Good morning! Here is today's Kansas City Chiefs news. Enjoy!
Josh Mauga and the Right Place at the Right Time from The Mothership
The general manager, the head coach and probably even the defensive coordinator, his without-a-doubt biggest advocate, were all in agreement.
Linebacker Josh Mauga was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs last July to be a role player, not a starter.
At that time, that was the need.
Joining outside linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston on the inside of the linebacker corps were Derrick Johnson and Joe Mays, two players coming off healthy 2013 campaigns.
The Chiefs had no reason to think 2014 would be any different.
Lamar Hunt: Color-Blind from The Mothership
Lanier said he recalled no racial strife, but it was there in Kansas City. Black players were constantly faced with inferior hotel options compared to their white teammates when teams traveled anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Housing remained segregated in certain neighborhoods in Kansas City and both races stayed in their respective social settings much of the time. Only the field of play was it different. Race continued to matter, but not to Hunt, as Lanier recalled.
"This was not a social experiment," Lanier said of Hunt's approach to having Afro-Americans on his teams. In MacCambridge's biography of Hunt, Lanier was very clear: "It was one of trying to win...purely a capitalist view, which was okay. But those who deemed themselves as capitalists but who still had hesitancy - they weren't as fully there as they thought they were, because they had let all these other things get in the way of making those decisions. Lamar did not."
ESPN Video: Chiefs need to get big plays from unheralded players from ESPN
Position analysis: wide receiver from ESPN
The first decision for the Chiefs is what to do with Bowe. He'll be 31 in September and judging by his last three seasons, when he averaged 58 receptions, 717 yards and three touchdowns, he's no longer a No. 1 receiver. He may need to agree to lower his salary-cap number from $14 million to remain with the Chiefs. The Chiefs may need to spend on a veteran in free agency if they cut Bowe. Otherwise, Wilson and Thomas, whose real value may be as a kick returner, may be the only players worth keeping.
AFC West rookie grades: Oakland Raiders aced 2014 NFL Draft from NFL.com
The Chiefs didn't get immediate returns from top pick Dee Ford, but the pass rusher was selected as an insurance policy for the possible departure of Justin Houston (and/or potential cap casualty Tamba Hali) following the 2014 season. Although the rookie pass rusher didn't crack the rotation, he is poised to make an impact when called upon. De'Anthony Thomas gave the Chiefs a dynamic multipurpose weapon on offense and provided a few explosive plays in the return game. Defensive back Phillip Gaines earned significant snaps down the stretch; he should be in the mix for a prime role as a second-year pro. Lastly, John Dorsey and Andy Reid also plucked a starting kicker from the undrafted free agent market (Cairo Santos). Grade: C+
Kiper Jr. gives yet another WR to Chiefs from ESPN
The position for the Kansas City Chiefs hasn't changed from his initial mock but the player has.
This time, Kiper gives Ohio State wide receiverDevin Smith to the Chiefs. He had the Chiefs going in his previous mock with another wide receiver,Dorial Green-Beckham of Missouri by way of Oklahoma.
Interestingly, Kiper has dropped Green-Beckham out of the first round this time.
75 percent of Utah's 2014 NFL Scouting Combine participants are still in the league from The Deseret News
BYU safety Daniel Sorensen and Utah defensive tackle Tenny Palepoi have found a niche despite not being drafted.
Sorensen had one of the strongest performances at last year's combine. His three-cone drill time of 6.47 seconds was the fifth-best time among all positions since 2006. He also had the top time among safeties in the 20-yard shuttle (3.95 seconds) and the 60-yard shuttle (10.8). While Sorensen went undrafted, he signed a free-agent deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. During the 2014 season, he played in nine games and had seven tackles.
Chiefs' Alex Smith to host second annual youth football camp in June from KC Star
The two-day Hy-Vee Alex Smith Football ProCamp will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on June 3 and 4 at Blue Valley North High School.
Participants will learn football skills and receive tips and instruction from Smith, who will be on-site to direct the event and will be joined by a handful of high school and college coaches in the area. Participants will be placed in small groups, according to age, to ensure that each child gets maximum instruction.
NFL dominated sports fans' televisions in 2014, beating World Cup, Olympics and other coverage, Nielsen report says from The Washington Post
It might raise eyebrows, however, to know that even the AFC Wildcard game last year between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Indianapolis Colts was watched by more people (27.6 million) than the World Cup final (26.6 million), the NBA Finals (15 .6 million), the World Series (13.8 million) and just about every other televised sporting event of 2014. In fact, the only event to trump it was the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, which garnered roughly 31.7 million viewers, according to the Nielsen report.
Is Football Nearing a Cultural Crossroads as Concussions Grow? from NBC News
Last week, a Wisconsin woman named Debra Pyka filed a lawsuit against the Pop Warner organization, blaming her 25-year-old son's suicide on brain injuries he sustained as a boy while playing tackle football.
"A mother saying that early childhood head trauma [led to her son's suicide] is not a ridiculous claim," said Michael Oriard, who played football at Notre Dame, and spent four years in the NFL playing for the Kansas City Chiefs.
"But we just don't have evidence of how that happens or how often it happens," Oriard told NBC News.
Oriard, a retired college professor, has spent years studying and writing about the culture of football and the issue of injuries.
Jon Stewart's Jokes on Politics' Biggest Scandals and Moments Then and Now from ABC News
2013: "Jon Stewart's Rockin' Shutdown Eve"
The night before the government couldn't reach a budget deal for the new year and shut down for 16 days beginning October 1, 2013, Stewart took aim at Republicans in Congress. As Republican lawmakers fought for defunding Obamacare arguing it was unconstitutional, Stewart compared the situation to a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Giants, where the Giants lost 31-7.
"You know what the Giants didn't say after that game? 'If you don't give us 25 more points by midnight on Monday, we will shut down the..NFL.' What I'm saying is, wouldn't it be nice if the United States Congress aspired to the maturity of the problem solving capacity of football players?" Stewart said.
NFL Mock Draft No. 2: Jameis Winston vaults Marcus Mariota into top spot from CBS Sports
18. Kansas City Chiefs -- Landon Collins, S, Alabama: Some believe he's the best safety in the draft and the Chiefs have to find a replacement for Eric Berry. By time we get to the draft Collins could be painted as a strong safety-only type and Gerod Holliman (Louisville) with his 14 interceptions could be in the conversation.
THE FIVE BEST FAN BASES IN THE NFL from Blogquin
1. Kansas City Chiefs
When you hold the Guinness Book of World Records mark for loudest outdoor venue in the world, you win. Arrowhead Stadium is a football cathedral despite the Chiefs failing to make deep playoff runs there over the years. It is the only stadium which gives off a college feel, with all the fans dressing in red. Kansas City has shown unabashed passion and loyalty to the Chiefs over the decades. After two consecutive winning seasons, it might be paying off.