Tierschutz aktuell /Nachrichten » fender as the Saints went 11-

The roster overhaul of the two-time defending AFC West champions began in earnest weeks ago Tyron Smith Jersey , when the Kansas City Chiefs agreed to trade quarterback Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins.

It began for real on Wednesday.

That's when the new league year ushered in a flurry of moves that could finally become official, including the blockbuster deal that sent Smith to the Redskins 鈥?where he had already agreed to a new contract 鈥?for cornerback Kendall Fuller and a third-round pick in this year's draft.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Alex and what he was able to accomplish with us these past five seasons," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. "He put every ounce of energy into making our team better and I appreciate his leadership and how he came to work with the right attitude every day."

The Chiefs also made official a trade of two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters to the Los Angeles Rams for a fourth-round pick this year and a second-round pick next year, and the signings of wide receiver Sammy Watkins and linebacker Anthony Hitchens to fill two of their biggest holes.

Among their own free agents, the Chiefs are bringing back fullback and special-teams standout Anthony Sherman and defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins. They also put a sixth-rounder tender on defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches and non-tendered linebacker Ramik Wilson and cornerback Keith Baxter.

The 24-year-old Watkins agreed to a $48 million, three-year deal Tuesday that includes $30 million in guarantees. Watkins spent four injury-filled years with Buffalo before spending last season with the Rams, where he managed to stay healthy enough for the Chiefs to feel comfortable signing him.

At his best, Watkins is a potent playmaker with blazing downfield speed, and he should pair nicely with Tyreek Hill to give new quarterback Patrick Mahomes II plenty of options.

Throw in the emergence of running back Kareem Hunt, who led the NFL in rushing as a rookie last season, and perennial Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce, and the Chiefs should have one of the AFC's best offenses even after trading their Pro Bowl quarterback to Washington.

The 25-year-old Hitchens, who likewise agreed to a $45 million, five-year deal on Tuesday, should fill Derrick Johnson's old spot at middle linebacker alongside Reggie Ragland. Hitchens was a fourth-round pick who exceeded all expectations in Dallas, earning a contract in his first free agency.

Earlier this offseason, the Chiefs parted ways with franchise tackles leader Johnson and Tamba Hali, who ranks second only to Derrick Thomas in career sacks. The veteran linebackers were let go along with safety Ron Parker Jamie Meder Jersey , who had become a critical part of the defensive backfield 鈥?especially when star safety Eric Berry went down with a season-ending injury last year.

All of the offseason decisions, including the aggressive trades of Smith and Peters, have served two purposes for new general manager Brett Veach: get younger and save money.

The Chiefs' rapidly aging defense was a particular concern last season, and bringing Hitchens and Fuller into the mix immediately lowers their average age. Throw in the potential rookies that they net with their new draft picks and the pieces are in place for a massively revamped unit.

"After a thorough evaluation of our roster we decided it was in the best interest for us and for Marcus to move in different directions," Veach said of the embattled cornerback, whose immature antics rubbed many the wrong way. "We appreciate Marcus' contributions and wish him the best of luck."

Veach also inherited a salary cap mess from former GM John Dorsey, whose unparalleled ability to unearth talent was tempered by a dismal record in signing long-term contracts. The decision to trade Smith was a no-brainer with Mahomes waiting in the wings, as were the decisions to move on from Johnson and Hali, while the trade of Peters was made with an eye toward the future.

The money the Chiefs freed up allowed them to aggressively target Watkins and Hitchens, and thus filled two of their most pressing needs the moment free agency began.
鈥?For the third time, Tom Brady is the NFL’s Most Valuable Player.Now he goes for his sixth Super Bowl title, and perhaps with it a fifth MVP trophy for the NFL championship.Brady added The Associated Press 2017 NFL MVP award Saturday night at NFL Honors to his wins in 2007 and 2010. The New England Patriots quarterback was joined as an honoree by three Los Angeles Rams: Coach of the Year Sean McVay, Offensive Player of the Year running back Todd Gurley and Defensive Player of the Year tackle Aaron Donald.Other winners in voting by a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league were Los Angeles Chargers receiver Keenan Allen as Comeback Player; New Orleans running back Alvin Kamara and cornerback Marshon Lattimore as top offensive and defensive rookies, respectively; and former Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, now head coach of the New York Giants, as Assistant Coach of the Year.Brady is the second player in the four major professional sports to win MVP at age 40; Barry Bonds won baseball’s award in 2004.Wide receiver Julian Edelman, who missed the entire season with a knee injury, accepted for Brady.“Thanks Matthias Farley Jersey , thanks. Wait up. I literally just found out I was doing this like 20 minutes ago. So, I’ve got to read the text,” Edelman said.“No, but I’m joking. But serious, Tom said he wanted to say he’s very honored and humbled that he gets this award for MVP. Also, he wanted to thank his teammates, his friends, his family and the Patriots organization for going out and doing what they do.”Brady competed 385 of 581 passes (66.2 percent) for 4,577 yards and 32 touchdowns with eight interceptions as New England went 13-3 for the AFC’s best record. At an age when many QBs are deep into retirement, Brady is throwing deep 鈥?and short 鈥?as well as ever.Donald was the first pure defensive tackle to win the award since Warren Sapp in 1999. He said it means “everything. That’s one of the best to ever do it. So, even for my name to be next to that guy’s name is beyond a blessing. This is what you dream about as a kid, dreaming about playing in the NFL to have success like this, to be able to (play good enough) to win this trophy.”Gurley’s sensational turnaround season, in which he ran for 13 touchdowns and caught six TD passes, sparked an equally impressive reversal of fortunes by his team, which won the NFC West at 11-5.“The Saints got the rookies and we took home the offensive and defensive” player awards,” Gurley noted. “It just tells you the type of players we have on the team. We all help each other out, absolutely. We have some talent Phillip Gaines Jersey , but we’re nothing without the whole nine yards and everybody together. And we also have a coach who’s up for Coach of the Year.”A little while later, McVay was handed the coaching award.In his first season running a team and as the youngest head coach in NFL history, McVay led the Rams to a seven-game improvement. McVay, who turned 32 on Jan. 24, ran away with the voting with 35 votes to 11 for Minnesota’s Mike Zimmer.“What it means is we had a good season that I think we can build on,” McVay said. “But you have to earn it every single day. It’s a very humbling league.”The Rams’ hat trick of awards was not unprecedented. In 2003, Baltimore’s Ray Lewis was top defensive player, Jamal Lewis won best offensive player and Terrell Suggs was Defensive Rookie of the Year. And in 1999, the St. Louis Rams had three award winners: Kurt Warner (MVP), Marshall Faulk (Offensive Player) and Dick Vermeil (Coach).New Orleans’ sweep of the rookie awards was the first since 1967, when Detroit running back Mel Farr and cornerback Lem Barney were honored. That was the first season for the top defensive rookie award.“You get caught up in the season, you don’t really get time to pat yourself on the back,” Kamara said. “But when the season is over you realize what you’ve done. I’ve kind of had to time to look back and say, I made some history this season.”Kamara shared duties with veteran Mark Ingram as the Saints won the NFC South. He rushed for 728 yards with a 6.1-yard average, and scored eight times. He also caught 81 passes for 826 yards, with five touchdowns.The 11th overall draft pick and first from his position selected, Lattimore was a shutdown defender as the Saints went 11-5. He had five interceptions and 18 passes defensed in 13 games, was a sure tackler and Carlos Dunlap Jerse , by midseason, was someone opposing quarterbacks tended to avoid. He missed three games, one because of a concussion and two with an ankle injury.Allen returned from two devastating injuries to win the comeback honor. Allen missed half of the 2015 season with a kidney issue, then was lost in the 2016 season opener with a torn right ACL. There were questions if Allen would ever player at a high level again.He answered those emphatically this season with the best year of his career. Allen caught 102 passes for 1,393 yards and six touchdowns. He was targeted 159 times, nearly 10 per game.The awards were announced Saturday night at NFL Honors, when Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt received the league’s Walter Payton Award as man of the year. Watt, in his seventh NFL season and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, had the goal of raising $200,000 for Hurricane Harvey relief in Houston. His fundraising did a whole lot more, bringing in an incredible $37 million in 19 days.“I’ve been fortunate to be on this stage and to win Defensive Player of the Year awards, but everything that you do on the field pales in comparison to what you do off the field,” Watt said. “And at the end of my life, if I’m remembered as a football player and a good football player and that’s all I’m remembered for, then I did a po Authentic Womens Jihad Ward Jersey ,