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NFL notebook: Chiefs TE Kelce eager to return

[June 14, 2019] Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce expects to be 100 percent at the start of training camp next month.

Kelce said he'll be recovered from offseason ankle surgery when the Chiefs take the field at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo.

"I'm ready to go," Kelce said. "It's kind of been a little bit of an experience just not being able to really go out there and train for the upcoming season quite yet. I don't know if I've had an injury that hasn't allowed me to get on the field, at least a little bit in the offseason, outside of my knee surgery my first year."

Kelce, 29, was named All-Pro in 2018 -- he caught 103 passes for 1,336 yards and 10 touchdowns -- and described the offseason as "frustrating." The Chiefs lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, and Kelce has spent the entire offseason as an observer.

--Rookie defensive end Nick Bosa said the hamstring injury that forced him to miss OTAs and minicamp shouldn't keep him off the field when the San Francisco 49ers open training camp next month.

"I think I'm going to be just fine," Bosa told NBC Sports Bay Area. "I'm going to get this hammy perfectly right, and I think there will be plenty of time to play football and get the reps that I need."

Bosa was diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain on May 23. The No. 2 overall pick in April's NFL draft hasn't played in a game since September, when he suffered a core muscle injury playing for Ohio State.

--New England added tight end Michael Roberts in a trade with the Detroit Lions.

According to multiple reports, the Lions are owed a seventh-round pick in return.

The Patriots are shuffling into life after Rob Gronkowski at tight end with significant uncertainty. Roberts, entering his third season, was a fourth-round pick out of Toledo in 2017.

--The Indianapolis Colts and Kenny Moore agreed on a four-year contract extension that will make him the NFL's highest-paid slot cornerback in terms of guaranteed money, according to multiple reports.

Moore reportedly is assured of $18 million, more than the $16 million guarantee that the Detroit Lions gave Justin Coleman in March.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Moore's extension includes $30 million for 2020-23, with a maximum value of $36 million. ESPN reported that the extension could rise to $40 million total with escalators.

--Replay reviews of potential pass-interference calls in the last two minutes of games and in overtime will be initiated by the replay official and not coaches, but the bar will be set high for such video checks, the NFL's competition committee announced.

A previous proposal would have put the onus on coaches to ask for late-game reviews of possible pass interference, but the protocol was changed after coaches reportedly disapproved with that plan.

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Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) jumps over Houston Texans free safety Andre Hal (29) during the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

The announcement doesn't constitute an official policy for the 2019 season, as the NFL will give teams until next week to provide feedback on the latest tweak.

--The Chiefs signed kicker Harrison Butker to a contract extension, with NFL Network reporting that the deal is worth $20.3 million over five years.

Butker confirmed the contract extension on Twitter, saying he was "proud to announce that I've signed an extension" and that he is "excited to be a part of this team for the next six years."

In his second year with the Chiefs in 2018, Butker, 23, was 16 of 16 on field-goal attempts under 40 yards. He ended the regular season 24 of 27 on all field-goal attempts, and was 65 of 69 on extra-point attempts, with both totals leading the NFL.

--Howie Roseman is again general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Roseman, executive vice president of football operations since 2015, was operating in a de facto GM role with the team. He formally held the position for four seasons but gave it up during Chip Kelly's run as head coach.

Instrumental in constructing a Super Bowl roster in 2017, Roseman helped make the moves needed to draft Carson Wentz and last week signed off on the quarterback's new contract. He also was vital in selecting head coach Doug Pederson as Kelly's replacement.

--A former Houston Texans employee accused the team of discrimination in a federal complaint, alleging recently fired general manager Brian Gaine "targeted" African-American employees, USA Today reported.

Jeff Pope was the team's security coordinator until he was fired on May 8. In a 4,500-word filing with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, he alleges he is one of nine African-Americans fired by Gaine since the team named him GM in January 2018.

The Texans abruptly fired Gaine last Friday. Chairman and CEO Cal McNair said Gaine was let go after "a thorough evaluation of our football operations."

--Field Level Media

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