AFC West

An Arapahoe County judge signed a motion to dismiss all charges against Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy following his arrest earlier this month.

Per Mike Klis of 9NEWS, the charges against Jeudy are officially dropped after the judge's decision on Tuesday.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero noted Jeudy could still face discipline from the NFL even though he won't face criminal charges.

"We've been closely monitoring all aspects of the matter, which remains under review of the personal conduct policy," an NFL spokesman told Pelissero.

The judge's decision came after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported earlier in the day that Arapahoe County District Attorney John Kellner moved to dismiss the second-degree criminal tampering with a domestic violence enhancer charge ahead of Tuesday's scheduled hearing.

Jeudy was arrested on May 12.

"After reviewing the evidence, I always believed that no crime had been committed and all charges would be dismissed," Jeudy's attorney, Harvey Steinberg, told Schefter.

Jeudy appeared in court on May 13 and was released from custody on a $1,500personal recognizance bond.

Speaking to reporters about the situation, Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown said the dispute between Jeudy and the woman "solely involved property, and there was no damage to property."

The woman is the mother of Jeudy's daughter, who was one-month-old at the time of the alleged dispute.

Per Sam Tabachnik of the Denver Post, the woman told an Arapahoe County judge on May 13 she never felt threatened by Jeudy and asked the judge to dismiss the case against him.

The woman said she called authorities to "monitor the situation" but Jeudy never made physical contact with her during the dispute that involved him withholdingher wallet, a child car seat and the child’s paperwork when she was trying to leave a residence.

Jeudy spent one night in jail because adomestic violence enhancer prevents a person from being released until they can appear before a judge under Colorado law.

The Broncos said in a statement following Jeudy's arrest they "are aware of the matter involving Jerry Jeudy and are in the process of gathering more information."

Denver selected Jeudy with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. The 23-year-old has appeared in 26 games over the past two seasons.

The Las Vegas Raiders didn't choose to sign Colin Kaepernick after working him out last week, at least not in the immediate aftermath of that session. But that doesn't necessarily close the door on a future signing. 

Albert Breer of The MMQB wrote Monday that he believes "the door is being left open for a deal, but it probably won't happen right now. The workout itself went well. He didn't blow everyone away or anything like that. But he showed he was in shape and that his arm strength is still intact, even at 34 years old and after five seasons out of the league."

It was the first workout Kaepernick has had with an NFL team since 2016, when he last played in the league.

Breer added that "my sense is Kaepernick did well enough to keep himself in the discussion. And my guess is the Raiders give themselves the rest of the spring to look at the guys they've been working with behind Derek Carr, Nick Mullens and Jarrett Stidham and then reassess."

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported last week that the Raiders "considered Kaepernick's workout a 'positive'" but that "no signing was imminent."

Kaepernick, if he signed with Vegas, would be coming in as a backup for Carr. Any team that potentially signed the quarterback after his five years away from the league would be doing so with the intention of having him serve such a role, more than likely. 

Kaepernick became one of the most divisive figures in the country during the 2016 season, when he protested racial inequality and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem before San Francisco 49ers games. 

Detractors of his protest claimed it was disrespectful to the flag and military. 

Kaepernick hasn't been signed with a team since, with many of his supporters believing he's been blackballed from the NFL for his political beliefs. He and former teammate Eric Reid settled a collusion lawsuit against the league out of court in February 2019. 

The veteran quarterback has ramped up his efforts to return to the NFL this offseason, working out with several players and holding a throwing session for scouts during Michigan's spring practice. 

Darren Waller is seeking a new contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, though he is letting his agent handle negotiations while he focuses on football.

"My agent is working on that," Waller said on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast (h/t Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk). "I understand it, but I know if I focus on it too much, it could take away from my job and learning a new system and just continuing to try to elevate and take care of my body in the right way. I try to focus on those things and let my agent handle that. When decisions need to be made, decisions need to be made."

Waller is signed through the 2023 season, and a new contract could secure his future in Las Vegas amid trade rumors during the offseason.

Aaron Nagler of CheeseheadTV reported in April the Green Bay Packers were targeting the tight end, while ESPN's Matt Miller added Waller was "being shopped due to age and expected cost."

Waller has a $6.8 million cap hit in 2022, which ranks just 11th among tight ends, per Spotrac. Even with another year under team control, the 29-year-old should be in line for a raise after totaling 252 catches for 3,006 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns over the last three seasons.

After earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2020, Waller took a step back in 2021 while dealing with a knee injury for part of the year. He finished with 55 catches for 665 yards and two scores.

Though he was unable to reach 1,100 yards for the third straight year, his 60.5 receiving yards per game was still better than Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, Dalton Schultz and Mike Gesicki— the four tight ends set to make over $10 million in 2022.

The Raiders could struggle to afford an increased salary at the position, but it seems both sides want to work out a deal.

Owner Mark Davis denied trade rumors in April.

"There's nothing going on with Darren Waller, except he's a Raider," Davis said.

Waller also said he isn't going anywhere.     

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid stood up for offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy on Friday in the wake of critical comments made by retired former Chiefs running back LeSean McCoy.

Appearing this week on the I Am Athlete podcast, McCoy gave his thoughts on Bieniemy and why he has yet to land an NFL head coaching job, saying:

"Listen, because some players he talks to them a certain way and some players would take it. I wouldn't take it, like 'Whoa.' ... That's the reason why that every year they hype him up to get a job, and then when the time comes, nobody hires him because they know what type of coach he really is."

Per ProFootballTalk's Michael David Smith, Reid suggested McCoy's frustration came from a place of struggling to acknowledge his own diminished skills rather than anything Bieniemy did:

"Sometimes it's hard on a veteran player. Maybe their performance level isn't what it used to be, and it's hard to take sometimes. But [Bieniemy is] going to push you to try to maximize what you've got. That's one of his strengths. ... He'll come in and shoot you straight. Sometimes you want to hear it. Sometimes you don't. ...

"I'm a big LeSean fan. In my eyes, he's a future Hall of Fame running back. If you look at it statistically, he's tremendous. But he wasn't the youngest pup in the kennel here. He was on the back side and sometimes that's hard to take."

McCoy, who retired in October at the age of 33, spent just one season with the Chiefs in 2019.

Shady appeared in 13 regular-season games for the Chiefs in 2019, rushing for 465 yards and four touchdowns, and maintaining a strong 4.6 yards-per-carry average. He also made 28 catches for 181 yards and a score.

Despite his solid play, McCoy dressed for only one game during the Chiefs' playoff run and didn't record a touch en route to Kansas City winning the Super Bowl.

McCoy found himself in a similar situation the following year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as he appeared in 10 regular-season games before dressing for only two playoff games and having no touches during the Bucs' road to winning the Super Bowl.

While McCoy won Super Bowl rings in his final two seasons, his great years from a production standpoint were with the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills with whom he achieved six Pro Bowl nods and two first-team All-Pro selections.

McCoy clearly wasn't the same player in his later years, although he did seem to have something left in the tank in KC, which was why his phasing out from the offense was something of a head-scratcher.

Shady appears to blame Bieniemy for that, but Reid has nothing but respect for his longtime assistant, saying: "You see the love that the players have for him. He's got all these guys standing up for him and saying positive things. He's a heck of a football coach and I'm disappointed that he hasn't had a chance and optimistic that he's going to have one in the future."

Bieniemy joined the Chiefs as running backs coach in 2013 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2018. Since becoming OC, he has presided over one of the NFL's elite offenses.

Because of that, Bieniemy has received several head coaching interviews, but teams have ultimately passed on him for other candidates.

The true reason for that remains unclear, but if the Chiefs offense continues to produce at its recent rate with quarterback Patrick Mahomes at the controls, it is likely only a matter of time before Bieniemy gets his opportunity.

A deal between the Las Vegas Raiders and Colin Kaepernick reportedly isn't on the verge of happening. 

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Raiders signing Kaepernick isn't "imminent" even though the team was impressed with his arm strength and conditioning during his workout on Wednesday. 

It marked his first official workout with an NFL team since he last appeared in a game during the 2016 season. He did have a visit with the Seattle Seahawks in May 2017, shortly after he was released by the San Francisco 49ers. 

Kaepernick began protesting police brutality and social injustice before games during the 2016 season. His protest initially began by remaining seated on the bench during the playing of the national anthem, but he eventually took a knee on the sidelines after speaking with special forces soldier Nate Boyer.

In February 2019, Kaepernick and Eric Reid, who played alongside him in San Francisco and joined his sideline protest, reached a settlement with the NFL after filing collusion grievances against the league. 

Kaepernick filed his grievance in October 2017. Reid, who remained with the 49ers in 2017 and played two seasons with the Carolina Panthers from 2018-19, filed his grievance in May 2019. 

Per Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, Kaepernick's workout lasted nearly five hours, and he went through drills, met with coaches and team executives.

"It was a very normal workout," one source told Robinson. "It was just about assessing a football player, meeting face to face, seeing the physical capabilities. Like any other football workout."

Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels spoke with reporters Thursday, but he didn't offer any specifics about Kaepernick. He said:

"Just by standard procedure, we will only talk about the people that are on our team. [General manager] Dave [Ziegler] and his staff have worked out tons of guys this spring, and we really don't make comments about the evaluations that we've made; or what they look like, what they didn't look like."

Kaepernick has been very open in recent months about pursuing any opportunity he can find to work with NFL players in an attempt to resume his career. 

For The past 5 years I’ve been working out and staying ready in case an opportunity to play presented itself. I’m really grateful to my trainer, who I’ve been throwing to all this time. But man, do I miss throwing to professional route runners.

Who’s working?? I will pull up

— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) March 13, 2022

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, who was Kaepernick's coach for four seasons with the 49ers, brought the 34-year-old to Ann Arbor for the Wolverines' spring game last month. 

Kaepernick also threw to a group of undrafted receivers in front of NFL scouts during halftime of the game. 

Mick Lombardi, who joined McDaniels' staff as Las Vegas' offensive coordinator in February, was an assistant with the 49ers for Kaepernick's final four seasons with the team from 2013 to 2016. 

Kaepernick led the 49ers to back-to-back NFC Championship Game appearances in 2012 and 2013. They beat the Atlanta Falcons in the 2012 game to reach Super Bowl 47. He threw for 12,271 yards and 72 touchdowns in 69 career games with San Francisco.     

Patrick Mahomes redefined how everyone looks at the quarterback position. His ability to make off-platform throws, create outside of structure and disassociate his body mechanics to complete improbable passes serve as the standard-bearer for what the NFL wants at the position, even if it's an impossible standard.

The scary part? The 2018 league MVP is still evolving, and a slightly different version of Mahomes should appear this fall. 

He must change, because his supporting cast dictates he do so. The 26-year-old needs to be a distributor as much as, or more than, serving as a playmaker. He'll be asked to serve as a point guard on grass. 

The four-time (and counting) Pro Bowl quarterback doesn't have the same luxury within the Chiefs scheme as he previously did. Tyreek Hill is no longer a member of the organization after it traded the standout target to the Miami Dolphins for first-, second- and fourth-round picks in the 2022 draft as well as fourth- and sixth-rounders next year. 

Hill's on-field presence is unlike any other player's. He defines "game-changing speed." Mahomes and Hill connected on a different level because they could bail each other out on a consistent basis. 

The designed play isn't working? Oh well, let's chuck it up to Hill and he'll outrace anyone to the ball. 

While that's oversimplification of how the connection worked, Mahomes now lacks the same safety net with this crop of wide receivers. 

"A once-in-a-generation type of player has left the team, so somebody's got to step up and fill a role," Mecole Hardman said Tuesday, per ESPN's Adam Teicher. "... I just want to be better than I was last year, get better as an overall receiver, kind of establish my name a little bit more. Catching the ball, running routes, yards after catch, everything I'm trying to improve on."

Plenty of talented options reside in K.C. 

Hardman brings a certain element of speed, even if he's not nearly as dynamic as Hill. The organization signed JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Josh Gordon returns for another season. The Chiefs took Skyy Moore in the second round and then signed Justyn Ross as an undrafted free agent. 

Each brings a different skill set to the group.

Beyond Hardman, who was a 2019 second-round pick, Smith-Schuster is a 25-year-old target with a 1,400-yard campaign in his back pocket. The former Pittsburgh Steeler didn't play as well without Antonio Brown in the lineup, but he's a capable slot receiver.

Valdes-Scantling is a straight vertical threat who's posted an average of 17.5 yards per catch throughout his career. Gordon is one of the most naturally gifted wide receivers to ever enter the NFL ranks. When he's committed to the game and not suspended, he's a true X-receiver.

Moore is an intriguing rookie who can play multiple positions and creates after the catch. Ross, meanwhile, is another tall, lanky outside threat with first-round ability but went undrafted because of concerns over neck surgery. 

Of those mentioned, Ross may be getting the most hype coming out of organized team activities. 

Mahomes told reporters Thursday:

"Yeah, I mean, you still see the talent. I think that's the first thing. ... He snatches it—there's no drops or anything like that. Now it's about him learning the NFL offense. ... You've seen those flashes of how talented he can be. And then you've seen times where he's just barely off of what we wanted. And he learns from that, he doesn't make that same mistake.

"And so, the more and more reps that he gets, I can only imagine how good he's going to be because of the talent he possesses."

To be fair, OTAs are set up to let rookies shine as they get their feet under them, and not all veterans are present. Even so, Ross is a high-profile addition despite going undrafted because of his circumstances coming out of Clemson. The Chiefs should be excited about his potential even as an undrafted signee since his talent was never in question. 

None of the options may be as singularly talented as Hill, nor should they be expected to completely fill his shoes. The Chiefs and Mahomes have to adjust. In doing so, the quarterback must consistently distribute the ball to all of his targets instead of keying on specific options. 

Last season, Hill and tight end Travis Kelce combined for 293 targets. Kelce remains one of the league's best tight ends, and his standing within the offense shouldn't change. The utilization of those around him will. 

Beyond Hardman and Hill, no K.C. receiver received more than 60 targets. Byron Pringle signed a free-agent deal with the Chicago Bears this offseason. Demarcus Robinson left to join the Las Vegas Raiders.

The passing game falls on the quarterback to look at availability based on pre- and post-snap reads. Mahomes understands it's a group effort, with him leading the way. He told reporters Thursday:

"That's what you're going to see with this offense this year. It's going to be everybody. It's not all going to be one guy. Obviously [Travis Kelce] is still going to get a lot of completions, a lot of yards but the whole receiving room is going to have big days and that can be something we use to our advantage.

"It's a very deep receiving room. It's hard to tell which guys are going to make it because we've got so many good receivers. That's what you want. You want that competition. You want guys competing every single day to make the roster because they're going to help us in the end."

Mahomes' acknowledgement shows how the offense will become more role-based. As Hardman stated, Hill is a special talent. Multiple receivers will pick up the slack in different areas where the previous WR1 excelled. Mahomes knows this and expects it from specific receivers, starting with Hardman. The quarterback told reporters Tuesday:

"For me, it's for him to just continue to be himself. He doesn't have to be Tyreek Hill. He has to be Mecole Hardman, and I think Mecole Hardman can be a great player in this offense. ... He can keep getting better and better. Everybody puts out there he's got to replace Tyreek. I think he can be his own player, a Pro Bowler and a great player in this offense as well. I think just him continuing to evolve, play hard and practice hard, he'll have a great season this year."

Head coach Andy Reid agreed. 

"Mecole has the speed like a Tyreek had. Different player but like what Tyreek had," Reid stated. "He gives you a nice skill set there with the speed and quickness and ability to run when the ball is in his hands. He's a very aggressive runner when the ball is in his hands. You find ways to do that in a variety of different ways."

Different skill sets are important. If Mahomes is the point guard, the wide receivers form the rest of his basketball team. They each need to do something unique to bring value, much like a power forward is different than a shooting guard. 

If Hardman brings speed, Valdes-Scantling serves as an outside vertical threat and Smith-Schuster works primarily from the slot, then this year's 54th draft pick, Moore, is the player Mahomes wants to get the ball into his hands early and let him work. 

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said May 16, per Teicher:

"Skyy is unique. He is smaller, but he plays big. He has longer arms. He was a running back that transitioned to wideout. It was funny watching his tape because it seemed like we were watching forever before we saw him drop a pass.

"We have guys like MVS [Marquez Valdes‐Scantling] that has some size and speed, Mecole [Hardman] has speed, JuJu [Smith‐Schuster] is big. So I feel like we have a good combination and now we just wanted to add the best player, regardless of size or height, just guys that we feel are going to come in and be able to contribute right away. Certainly, Skyy is one of those guys."

Few talents supersede scheme. The maximization of a player's skill set ultimately determines whether an individual is successful. The Chiefs are fortunate to have one of football's all-time great play-designers as their head coach and a quarterback behind center capable of making any throw from any angle. 

In the end, the responsibility falls on Mahomes. He must enter this season with a changed mentality, because his ability to place the football in the right spot at the right time will determine how successful the Chiefs offense will be with its shifting group of wide receivers. A more efficient operator instead of a highlight-reel-maker—though those moments will surely come—is necessary for Kansas City to remain counted among the league's offensive elite. 

        

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon thinks the Las Vegas Raiders would have a plan to use Colin Kaepernick in games if they were to sign him. 

Speaking to TMZ Sports, Moon said Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels "knows how to work with that type of quarterback" and could potentially implement a "package of plays" to take advantage of Kaepernick's skill set. 

Moon specifically cited McDaniels' history of working with Cam Newton and Tim Tebow, who were both mobile quarterbacks, as potential reasons for the Raiders' interest in Kaepernick.

McDaniels was head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2010 when Tebow was drafted with the No. 25 overall pick. He also had a preseason stint with the New England Patriots in 2013 when McDaniels was the team's offensive coordinator. 

Tebow didn't play significant snaps for the Broncos as a rookie until after McDaniels was fired in December 2010. 

Newton was New England's starting quarterback during the 2020 season. The former NFL MVP threw for 2,657 yards and eight touchdowns. He also had 592 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground in 15 starts. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday that Kaepernick completed a workout with Las Vegas. It marked his first time having a formal workout for an NFL team since he was released by the San Francisco 49ers after the 2016 season. 

Kaepernick did throw in front of NFL scouts last month during Michigan's spring game. Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh was Kaepernick's head coach in San Francisco from 2011-14. 

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Raiders were impressed with Kaepernick's conditioning and arm strength during his workout, but no deal is imminent at this point. 

Kaepernick appeared in 69 games for the 49ers from 2011-16. He threw for 12,271 yards, ran for 2,300 yards and accounted for 85 touchdowns.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said the team still belongs to quarterback Derek Carr even after Colin Kaepernick's workout.

"Derek's pretty comfortable where he's at," McDaniels told reporters Thursday. "... He knows it's his football team and he's working like it on the field. I couldn't ask for more from Derek Carr."

While McDaniels didn't specifically mention Kaepernick because he said he won't speak about someone who isn't on the team, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the former San Francisco 49ers signal-caller "impressed."

It doesn't come as much surprise the Raiders don't seem to view Kaepernick as a threat to Carr's job. After all, the incumbent starter is a three-time Pro Bowler who has thrown for more than 4,000 yards in four straight years.

He threw for a career-best 4,804 yards while leading Las Vegas to the playoffs last season.

By comparison, Kaepernick is 34 years old and hasn't played in the NFL since 2016. While he was effective that year and threw for 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions in 12 games for the 49ers, that is still a long time away from the game.

In his prime, Kaepernick could beat opposing defenses with his arm and legs. He led the 49ers to the Super Bowl during the 2012 season and the NFC Championship Game during the 2013 season but has not signed with a team since opting out of his deal in 2017.

He notably protested against police brutality and racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem and, along with former teammate Eric Reid, agreed to a confidential settlement with the NFL in Feb. 2019 after alleging there was collusion to prevent them from signing with teams following the protests.

In March, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Kaepernick was "still working out and is said to be, in the words of one source, 'in the best shape of his life.'"

The Nevada product furthered that sentiment:        

For The past 5 years I’ve been working out and staying ready in case an opportunity to play presented itself. I’m really grateful to my trainer, who I’ve been throwing to all this time. But man, do I miss throwing to professional route runners.

Who’s working?? I will pull up

— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) March 13, 2022

From the Raiders' perspective, they no longer have a proven backup after Marcus Mariota left to join the Atlanta Falcons. Jarrett Stidham has never started an NFL game and has two touchdown passes and four interceptions in 48 total throws from his time on the New England Patriots.

Kaepernick has a much better resume and could step in if Carr gets sidelined.