since then there have been rumors swirling, but nothing definitive from neither the 49ers nor Aiyuk’s camp. Lynch wanted to make clear early in his availability that he wouldn’t have any Aiyuk updates Monday.

”B. A. I’ve communicated on many occasions our wish,” Lynch said. “And our wish is that he’s here and part of the Niners for the rest of his career. We’re working through that, and as such, I was a player once and I never liked my business being out in the public, and so I’m gonna respect that. I’m not gonna speak for their side. I can say we’re having good talks and I’m just gonna leave it at that.”

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It’s not a huge surprise Lynch didn’t want to dive into the contract negotiations in public. Aiyuk’s agent has also been quick to publicly refute rumors of trade talks between the 49ers and other teams.

Lynch reiterated his stance that the 49ers want to keep Aiyuk — a statement he also gave last time he spoke with media at the NFL owners meetings in March.

It’s unlikely we’ll see anything definitive on the Aiyuk situation until the draft. If he’s not dealt on Day 1 of the draft it’s unlikely he’ll be moved this year, which will turn the attention away from potential trades and toward the negotiations. After that we’ll probably have to wait for a deal to come together before we hear Lynch or anyone else from the 49ers say something of substance about it.

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WATCH: Matt Ryan holds retirement press conference in Atlanta

WATCH: Matt Ryan holds retirement press conference in Atlanta after signing 1-day contract with Falcons

Former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan signed a one-day contract in Atlanta before officially retiring from the NFL on Monday afternoon. Ryan is currently holding a press conference in Atlanta with team owner Arthur Blank.

Watch the full press conference live, as shared by the team’s Twitter account below:

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Falcons could be punished for tampering allegations ahead of draft

The Falcons could be punished for tampering allegations with QB Kirk Cousins ahead of this week’s draft

While NFL teams will never openly admit to it, tampering is rampant around the league ahead of free agency. However, teams rarely get caught because players are usually smart enough to keep their mouths shut about any illegal contact with the coaching staff or trainers.

Apparently, Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins didn’t get the memo. During his introductory press conference, Cousins admitted to talking with the team’s head athletic trainer before he was technically allowed to.

“There’s great people here,” said Cousins during his intro presser. “And it’s not just the football team. I mean, I’m looking at the support staff. Meeting, calling yesterday, calling our head athletic trainer, talking to our head of P.R.”

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Cousins’ comments quickly drew the attention of the NFL, who began an investigation into Atlanta for tampering. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Falcons could be punished as soon as this week:

The NFL’s investigation into alleged tampering charges against the Falcons for their involvement with then-free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Eagles for their involvement with then-free-agent running back Saquon Barkley is ongoing and could reach a conclusion as early as this week, per sources. Sources believe the discipline, which is likely to involve draft picks, is expected to be more severe for the Falcons. — ESPN’s Adam Schefter

Could Atlanta potentially lose a first-round pick? Schefter highlighted other recent tampering cases for reference.

The Dolphins lost a first-round pick in 2023 due to tampering with head coach Sean Payton and QB Tom Brady. The Chiefs were fined a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick for tampering with free-agent WR Jeremy Maclin back in 2015.

The Falcons were happy to land Cousins in free agency but if the 35-year-old’s loose lips wind up costing the team a first-round pick, it likely won’t sit well with fans. The first round of the 2024 NFL draft kicks off on Thursday in Detroit, Michigan.

Falcons met with 26 prospects

Falcons strength of schedule

Most likely picks at No. 8

1st-round mock draft

Falcons 7-round mock

Vineland, N.J., holds parade for Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco after Super Bowl LVIII

#Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco’s hometown of Vineland, New Jersey, held a Super Bowl LVIII parade in his honor

The Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVIII over the San Francisco 49ers 10 weeks ago in Las Vegas. The glow and celebrations from that night haven’t slowed as players and coaches continue to be honored by their hometowns.

On Saturday, running back Isiah Pacheco was back in Vineland, New Jersey, being greeted by fans in his hometown for the second consecutive year as a Super Bowl champion.

“Every movie has a main character,” said Pacheco at the City Hall steps, according to The Press of Atlantic City. “What a good movie will show you is a main character is nothing without other people around him to shape him and support him, which y’all do.”

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Pacheco’s Vineland high school football team, along with family and former Rutgers teammates, was in attendance to support. Pacheco had another solid season in 2023, appearing in 14 games and finishing with 205 carries for 935 rushing yards and seven touchdowns to go with 44 receptions for 244 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

2024 NFL draft: Houston OT Patrick Paul believes he’s getting drafted in the 1st round

Is Patrick Paul going to end up a first-round pick?

We all like to believe we know exactly what will happen on Thursday night in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. But as is always the case, when it comes to the bottom of the first round, all bets are off.

One player who we think could sneak into the first round is Houston offensive tackle Patrick Paul. This is an opinion Paul seems to share as well. Paul called his shot and said to look for him late on Thursday, which would mean the end of the first round.

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Paul is part of a handful of offensive tackle prospects vying for a spot. Along with Paul there is Tyler Guyton, Jordan Morgan, Roger Rosengarten, Kingsley Suamataia and Kiran Amegadjie who can all make a case to be in the Top 32 picks but unfortunately there just aren’t enough spots to go around.

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South Carolina WR Xavier Legette says he expects to go to the Panthers at No. 33

The Panthers could keep Xavier Legette close if they select him at the top of the second round.

One of our favorite wide receiver prospects in the 2024 NFL draft is South Carolina receiver Xavier Legette. When you watch him play, he reminds us of guys like Deebo Samuel or JuJu Smith-Schuster and has a skill set that fits so many roles in the modern NFL offense.

Legette spoke to John Crumpler or USA TODAY and made it known that the Carolina Panthers told him if he’s on the board at No. 33, they plan to draft him.

“I’ve met with the Panthers about four or five times,” Legette said, “The relationship, it just keeps continuing to grow. They’re really hoping I can make it the second round. They keep on telling me if I’m sitting at 33, they’re gonna take me.”

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Legette makes a ton of sense for the Panthers. Despite trading for Diontae Johnson in the offseason, the team still needs to surround young quarterback Bryce Young with weapons to help him shake off a down rookie season.

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The 2024 NFL draft trade value chart

The 2024 NFL draft trade value chart, based off the Rich Hill model

With all the uncertainty of what will happen during the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit this week, one thing is surefire: There will be trades. Lots of them in every round, more than likely.

NFL teams negotiate trade terms based on draft value charts. There are several different ones, with the most famous being the “Jimmy Johnson” chart from Johnson’s time running the Dallas Cowboys. That was back in the 1990s, however, and the changes in the game, the salary impact of rookie contracts and other factors have left Johnson’s value calculations somewhat antiquated.

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Here at Draft Wire and the other USA TODAY Wire network sites, we lean heavily on the draft value chart developed more recently. Known as the Rich Hill model, it stems from a modernizing of Johnson’s charts initially undertaken by Rich Hill of Pats Pulpit several years ago.

The values for each pick on the Hill model are here on one handy chart.

The values are more guidelines than they are strictly adhered to by teams. Player supply/demand at positions, relative state of the roster for the teams involved, and simple carnal desire to get a deal done can all create variances from steadfastly sticking to the values here. But the chart is a good reference point for seeing how realistic a trade proposal might be.

Finally, a hypothetical Brandon Aiyuk trade that makes some sense

If (IF) the 49ers trade Brandon Aiyuk, this is the type of seismic deal to expect:

Hypothetical Brandon Aiyuk trades have been one of the topics du jour this NFL draft season. Much of the trade chatter around the 49ers’ star wide receiver has been publicly refuted by Aiyuk’s agent, but that hasn’t stopped some wild potential trades from being thrown about on the internet.

For the most part the fake Aiyuk trades haven’t been grounded in reality. The 49ers don’t want to move Aiyuk and there’s no reason at press time to believe he’s going to want a contract beyond what the 49ers will be willing to stomach. Still, most trades have been structured as though San Francisco is just looking to punt on the Second-Team All-Pro. Thankfully, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell in his mock draft that features trades at every pick actually proposed the type of trade we might see if Aiyuk does get moved.

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It’s worth noting the 49ers would have suitors for Aiyuk if they made him available. The chances they’d acquiesce to a trade that landed them anything less than a first-round pick in this year’s draft seem slim. That’s why Barnwell’s proposed trade works. He has San Francisco sending Aiyuk and pick Nos. 31 and 94 in this year’s draft to the Los Angeles Chargers for pick Nos. 5 and 181 this year.

To be clear, Barnwell isn’t reporting this deal. However, if we see Aiyuk dealt on Draft Night, it’ll likely be in a deal of this magnitude. It’ll be one that moves the needle pretty significantly. There’s unlikely to be a trade that features the 49ers receiving a second-round pick and a couple of other later selections.

At the fifth overall pick San Francisco would have a strong foundation to either get Aiyuk’s replacement with whichever of Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze is available and atop their board. They’d also likely have their pick of offensive tackles at No. 5 overall. If they could snag a player like Notre Dame OT Joe Alt it’s hard to envision a scenario where they don’t come out of Day 1 of the draft as a pretty big winner.

Then they’d have an opportunity on Day 2 to either get aggressive in Round 2 and move up, or trade down into the third and pick up some additional capital later on Day 2 or in Day 3.

Our official stance is that we don’t believe Aiyuk will be dealt. This is a fascinating scenario though and the 49ers would have to put themselves in that kind of top-five position to even begin justifying shipping out a rising young superstar.

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