Brett Veach prioritizing re-signing Chris Jones, L'Jarius Sneed

[RunKC]

What some of us have been wondering...

HENDERSON, Nev. -- Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said he is aware of the challenge the organization faces in re-signing both defensive tackle Chris Jones and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed but said it would be an offseason priority to get both players under new contracts.

"Sometimes I look at our situation and I'm like, 'I don't know how we're going to do this,' but we usually work through things systematically and have a list of the priorities,'' Veach said as the Chiefs continued preparations for Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers. "Certainly, Chris and LJ are at the top of the list.

"It's extremely hard because you have two keystone players there.''

Jones, 29, has been one of the NFL's top pass-rushers for years. He had 10.5 sacks this season to tie for the team lead after missing training camp and the first regular-season game while holding out for a new contract.

He didn't get the extension he was looking for, but the Chiefs sweetened the final season of his existing contract.

"It was important for us to mend the fences with Chris because we love him and he's an iconic player here, not just here, but I mean of all time,'' Veach said. "That was important for us, and we'll continue to work hard and see if we can get something done, but it will be a priority for us.''

The Chiefs used Sneed, 27, this season to defend against the opponent's top receiver much of the time, and none had big games against him.

Jones and Sneed are key players for an improved Chiefs defense that allowed fewer points than all but one other team during the regular season and held the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens to 41 total points in the playoffs.

The Chiefs had defenses that were at times competitive since Patrick Mahomes became their starting quarterback in 2018, but rarely were they consistently so. Veach and the Chiefs found the task of building a top defense difficult because the past few seasons they were carrying Mahomes' massive contract.

"I still remember in '17 and '18 just saying if we can just get them to punt just once we've got a shot,'' Veach said. "Now all of a sudden it's like all we've got to do is just score once and we're good.

"Going from where we were in '17 and '18 to having one of the best defenses, knowing the constraints we had of just paying [Mahomes] and probably drafting later [in rounds], I don't think I ever envisioned having a top one or two defense.''

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...-ljarius-sneed

[Dunerdr]

Originally Posted by RunKC

DK Metcalf fell bc he had a serious neck injury that teams weren't sure about. He also had a good awful 3 come (7.38) showing poor lateral agility. The medical on him was he was a broke dick going on season ending surgery in 2 of 3 years at Ole Miss.

McLaurin was an interesting player. Guys that show well fall nearly every year. Tank Dell is a good example of a talented player that lit up the Sr Bowl and still fell to rd 3. McLaurin was also the 12th WR drafted. His own team passed on him twice.

It’s almost as if the top 20ish guys are all very close physically, mental ability usually sets out the top few or a major stand out ability like speed. Poor attitude and injuries drop a few. And almost any one of them can become an “Alpha” with the right mind set, coaching and injury luck.

[kozzman555]

Originally Posted by CaptainMorgan

Mahomes put him in his place in the moment, but I heard him asked about it afterwards (I think on McAfee?) and he appreciated it. He liked the fact that Rice wanted the ball and was competing his ass off. Not totally dissimilar from the Kelce/Reid interaction. We got guys who want to go through walls to win. They’ll maybe go at each other a bit in the moment but at the end of the day they appreciate it in one another. Game respects game.

The people that don't understand that haven't been in a hypercompetitive, alpha male, testosterone saturated environment. You will see that shit all the time in line units in the military, and then we go get drunk together afterwards. That's what you WANT to see from our guys. Bunch of dudes all wanting the ball, knowing they can step up and be counted on. They will kill to win.

[RINGLEADER]

Originally Posted by philfree

I don't think this is true. Yeah some guys(including Kelce) struggled with some drops and routes but once Rice emerged we were fine. I think Andy knew it was going to be a work in progress but in the end we found our identity.

I think we’re saying the same thing. Rice emerging led to Toney and Moore seeing less and less time. It took him longer than I think we would have liked, but Andy eventually fixed the problem with that move and we got the added bonus of playoffs MVS to turn the corner.

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by RINGLEADER

The better analogy is we were driving the car with the wrong sized tires on three of the wheels. There wasn’t anything wrong with the engine or the driver, but when you have three clown car wheels and one normal wheel it’s hard to get where you want to go. Once Andy changed the tires things worked out fine.

I don't think going 16 or 17 drives in a row without scoring a TD in the AFC Championship and SB is "fine".


That's definitely a car that didn't get its oil changed and is burning up but rolled over the finish line.





Hey, I get it. Punting is now fashionable again.

[RINGLEADER]

Originally Posted by philfree

We adjusted the air pressure in the tires and took out a round of wedge and by the last stage of the race we were fast enough to win the race.

I’ll give you the air pressure analogy in the MVS tire.

But going into the season hoping Toney and Moore would figure it out was absolutely putting a couple clown car tires on the offense.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by MahomesMagic

Hardman wasn't a bust. He was made useful enough in that version of the KC offense because there were already 2 HOF weapons clearing space and even a WR in Hardman who couldn't crack the WORST offensive skill weapons in the NFL did something for us.

But should we be aspiring to selecting another Hardman?

I don't think so.

I would rather take a DK Metcalf or a Terry McLaurin, both of who I thought were 1st round talents that year or a Diontae Johnson, a MAC receiver I loved later on.

If we had taken Terry McLaurin over Hardman I don't think Cinci ever beats us the year they went to the SB. Our offense would have been too deadly with

Tyreek Hill
McLaurin
Kelce

No one stopping that even the brilliant Lou.


I think a lot of the teams that think its their turn or time like Cinci, Baltimore, Buffalo, Houston, Indy, etc are praying KC continues to give Mahomes one of the worst WR groups in the NFL.

I would prefer to give Mahomes the tools to destroy people. That also helps the defense because the pressure is now on teams and they can't kill clock, run power all game which they got away with a lot last year.

The other issue that people keep glossing over is Kelce. He looked younger in the playoffs but why beat him up game after game after game next year?

This is a loaded WR draft. Get an elite weapon on offense that can grow into that role.

Take the vertical decoy in the 3rd, 4th or 5th round in addition to the alpha round 1.

Time to draft some offense and grab a high traits LT possibility in the 2nd or 3rd to compete with Wanya and let the best man win.

I didn’t say draft another Hardman. I said knocking that pick as proof the Chiefs don’t know what they’re doing at WR/can’t draft WR is off.

It IS a good WR draft with lots of depth. What you really seem to be overlooking is that the WRs likely to be available at 32 are no more likely to develop into “alpha” WR than the guys likely to be available in the 2nd.

Saying “stop ****ing around and draft a true #1 or sign one in FA” is easier said than done.

[CaptainMorgan]

Originally Posted by kozzman555

The people that don't understand that haven't been in a hypercompetitive, alpha male, testosterone saturated environment. You will see that shit all the time in line units in the military, and then we go get drunk together afterwards. That's what you WANT to see from our guys. Bunch of dudes all wanting the ball, knowing they can step up and be counted on. They will kill to win.

Totally. The key is that it comes from a place of competing to the max to achieve team success and to win. We not me. It’s why Kelce sat week 18 and gave up the 1000 yard season. He isn’t in Reid’s face cause he wants personal glory. He’s fired up cause he wants to win more than anything. We know Pat is wired that way. And from his comments about Rice, sounds like he is too.

[philfree]

Originally Posted by RINGLEADER

I think we’re saying the same thing. Rice emerging led to Toney and Moore seeing less and less time. It took him longer than I think we would have liked, but Andy eventually fixed the problem with that move and we got the added bonus of playoffs MVS to turn the corner.

I think early in the season with MVS being the Sr in the room he really felt the pressure to step up and be the guy but he's not that guy. Once Rice was the guy and Kelce got his act together the pressure was off MVS and he was fine. He was never going to be the high point man.

[bigjosh]

Maybe i missed it, who was saying rice isnt a legit wr1? I scrolled back and couldn’t find it, but i see alot of posts about someone saying that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[philfree]

Originally Posted by RINGLEADER

I’ll give you the air pressure analogy in the MVS tire.

But going into the season hoping Toney and Moore would figure it out was absolutely putting a couple clown car tires on the offense.

We had to give those guys a shot to find out if they could do it.

[MahomesMagic]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I didn’t say draft another Hardman. I said knocking that pick as proof the Chiefs don’t know what they’re doing at WR/can’t draft WR is off.

It IS a good WR draft with lots of depth. What you really seem to be overlooking is that the WRs likely to be available at 32 are no more likely to develop into “alpha” WR than the guys likely to be available in the 2nd.

Saying “stop ****ing around and draft a true #1 or sign one in FA” is easier said than done.

An interesting exercise would have been sub out the last 4 Chiefs high draft picks on skill players for another board or consensus. I don't think these mock drafts are all that great, most of the writers are entertainers.

But there are NFL scouting services that teams pay for like Blesto where players are ranked. Would KC have gotten better players than their own board?

For some reason, we seem to out think things and keep trying to outsmart people.

But another issue you have not addressed is Kelce. The trade of Tyreek left the offense's functionality on Kelce.

Kelce is near the end.

Can we afford to spend another regular season with Kelce getting too much attention and beaten to shit?

That's why just improving the MVS role isn't enough to me.

We need to think not only about next year but the next phase after Kelce. That's why we need to go get someone with special potential, not just check boxes on minor upgrades on the depth.

[Hoover]

Why draft a Hardman, when you can just keep him. I think he learned the grass isn’t always greener. On a team friendly deal I’d love to keep his speed on the team.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Hoover

Why draft a Hardman, when you can just keep him. I think he learned the grass isn’t always greener. On a team friendly deal I’d love to keep his speed on the team.

Sure, but Hardman doesn't matter. To rely on him for anything but a WR4 is foolish. He was so bad he couldn't even get on the field for the Jets.

If you draft a guy and it turns out to be a guy just like Hardman in the first two rounds you ****ed up. This draft is stock full of WR's they say. Need to knock it out of the park.

We need an outside receiver who is more than a JAG.

[O.city]

The offense revolves around the qb playing to his potential. If we need all these hall of fame level guys around him we need a refund

[DRM08]

Originally Posted by O.city

The offense revolves around the qb playing to his potential. If we need all these hall of fame level guys around him we need a refund

I don't think you need Hall of Fame guys, but you need guys that run decent routes and catch the football. I would like to see them find more weapons to take pressure off Kelce, who should not be carrying so much on his shoulders at age 34-35.