KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The cash-strapped Kansas City Chiefs were quiet on the first day of NFL free agency with their biggest move Wednesday a restructuring of defensive end Frank Clark's contract in an effort to alleviate some of their financial misery. Similar moves could be made in the coming days, potentially for wide receiver Sammy Watkins and offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif as the Super Bowl champions try to free up the resources to bolster their defense in free agency. The only deal the Chiefs have reached in free agency so far is a two-year contract with backup quarterback Chad Henne.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Drake Relays that had been scheduled for April in Des Moines have been indefinitely postponed because of the virus outbreak. Drake University said Wednesday that organizers made the decision to protect the “health, safety and well-being” of participants and fans amid concerns about the coronavirus. The track and field event was scheduled for April 22-25, primarily at Drake Stadium. The postponement includes related activities, such as the Beautiful Bulldog Contest, Grand Blue Mile and Drake Road Races. Organizers said they would work with local, state and national officials to reschedule the event when it's safe for all participants.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has finished the season No. 1 in The Associated Press college basketball poll, receiving 63 of 65 first-place votes from a national media panel. Gonzaga was second and Dayton third with Florida State and Baylor rounding out the top five. It's the fourth time since the inception of the men's poll for the 1946-47 season that the Jayhawks finished on top. The AP poll is typically released before the NCAA Tournament settles the national champion. The tournament was canceled this year amid the coronavirus pandemic.
UNDATED (AP) — The cancellation of the NCAA Tournament due to the coronavirus will deprive college basketball fans of what could have been some marquee matchups. Another duel between Seton Hall's Myles Powell and Marquette's Markus Howard could have been epic. Arizona State's Danny Hurley facing Duke and Coach K could have been a fun chess match to watch. A senior point guard duel between Michigan State's Cassius Winston and Oregon's Payton Pritchard will never happen.
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — DeForest Buckner made it official by signing a four-year, $84 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts, one day after his celebrating his 26th birthday. The deal makes Buckner the second-highest paid defensive tackle in the NFL. The announcement came two days after reports surfaced that Indy would trade its first-round pick in next month's draft to San Francisco in exchange for Buckner. Indy also has agreed to terms on a one-year, $25 million deal with quarterback Philip Rivers. But the Colts did not officially announce that move.
JACKSONVILLE (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars are trying to mitigate one of the costliest mistakes in franchise history. The Chicago Bears could benefit from the purge. The Jaguars agreed to trade quarterback Nick Foles to the Bears for a compensatory fourth-round draft pick. That's according to a person familiar with the transaction. The Jaguars are dumping Foles a little more than a year after giving the 2018 Super Bowl MVP a four-year, $88 million contract that included $50 million guaranteed. The Bears are getting a veteran to compete with Mitchell Trubisky.
DETROIT (AP) — Darius Slay is apparently ready to leave Detroit. ESPN, citing an unidentified source, reported Wednesday night that cornerback Desmond Trufant had agreed to a two-year deal with the Lions. Slay, who is currently Detroit's top player at that position, tweeted in response to that reported deal that he’s hoping for a quick trade.
UNDATED (AP) — People familiar with the discussions tell The Associated Press that Major League Baseball is considering skipping its amateur draft this year and putting off the next international signing period as a way to preserve cash while games are affected by the new coronavirus. MLB proposed crediting full major league service for 130 games or more and proportional service for a shorter season. The union wants a full season of service even if no games are played. Service determines eligibility for free agency and salary arbitration.
UNDATED (AP) — A person familiar with the team's plans says the Raiders have declined an option to remain in Oakland for 2020 and are on target to move into their new Las Vegas stadium this summer. Construction on the stadium has been deemed an essential project and is going on without interruption despite most business being shut down in Nevada because of the new coronavirus. The Raiders announced plans to move to Las Vegas in 2017 and the NFL approved it later that year. The team remained in Oakland as a lame duck the past three seasons and had an option to stay for 2020 if needed.