NFL Notes: Chiefs, Cowboys, Packers

Chiefs

• Tom Pelissero reports that among the issues that Chiefs’ brass had with GM John Dorsey was that he didn’t get some of the big contracts such as Justin Houston and Eric Berry done early enough, which ultimately cost them more in the end.
• Pelissero says that the top internal candidates for the Chiefs’ GM vacancy are Mike Borgonzi and Brett Veach.
• According to Adam Schefter, the Chiefs and Dorsey did not agree to part ways. This was, instead, the team’s decision to dismiss Dorsey.
• In regards to the Chiefs’ power structure, Ian Rapoport reports that it won’t change moving forward and the new GM will report directly to owner Clark Hunt.
• Mike Florio reports that the Chiefs have a “loose goal” of finding a new GM by the start of training camp.

Cowboys

Cowboys DB Byron Jones referred to Jeff Heath as a “core guy” and believes he could take over for Barry Church, who departed in free agency several months ago.

“I’ve seen a lot [from Heath],” Jones said, via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “All of this stuff we saw last year, he wasn’t getting a lot of playing time earlier in the season, but he was coming in at critical situations and making good plays. That’s what Jeff Heath’s main thing is.

“Even on special teams, he’s a core guy. He’s a guy who is calling the plays. He’s a personal protector on punt [coverage]. That’s a big job. If there’s one guy we can trust with that, it’s Jeff Heath.”

Packers

An AFC GM tells Mike Freeman of B/R that he could see Lions QB Matthew Stafford also landing in the $25 million-a-year range. However, the GM believes Stafford’s next contract would lead to a showdown between the Packers and QB Aaron Rodgers.

“[Stafford’s] new deal will be in the $25 million-a-year range and could be slightly higher,” the GM told Freeman. “The key to watch is Aaron [Rodgers]. If Stafford gets a new deal for that much, I can’t blame Aaron for wanting more. Stafford’s deal could lead to a showdown between Aaron and the Packers.”