February 26th, 2018 Justin Bradford Posted in News
The Chiefs will receive a 2018 fourth-round pick and a 2019 second-round pick from the Rams in exchange for cornerback Marcus Peters and a 2018 sixth-round pick, league sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The trade, which was originally agreed to Friday, cannot be officially announced until the start of the 2018 league year on March 14.
Peters would presumably step in as the Rams’ primary cornerback, which might spell the end of Trumaine Johnson’s tenure with the team. Peters has compiled 19 interceptions in his first three NFL seasons and was named first-team All-Pro in 2016, the second of back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances.
But Peters also joins the Rams with some character concerns. He was thrown off his college team at Washington for an altercation with an assistant coach. In December, he was suspended by the Chiefs for one game after tossing an official’s penalty flag into the crowd and then retreating to the locker room without being ejected during a game against the New York Jets.
The Rams have a new cornerback, as today Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that the Chiefs and Rams have pulled of a deal, as Los Angeles has dealt for CB Marcus Peters.
Marcus Peters to LA Rams trade is now officially agreed to, per source; cannot be processed until March 14. But Peters expected to be a Ram.
Peters would presumably step in as the Rams’ primary cornerback, which might spell the end of Trumaine Johnson’s tenure with the Rams. Peters has 19 interceptions in his first three NFL seasons and was named first-team All-Pro in 2016, the second of back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances.
Peters was originally the 18th overall pick out of Washington in 2015 and will cost $3.05 million toward the salary cap this season. The Rams would then have until May 3 to pick up his fifth-year option for 2019, which is projected at roughly $9 million.
The Rams entered the offseason with a desperate need at cornerback. Johnson, who spent the past two years under the franchise tag, and slot corner Nickell Robey-Coleman are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents. Their No. 2 cornerback, Kayvon Webster, suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in December. And beyond them there isn’t much depth.
Amerson signed a one-year deal with a $2.25 million base salary and escalating incentives, a source told The Star. The deal could be worth up to $6 million, according to NFL Network.
Amerson, 26, is a five-year pro who spent the last three seasons with the Oakland Raiders. The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder only played in six games last season, recording 18 tackles and a pass deflection before landing on injured reserve with a foot injury, but he was better the previous two seasons, when he averaged 61 tackles, 21 pass deflections and three interceptions.
The Raiders released Amerson earlier this month before his $5.5 million salary for 2018 would be fully guaranteed. Amerson had also drawn interest from the San Francisco 49ers, according to The Sacramento Bee.
Some say that UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is going to be the top pick in the draft since (per usual) the Browns have the top pick and (per usual) need a quarterback.
But then again they may let him slip, or go with another QB meaning that Rosen, who this last season threw for 3756 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 picks will be free, and who knows what team could try to move up and draft the 21-year-old from Manhattan Beach, California.
Here’s a look at Rosen and what various places are saying about him.
One of the top recruits of the 2015 class, Rosen decided to stay close to home to play his ball in Westwood. He was a first-team USA Today All-American as a high school senior, throwing for 3,186 yards and 29 touchdowns while his St. John Bosco squad won the California State Championship. UCLA coaches saw enough of his talent in the spring of 2015 (he graduated from high school one semester early) that they made him the first Bruin freshman opening-weekend starter ever. He won Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and several Freshman All-American honors after setting several school records and completing 60 percent (292-487) of his passes for 3,668 yards and 23 touchdowns (11 interceptions). Despite being only a freshman, he was in command of the offense and used his NFL size and arm to sling the ball all over the field. Rosen’s sophomore season had its peaks (400 passing yards against Arizona State) and valleys (three interceptions vs. Texas A&M), and eventually ended with a season-ending injury to his throwing shoulder after six starts (59.3 completion percentage, 1,915 yards, 10 touchdowns, five interceptions). The surgery to his shoulder was not considered major, so he was throwing effectively in spring 2017 practices. Rosen had the performance of the year in the season’s opening weekend, leading the Bruins in an amazing 45-44 comeback win with 491 passing yards and four touchdowns. He struggled over a four-game stretch at the start of the Pac-12 season, throwing eight of his 10 interceptions on the year. He did earn second-team All-Pac-12 notice, however, by completing 62.6 percent of his passes (283-452), throwing 26 touchdowns, and ranking second in the country with 341.5 passing yards a game (3,756 total). Rosen also suffered two concussions during the year, missing one regular season contest and their bowl game against Kansas State.
Analysis
Strengths Tennis prodigy with impeccable footwork and delivery balance. Plays with excellent coordination between eyes and feet. Gets head around quickly on play-fakes. Has experience under center. Anchors in pocket and doesn’t creep around needlessly. Trusts his protection and doesn’t take eyes of targets when pressure mounts from the edge. Climbs pocket when appropriate. Willing to stand and deliver in face of pressure. Completed 63 percent of his passes when blitzed in 2017. Accuracy totals negatively impacted by 31 receiver drops this year. Holds his water in pocket. Mechanics are terrific. Rarely over-strides and throws with consistently bent front knee. Throwing motion and follow-through are effortless. Extremely confident and intelligent. Throws receivers open. Might be best back shoulder thrower in the game. Shows ability to speed up operation time for move to next level. Very good usage of shoulder fakes and hitches to move defenders or buy additional time for receivers to uncover. Touch passer who can throw feathers when needed.
Weaknesses
Durability is a concern. Carries slight build and has had injury issues dating back to high school. Carries ball low in pocket with slight upward pre-throw hitch. Too casual in pocket set-up. Decision making and post-snap reads are inconsistent. Refuses easy throws at times. Arm talent and strength are below average. May need to make greater effort to drive field and seam throws. Poor career deep ball completion rate. Excess air under ball allows challenges. Lacks gun to challenge safeties with rip throws over the top. Needs better anticipation. Poor mobility. Struggles to elude early pressure. Completed just 42.4 percent of his throws when forced to move. Too much hero ball. Extends plays and takes unnecessary chances rather than throwing it away. Scouts question his passion for football and whether he will be a willing student.
2017 stats: 283 of 452 passing (62.6 percent) for 3,756 yards, with 26 touchdowns, 10 interceptions; two rushing touchdowns, three lost fumbles; 67.1 Total QBR (No. 42 in FBS)
Who is this guy, and why should we care?
Rosen caught everyone’s attention with a 3,670-yard freshman season in 2015. NFL scouts love the way he looks in the pocket — his footwork, throwing motion, anticipation and accuracy. After an injury-plagued 2016 season, he rebounded in 2017 with numbers nearly identical to those he put up as a freshman. Injuries set in again, though, and with Chip Kelly and a new coaching staff on the way in, Rosen will enter the draft. He’s enough of a prospect to merit consideration at No. 1 overall.
Kiper’s draft ranking: No. 2 QB and No. 5 overall prospect. From Kiper’s Mock Draft 1.0: “Rosen is the top pure passer in this class. He looked better than Darnold when UCLA and USC played late in the season.”
McShay’s draft ranking: No. 1 QB and No. 1 overall prospect. From McShay’s Top 32: “Rosen is far superior [than Darnold] going through his progressions and has a pretty deep ball. He’s a better QB right now, but that doesn’t mean he will be down the line.”
Josh Rosen should be the No. 1 pick in the draft. From a talent, acumen and film perspective, he’s the best in this year’s deep quarterback class.
If the Browns were smart, they’d take him and not look back. But there’s a reason the Browns are the Browns, and Rosen’s personality concerns are real. So as the rumors of Cleveland’s infatuation with Wyoming’s Josh Allen get louder, it seems increasingly likely Rosen won’t be their pick.
The measurables
No concerns with Rosen’s frame. He’s 6-4 and 218. He’ll likely pack on a few more pounds once he gets with an NFL strength and conditioning coach. But he has the height to see over the offensive line, and the weight to withstanding punishment from the defense.
The Stats
Unlike Sam Darnold, Rosen enjoyed his best statistical season this past year. Despite playing on an undermanned UCLA offense, he threw for 3,756 yards with 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He completed a career-high 62.6 percent of his passes, and had a quarterback rating of 147.0.
Rosen was the best Quarterback on the Bruins roster in the Spring of 2015 and was expected to fill in for 3-year starter Brett Hundley. Rosen would go on to have an impressive 2015 season going 245 pass attempts without an interception. As a freshman, he passed for 3,670 yards, 23 touchdowns, and completed 60 percent of his passes. He would go on to be named Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the year, as well as earning Freshman All American honors. He would injure his shoulder the following year midway through the season as a sophomore and would go on to miss the remainder of the 2016 season. In 2017 he would go on to pass for 3717 yards and 26 touchdowns. The highlight of his 2017 season saw Rosen lead a 35 point comeback against Texas A&M.
Strengths
Rosen has the skill set to be a franchise Quarterback in the NFL. Rosen can be an accurate passer who can make throws in tight coverage and is poised in the pocket. Has a big arm. Throws a tight clean spiral. Has height to see over his offensive line. Has a good quick release on the ball. Can make strong and accurate throws on the run. Will take chances on some plays which can be a big trait in the NFL. Not very mobile but can keep plays alive by moving outside the pocket. Keeps his eyes down field even when under pressure.
Weaknesses
Struggles and hesitates when under pressure. Takes to many risks when under pressure. Is not a very consistent accurate passer. Can avoid pressure but not very quickly and relies too heavily on his offensive line to keep plays alive. Has questionable decision making that has led him to turning the ball over. Rosen needs to improve his vision for the NFL. He Suffered a shoulder injury his sophomore season that required him to miss the remainder of the 2016 season. One of his biggest weaknesses is his poor intangibles as a bad teammate and a leader.
Johnson is the franchise’s all-time leading tackler, compiling 1,262 career stops (993 solo) in his 13 seasons with the Chiefs (2005-17). He earned four Pro Bowl berths in his time with the club.
“I’ve been blessed to be a part of the Kansas City Chiefs organization my entire career,” Johnson said. “I’d like to thank the Hunt family, my coaches, teammates and the staff for the tremendous amount of support I received over the years. I love Kansas City and this fan base, they’ve always had my back. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to spend 13 years in a place I love. I plan on playing for several more years because I love this game so much, but I look forward to retiring as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs when my career is over. I’ll miss my Chiefs teammates – we made a lot of big plays together over the years – and I wish them the best in bringing a championship home to the best and loudest fans in the NFL.”
General Manager Brett Veach and Head Coach Andy Reid weighed in on Johnson’s tenure in Kansas City.
“Letting go of a player like Derrick is particularly tough because of how much respect I have for him as a player and as a person,” Veach said. “He’s had a tremendous career here in Kansas City, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”
“I’m grateful I had the opportunity to coach a player like Derrick,” Reid said. “He’s a passionate football player and a natural leader. I value the amount of quality work he put in every day for us, including teaching our younger players what it means to be a pro. I think he will make an incredible coach when he is done playing the game, if he chooses.”
No charges were filed against Hunt as of 3 p.m. Monday. A spokesperson for the Kansas City Chiefs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Abigail Ottinger, 19, of Middleburg Heights, told police that Hunt assaulted her around 3:45 a.m. Saturday outside Hunt’s hotel apartment, but another woman who was with Hunt’s friends said that Ottinger assaulted her, police reports say.
One police report lists Hunt as a suspect, and another report lists Ottinger as a suspect.
Cleveland police Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia said the incident appears to be a cross complaint, meaning that each person who said they were assaulted would be directed to the prosecutor’s office if they wanted to pursue charges.
Ottinger and her friend were with Hunt, his friend, and others who spent the night on a party bus traveling between Cleveland bars, according to police reports. The women, who said they were Kent State University students, went back to Hunt’s apartment with the group after their night out.
Hunt’s friend told police they kicked the women out of the apartment when they learned both were 19 years old, but Ottinger said that they were kicked out because she “didn’t want” one of the men in the group, the report says.
Hunt’s friend said that Ottinger called him and Hunt racial slurs when they were told that they needed to leave, the report says.
The two women then waited in the hallway as they tried to arrange a ride back to Kent State, the report says. Hunt’s friend said he gave them $20 for a ride, and that Hunt went to bed, the report says.
Ottinger’s friend said she tried to tell Ottinger that they should leave, but Ottinger “really wanted to stay” and became “very dramatic” and “very upbeat” once they were kicked out, the report says.
Hunt’s friend said the women stayed out in the hallway for about 30 minutes as Ottinger continued to yell and pound on the apartment door, the report says.
Another woman who was with Hunt’s group of friends told police that Ottinger hit her in the face when she went into the hallway in an attempt to get the pair to leave, the report says.
Ottinger, however, said that Hunt came out of the apartment and “shoved and pushed her,” causing abrasions on her knee and hand, and a scratch to her chest, the report says.
Ottinger’s friend told police that “all the boys” began “chasing” Ottinger, the report says.
The friend said she pulled out her phone to record the chase, but Hunt’s friend took her phone, so she “went after him,” the report says. The woman said someone grabbed her and she fell to the floor, but that she didn’t know who grabbed her, the report says. Hunt’s friend said he took the Ottinger’s phone and threw it away from her, but didn’t know how her friend’s phone became damaged, the report says.
When Hunt spoke to Cleveland police, he said he asked the women to leave and told his friend that the pair could not stay. Hunt said he went to bed, and later told someone to call security when he could still hear the women out in the hallway, the report says.
Hotel security escorted the women downstairs and asked Cleveland police for help in handling the complaint, the reports say. Ottinger also called police, reports say.
N.C. State defensive end Bradley Chubb is an impact player who many teams will have their eyes on when the NFL Draft takes center stage this offseason.
Touted as the best defensive player in the draft by many, he’s a talent that could make a huge impact on a team right away depending on where he ends up.
Here’s a look at Chubb and what various places are saying about him.
PROS: Plays with a very high motor and does not quit on plays. Chubb also plays for 4 quarters and wears down O-lines for 60 minutes. Great team leader and displays an energy that teammates feed off. Displays lots of burst off the edge and can beat offensive lineman with techniques, both inside and out. Uses his hands well to get around the edge and has enough speed to get to mobile quarterbacks. Has really good size and long arms that he uses efficiently to get into the backfield and disrupt plays. He plays the run well and is a dominant presence on the edge against opposing running backs. 190 career tackles, 53 tackles for loss, 25 sacks, and a handful of forced fumbles make Chubb a statistical dream for the draft, and his play on the field backs it up. He should be a first-round prospect come April.
CONS: Has been known to get beat in run blocking and sometimes gets handled at the LOS against the run. His speed and energy also mean that he over-pursues at times and runs past the play. Coaches have asked him to drop into coverage in the past and, while adequate in those situations, his pass coverage is overshadowed by his abilities as a pass rusher. He is also a bit heavy at 275 and will likely need to shed a few pounds once he enters the league.
One of the nation’s most dominant and disruptive defenders, Chubb has been a one-man wrecking crew for the Wolfpack, racking up 48 tackles for loss and 20.5 sacks over the past two seasons. Despite opposing offenses scheming to avoid him, Chubb has continued to put up huge numbers and make a seismic impact.
A tailor-made 4-3 defensive end, Chubb is one of the most complete prospects in this year’s draft class. Though there may be more athletic pass-rushers available this year, Chubb’s combination of power, technique and a physical playing style make him this year’s best edge defender.
The scoop: “If you compare him to Derek Barnett, he has similar production but he is a much more explosive athlete. I think he is way ahead of (Boston College’s Harold) Landry as a pro prospect. — AFC scout on N.C. State DE Bradley Chubb
The skinny: I’m not sure why a comparison to the Philadelphia Eagles rookie defensive end was made for Bradley Chubb, but let’s dig in. Chubb (6-foot-4, 275 pounds, per school measurements) is bigger than Barnett (6-3, 259) and I would agree that Chubb is the better athlete. Barnett has better hands. Chubb is faster than Barnett and might be the best pass rusher in the 2018 class. I’m undecided on where I project him, but he will be drafted earlier than where Barnett, the 14th overall pick in 2017, went.
“Chubb is a quality defender against the run. He can hold his ground, at times, and has the ability to shed blocks to get in on tackles outside of his gap. However, he could use more strength in his base and needs to get better at shedding blocks that are coming downhill straight at him. That would help him against NFL offensive linemen. Chubb is good at getting upfield to knife through his gap and cause havoc in the backfield. For the passing-driven pro game, Chubb looks like a solid base end who would fit really well in a 4-3 defense. That is what he has played at N.C. State, and he has shown some versatility to move inside and rush as a tackle in obvious passing situations. He could continue that in the NFL. Right now, Chubb looks like a tweener for a 3-4 defense between a five-technique and outside linebacker. At this time of year, one never knows if listed measurements are accurate, and players can change their weight during the process, so that could be subject to change.”
Johnson and Hali, the Chiefs’ first-round draft picks in 2005 and 2006, are franchise icons and among Kansas City’s most popular players. But the team appears to have found Johnson’s eventual replacement last year in Reggie Ragland, while Hali looked like a player at the end of his career last season.
February 26th, 2018 
Justin Bradford 
Posted in 
