Travis Kelce

AFC Notes: Draft, Kelce, Jets, Patriots

December 17th, 2016 at 9:14am CST by Ben Levine

The Browns and Titans have done an admirable job of setting themselves up well for the upcoming draft, writes ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert. Cleveland acquired three extra draft picks this season, and they’re guaranteed to have at least two picks in each of the first four rounds. Despite the fact that the 2017 draft is expected to feature weak quarterback offerings, Seifert believes the Browns could still select a signal-caller with one of their many picks.

Meanwhile, the Titans have the Rams’ first-round and third-round picks in this year’s draft, and the presence of Marcus Mariota means they won’t have to reach for a quarterback. In total, the team will have eight picks, including five in the first three rounds.

Let’s check out some other notes from the AFC…

Travis Kelce is having a career season, but the Chiefs‘ tight end can’t help but wonder whether he’d be a bigger star in a larger market. “I talk to my manager about that a lot and it is what it is,” Kelce said on PFT Live (via ProFootballTalk.com’s Mike Florio). “I mean it kind of played a part in terms of branching out into the TV world for me. It’s one of those things where you just kind of, you come out of the draft, you just want to be as marketable as possible I think. That’s one of the things about the NFL is that you have small-market teams, big-market teams. I feel like the bigger market teams do kind of have an advantage in terms of off-the-field money. I think when you have big-time businesses around that want to be part of the sports community and the athletic community it’s a huge advantage in the bigger markets. So without a doubt.”
The drafting of another quarterback would just confirm that the Jets are “clueless,” writes ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. By selecting a quarterback, general manager Mike Maccagnan would be acknowledging that he blew the Christian Hackenberg pick, and Cimini adds that it’s way too early to give up on the rookie. The writer does note that the Panthers followed a similar path in 2011, when they bailed on former second-rounder Jimmy Clausen in favor of rookie Cam Newton. Of course, as Cimini points out, there’s no Cam Newton-type talent in this year’s draft.
Patriots practice squad linebacker Trevor Bates saw his salary increased to $18K a week, reports ESPN’s Mike Reiss (via Twitter). For reference, minimum salary for practice squad players is $6.9K a week. The University of Maine product was a seventh-round pick in this past year’s draft, but he was cut by the Colts in mid-October.

Chiefs Sign Travis Kelce To Extension

January 29th, 2016 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

2:18pm: The actual base value of Kelce’s five-year extension is $46.842MM, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com. $10.517MM is fully guaranteed, with $20.017MM in total guarantees. Corry adds (via Twitter) that the contract includes $500K in per-game roster bonuses in 2017, and $1MM annually in per-game roster bonuses for the final four years.

12:04pm: The Chiefs have become the second team this week to extend the rookie contract of a young tight end, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve reached an agreement on a new deal for Travis Kelce. Kelce’s extension comes on the heels of the Eagles locking up Zach Ertz earlier this week.

Kelce, a third-round pick in 2013, enjoyed the most productive season of his three-year NFL career in 2015, establishing or matching career highs with 72 receptions, 875 receiving yards, and five touchdowns.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the value of Kelce’s new deal surpasses Ertz’s — it’s a five-year extension that’s worth $46MM in total, with $20.5MM in guaranteed money. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that the guarantee is a little smaller than that, at $20.017MM, but either way, it’s in that neighborhood.

Although Kelce and Ertz were both selected in the same draft and extended in the same week, it looks like Julius Thomas‘ contract with the Jaguars is a closer point of comparison for Kelce’s extension. Thomas’ five-year contract with Jacksonville was also worth $46MM over five years, with $21MM in guarantees.

While Thomas’ $21MM was fully guaranteed, it’s not clear yet if Kelce’s $20MM+ will be. It’s worth noting that Thomas had more leverage than the Chiefs tight end, since he reached the open market, rather than signing an extension a year away from free agency.

Rapoport adds (via Twitter) that Kelce’s extension includes a $10MM signing bonus, and has a max value of $50MM. At $9.2MM per year, Kelce would tie Thomas as the league’s second highest-paid tight end, but if he maxes out on incentives and bonuses, he could match Jimmy Graham, the NFL’s highest-paid tight end, at $10MM annually.

With Kelce and Ertz locked up, a third notable tight end from that 2013 draft, Washington’s Jordan Reed, appears to be next in line for an extension of his own, and his representatives figure to argue that he deserves more than the two players extended this week. Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert could also discuss a new deal with Cincinnati this offseason, though his team will hold a fifth-year option for 2017 on him.

As for the Chiefs, their next priority may be addressing this year’s free-agents-to-be, including safety Eric Berry.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Extra Points: Packers, Vikings, Chiefs, Raiders

September 13th, 2014 at 12:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Packers coach Mike McCarthy has seen his fair share of players succumb to injuries, including offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga. When asked whether it would be a good idea to be cautious and sit out the former first-rounder, McCarthy acknowledged that the organization may have done that too much in the past.

“I think sometimes we may have done that in the past,” McCarthy said. “I think our medical department tilts that way, but the reality is you’re only given 16 games and I know from a player’s perspective, they want to play in every single game.

“If Bryan Bulaga feels that he can go in this game, that’ll be a part of the decision. But we’re not saving anybody for next week or so forth. If Bryan cannot go, it will be clearly from a medical standpoint that we don’t feel it’s in his best interest.

“I just think medically people are a lot more conservative today. I think the landscape is a challenge for every medical group. I think it’s only natural. But at the end of the day, that’s why you have the process. That’s why it’s set up the way it is on who makes those decisions.

“At the end of the day, and I know I’ve said this numerous times in here, from (general manager) Ted Thompson and myself as far as you look at our players, we’re never going to jeopardize a player’s future for one game. But the importance of playing in every game is important.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…

Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press predicts that Vikings offensive lineman Mike Harris is the most likely player on the roster to be cut (via Twitter), but he clarifies in another tweet that Harris could easily be re-signed next week. He also suggests tight end/fullback MarQueis Gray as a potential cut (via Twitter).
Chiefs safety Eric Berry is so impressed by Travis Kelce, he refuses to compare his teammate to any other tight end in the league. “Nah, he’s a different breed. For real,” Berry told Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports. “He’s big, he’s got speed and he’s got moves. He’s got a lot of swag about his play. He doesn’t do it like how it says in the book.”
Vincent Brown would be a good fit for the Raiders, writes ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson. The former Chargers receiver was waived by the team at the end of August, and Williamson believes Oakland could use his consistency.

AFC West Links: Raiders, Chargers, Chiefs

August 9th, 2014 at 10:41pm CST by Rob DiRe

Matt Schaub struggled to lead the Raiders‘ first team offense in their first preseason game, but head coach Dennis Allen was “not displeased” with the performance, writes Vic Tafur of SFGate.com. He noted that while Schaub did not play well, his receivers dropped two passes and the coach and quarterback had a miscommunication on a third down play.

Here are some other links from around the AFC West:

Another Raider to watch was first-round pick Khalil Mack, who flashed his enormous talents at times in the first game, according to Tafur (via Twitter). Allen did say that Mack was “a little bit late reacting” in his NFL debut.
The Chargers are dealing with a number of minor injuries as they head back to practice, preparing for their next preseason game, and Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com discusses them in his Training Camp Report.
The Chargers are moving closer to deciding on their 53-man roster, and Kevin Acee and Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego predict who will make the team. They expect the Chargers to load up on skill positions, keeping three quarterbacks, four running backs, six receivers, and four tight ends. That of course will leave the team thin at other spots.
Chiefs‘ tight end Travis Kelce made a huge play on a 69-yard catch and run in the preseason opener, flashing some of the talent Kansas City missed with him missing 2013 with an injury, writes the Associated Press on USA Today. Both quarterback Alex Smith and head coach Andy Reid were impressed with the second-year playmaker.
Even with running backs Montee Ball and C.J. Anderson currently nursing injuries, head coach John Fox does not see a pressing need for the Broncos to add another back to the depth chart, writes Lindsay Jones of the USA Today (via Twitter).