Arrowheadlines: The Chiefs need to add JuJu Smith-Schuster

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NFL Team Needs: Prioritizing Every Roster’s Biggest Weaknesses After Preseason Week 1 | Bleacher Report

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs got their starters work against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first preseason game, but it isn’t going to matter much.

This is a team that continues to show up in January and is built to go for a historic third championship in a row.

Patching up the few holes on the roster could be the difference between making history and coming up short.

Biggest Weaknesses:

Wide Receiver

Cornerback

Interior Defender

Safety

Left Tackle

Add Now: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

The Chiefs already had a need for wide receivers before Marquise Brown suffered sternoclavicular joint dislocation. Now the need could be dire.

JuJu Smith-Schuster is now a free agent after the New England Patriots parted ways with the veteran. He revived his value after leaving Pittsburgh by going to Kansas City for a year and catching 78 passes for 933 yards and three touchdowns.

NFL preseason winners, losers: Caleb Williams, rookie QBs sizzle | USA Today

Losers of NFL preseason Week 1

Kansas City Chiefs

Andy Reid’s decision to play his starters for the first quarter of Saturday’s tilt with the Jacksonville Jaguars could have regular-season ramifications for the two-time defending champions. Wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown was hospitalized with a sternoclavicular joint dislocation and will miss “some time,” Reid said, throwing into question Brown’s status for the season opener in less than a month. Brown was signed by the Chiefs this offseason as part of the effort to retool Patrick Mahomes’ receiving corps and rediscover an explosive element that had largely disappeared from the offense. Mahomes can still count on perennial Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce and receiver Rashee Rice, while speedy rookie Xavier Worthy could add an electrifying presence once he proves comfortable navigating the leap to the pros. But with a tough slate to start the season – the Chiefs face the Ravens, Bengals and Falcons in the first three weeks – any missed time for Brown could prove costly.

Ranking NFL quarterbacks by trait: Best arm, accuracy, more | ESPN

Second-reaction ability

1. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

2. Josh Allen, Bills

3. Lamar Jackson, Ravens

4. Brock Purdy, 49ers

5. Jordan Love, Packers

6. Caleb Williams, Bears

7. Dak Prescott, Cowboys

8. Jalen Hurts, Eagles

9. Gardner Minshew, Raiders

10. Justin Herbert, Chargers

Being able to make a play is central to QB success, and the best in the league excel at making off-schedule and off-platform throws. These second-reaction passes from different arm angles — often on the move — can be the difference between moving the sticks and a stalled drive. They require serious creativity at times. Mahomes — the obvious No. 1 on the list — is elite in this trait.

2024 NFL preseason Week 1 winners and losers: Rookie QBs flash as veteran backups stumble out of the gate | CBS Sports

Loser: Marquise Brown

You can’t control injuries, but “Hollywood” going down one catch into his preseason debut with K.C. doesn’t bode well for his trial run with the Chiefs, considering he also missed extensive time in Arizona. Suddenly rookie Xavier Worthy is under much more pressure to make an early impact downfield.

5 studs and 5 duds from the Chiefs’ uninspired preseason opener | Arrowhead Addict

Stud: Jaden Hicks - Safety

Jaden Hicks was just a fourth-round draft pick but has been thrown into the fire earlier than expected because of an injury to starter Justin Reid. The good news is that Hicks looked up to the challenge in his first real NFL action. He made a couple of nice special teams plays. He had a great open-field tackle on defense and most importantly, he didn’t look like a liability in coverage in the few chances that he had.

Overall, Hicks looked like he belonged on the field with NFL starters. When you combine this with his outstanding training camp thus far, it certainly looks like Hicks was an absolute steal where KC drafted him.

Around the NFL

Jimmy Garoppolo all smiles as Rams backup: ‘This place allows you to be yourself, too, which is different than other places I’ve been’ | NFL.com

For the veteran quarterback, it’s been a breath of fresh Southern California air joining the Los Angeles Rams and working under head coach Sean McVay.

“This place allows you to be yourself, too, which is different than other places I’ve been,” Garoppolo said, via The Athletic’s Jeff Howe. “You’re getting pressed with a sense of urgency but in a good way. Obviously, everyone wants to win. Everyone wants to perform well. They do it in the right way here. They push you positively. There’s just a lot of good things going on, man. I’m enjoying every bit of it. Even the meetings are a good time. Everything is going good right now.”

Jets push back on trade request by holdout Haason Reddick | ESPN

The New York Jets’ contract standoff with Haason Reddick took an ugly turn Monday, as the Pro Bowl edge rusher officially requested a trade. The Jets fired back immediately with a strongly worded statement, saying they have no intention of satisfying his demand.

“We have informed Haason that we will not trade him, that he is expected to be here with his teammates, and that he will continue to be fined per the CBA if he does not report,” general manager Joe Douglas said in the statement. “Since the trade discussions back in March we have been clear, direct, and consistent with our position. Our focus will remain on the guys we have here as we prepare for the regular season.”

Reddick, unhappy with his contract, has missed 21 days of training camp, incurring a mandatory $50,000 fine per day. All told, counting fines and lost bonus money from an off-season bonus, the holdout has cost him $1.7 million.

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Chiefs Training Camp Notebook 8/12: Andy Reid speaks on Hollywood Brown

On Saturday night, Reid would only say that Brown would “miss some time.” He had somewhat better news after Monday’s training camp practice in St. Joseph.

“They were able to get the joint back into place without surgery — which is a positive — and then we’ll just see how the recovery is [when he’s] back in Kansas City,” said Reid of Brown’s injury. “He stayed over in Jacksonville until they got that thing situated.”

Of course, Reid would prefer that Brown be available. But as always, he expects the next man up to be ready.

“So the positive there is that he’s going to be back,” he noted, “but without him in there, [we’ll miss] his experience in the league. But we’ve also got other guys that they can step in and play.”

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