de linebacker Dee Ford after the best season of his career Steven Nelson Jersey , though that could be just the first step in their dealings with him.The decision was made on Saturday, a person familiar with it told The Associated Press, three days before the league’s deadline for franchising players. But the Chiefs have discussed signing Ford to a long-term deal, and they are open to trade possibilities as they switch their base defenses.The person spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because the move was not finalized as the paperwork awaited filing. ESPN.com was first to report the Chiefs had made the decision.The franchise tag for an outside linebacker next season is just over $15.4 million, a number the Chiefs could easily fit under the salary cap. But general manager Brett Veach has made it clear since taking over last year that he is open to making any moves that help the overall club.That could mean a long-term contract — the deadline for doing that with a franchise player is July 15 — or trading away one of the league’s top pass rushers.“He had an outstanding season. He was at the top of his game,” Veach said during his year-end discussion with reporters. “When we drafted Dee a few years ago, all those things that we envisioned for him, he kind of showed that he was that player.”But that also came in former defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s scheme, which is built around a 3-4 base. The Chiefs fired Sutton after an AFC West-winning season culminated in an overtime loss to the Patriots, and hired Steve Spagnuolo to implement a 4-3 scheme.“The one thing he can do Tony Gonzalez Jersey , and we all know this, he is an explosive football player that makes a lot of plays,” Spagnuolo said recently. “He’s had some production and if he is here with us, I’ll be excited to have him and be excited to work with him.”Ford was the Chiefs’ first-round pick in 2014 out of Auburn, but he struggled with injuries and the adjustment to the NFL his first couple seasons. He only played in six games with two sacks in 2017, but had a career-best 13 sacks and forced seven fumbles this past season.That performance made the franchise tag a palatable option.“Obviously, Dee is a player that has done so much for us, in particular last year,” Veach said. “We have a special thing brewing here and I think everyone wants to keep this thing rolling.”The Chiefs also have a decision to make with fellow outside linebacker Justin Houston, who had nine sacks in 12 games last season. He carries a salary cap hit of $21.1 million Derrick Thomas Jersey , a number the Chiefs would like to drive down either by restructuring his deal or potentially releasing him.“I would say that he’s under contract for this year and next year,” Veach said at the NFL’s scouting combine this week. “Again, our plan is to play with him and we look forward to having him on our roster. There’s a lot of dialogue and I think everything is fluid for the next few weeks until we get into the start of the league year. We’ll kind of handle that — the information we get, what’s real, what’s not real — and it’s a good problem to have because he’s a great player.” When Bill Belichick was asked Monday what he liked about Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, his answer sounded a lot like everyone else's this season."Pretty much everything," Belichick said of the second-year player as the Patriots began preparations for Sunday night's matchup with Kansas City (5-0)."He gets the ball to all of his receivers quick, quick release, sees things quickly, can extend plays Christian Okoye Jersey , got a great arm, got a fabulous arm, can throw the ball out of the stadium."It was glowing praise from a coach that has a track record of finding ways to make things difficult for young quarterbacks.Belichick will now turn his attention to the 23-year-old Mahomes, who has been the talk of the NFL, throwing for 1,513 yards, 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions through five games.He appeared in just one game last season, leading the Chiefs to a three-point victory in their regular-season finale against the Broncos.But it was enough for Kansas City to believe Mahomes could be their quarterback and played into its decision to trade Alex Smith to Washington in the offseason.Mahomes has taken control of Andy Reid's offense, using his legs and arm to lead a group that is averaging a league-best 35 points per game.Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said during his weekly radio appearance on Boston's WEEI that young quarterbacks such as Mahomes and rookies Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield Marcus Allen Jersey , Josh Allen and Josh Rosen are taking advantage of the early opportunities they've gotten."A lot of those guys are being thrown into the mix," Brady said. "Some of those guys are playing really well. It's pretty awesome. I was a fourth-string quarterback when I was a rookie, so I was sitting in the stands, eating nachos before games. I wasn't playing. ... Some other guys have had those chances. And when you're thrown into the mix it's really impressive."It will be a big challenge for New England's defense, which is giving up 366 yards per game and had trouble defending the pass during a 1-2 start to the season.Patriots cornerbacks coach Josh Boyer said one of the underrated parts of Mahomes' game is his ability to use his legs to set up deep passes."With Mahomes in particular, one, he can make all the throws he needs to make, has a very strong arm. He also has a great ability to extend plays, whether he's going to do that running or extending it and scramble to give his receivers time to get open," Boyer said."So Larry Johnson Jersey , we've got to do a great job being where we need to be, using our help in coverage if we have any, and making sure that we're tight on receivers in competitive situations."Cornerback Stephon Gilmore said he expects Mahomes to be a handful to defend."He's a great quarterback," Gilmore said. "He's playing really good right now. He's making some big throws and he's got a lot of good weapons around him. They're 5-0 for a reason."