Kansas City Chiefs – Page 4 – North Platte Post Archive

NFL Gives 32 Compensatory Picks to 14 Teams

Posted on March 23, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) — NFC champion Seattle, Denver and Kansas City each were awarded four compensatory picks in this year’s draft.

The NFL handed out 32 such picks to 14 teams on Monday. They begin at the conclusion of the third round when Super Bowl winner New England gets the 97th overall choice.

New England lost LeGarrette Blount, Dane Fletcher, Brandon Spikes and Aqib Talib in 2014 free agency, while adding Brandon Browner and Brandon LaFell. Blount returned to the Patriots after being cut by Pittsburgh.

A team losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires in the previous year is eligible to receive compensatory picks. The draft will be held April 30-May 2 in Chicago.

AP Source: Chiefs give Ron Parker 5-Year, $30M Deal

Posted on March 14, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are bringing back versatile defensive back Ron Parker on a five-year, $30 million contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Chiefs have not announced the deal.

Parker’s hometown newspaper, The Beaufort Gazette of South Carolina, was first to report Saturday that the free agent was returning to Kansa City.

Justin Turner, who represents Parker, fielded no shortage of offers for the fourth-year pro after a breakout year with the Chiefs. Parker split time at cornerback and safety, starting 15 of the 16 games he played last season. He finished with 94 tackles and an interception.

Chiefs Add Long-Snapper Winchester as Overhaul Continues

Posted on March 13, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have signed long snapper James Winchester to a two-year contract, yet another move in what has turned into a massive roster overhaul this offseason.

The signing Friday came one day after the Chiefs traded a fifth-round draft pick to New Orleans for Pro Bowl offensive guard Ben Grubbs and signed offensive lineman Paul Fanaika, a former Cardinals starter.

Kansas City also signed wide receiver Jeremy Maclin and safety Tyvon Branch this week, and released veteran wide receiver Dwayne Bowe in a cost-saving move.

Kansas City now has three long snappers on the roster in Winchester, Brandon Hartson and Jorgen Hus, which means the club appears to be moving on from incumbent Thomas Gafford.

Broncos Sign DE Vance Walker to 2-Year Deal

Posted on March 12, 2015

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Broncos continued their low-key approach to free agency with the signing of defensive lineman Vance Walker to a two-year, $4 million deal Thursday.

The versatile seventh-year pro is familiar to the Broncos because he’s spent the last two seasons in the AFC West.

Walker, who turns 28 next month, was a 3-4 defensive end for Kansas City last season and a 4-3 defensive tackle in Oakland the year before that.

He spent his first four season with the Falcons, who drafted him out of Georgia Tech, where he was teammates with Broncos star receiver Demaryius Thomas.

AP Sources: Saints Trade Grubbs to Chiefs for 5th-Rounder

Posted on March 12, 2015

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Two people familiar with the deal say the New Orleans Saints have traded starting left guard Ben Grubbs to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a fifth-round draft choice.

The people spoke to The Associated Press Thursday on condition of anonymity because neither club had announced the trade.

The move gives the Chiefs a veteran offensive lineman who was named to Pro Bowls in 2011 and 2013, while giving the Saints not just an additional draft pick, but also more flexibility under the NFL’s salary cap.

Grubbs, an eight-year veteran out of Auburn, is due a base salary of $6.5 million this season.

He began his NFL career in Baltimore in 2007, starting 12 games as a rookie. Grubbs joined New Orleans in 2012.

AP Source: Chiefs Agreed with OL Fanaika on 3-Year Deal

Posted on March 11, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs and offensive guard Paul Fanaika have agreed to terms on a three-year deal, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the Chiefs have not announced the deal. Fanaika still must pass a physical for it to be complete.

The Chiefs were looking for help on the offensive line after losing three starters to free agency last offseason, and then watching starting center Rodney Hudson sign a five-year, $44.5 million deal with AFC West rival Oakland this week.

Fanaika was a seventh-round draft pick of the Eagles in 2009, when Chiefs coach Andy Reid was in charge. He’s come into his own in Arizona, starting all 30 games he played in over the past two seasons.

Chiefs Announce Signing of Wide Receiver Jeremy Maclin

Posted on March 11, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have signed Jeremy Maclin to a five-year deal, adding the down-the-field threat that their wide receiver group was sorely lacking last season.

The contract is worth up to $55 million, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because those details were not announced.

The Chiefs planned an afternoon news conference to introduce their newest addition.

Maclin started all 16 games for the Eagles last season. He set career highs with 85 catches for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns, and showed no lingering effects from the torn ACL that caused him to miss the entire 2013 season.

His addition could mean the end of Dwayne Bowe’s tenure in Kansas City. The veteran wide receiver is due to count $14 million against the salary cap.

Chiefs Sign Veteran Safety Tyvon Branch to 1-Year Deal

Posted on March 10, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs have signed veteran safety Tyvon Branch to a one-year deal, helping to solidify a position that could be thinned out considerably by free agency.

Kansas City is already poised to play without Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry, who is undergoing treatment for lymphoma. Fellow safeties Kurt Coleman and Ron Parker are free agents.

The 28-year-old Branch has been solid when he’s healthy, but injuries have kept him from appearing in just five games over the past two seasons. He’s spent his entire seven-year career with AFC West rival Oakland, making 461 tackles, eight sacks and four interceptions.

The Chiefs already have been busy in free agency, restructuring deals with linebacker Tamba Hali and defensive tackle Mike DeVito, and agreeing to terms with wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

AP Sources: Chiefs LB Hali Restructures; Maclin in Sights

Posted on March 8, 2015

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali has agreed to restructure his contract, freeing up salary cap space that the club is using to pursue wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday night because the Chiefs do not comment on contract matters. Hali would have counted $12 million against the salary cap in the final year of the $57 million, five-year contract that he signed before the 2011 season.

Maclin appeared poised to reunite with Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who traded up to grab him out of Missouri in the 2009 draft. ESPN.com reported that Maclin will sign with Kansas City when the NFL’s free-agency period begins Tuesday.

AP Source: Chiefs Sign LB Josh Mauga to 3-Year Contract

Posted on March 6, 2015

The Chiefs are bringing back linebacker Josh Mauga on a three-year deal, a person familiar with the move told The Associated Press on Friday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the decision.

The move to retain Mauga, a pending free agent, came one day after the Chiefs parted ways with veteran linebacker Joe Mays. Mauga will likely start at middle linebacker alongside Derrick Johnson, who missed nearly all of last season with a torn Achilles tendon.

Mauga started every game last season in part due to injuries.

The Chiefs, who have been strapped for cash, cleared salary cap space Friday by releasing veteran defensive tackle Vance Walker. He signed a $13 million, three-year deal last offseason.