AFC Notes: Christian Barmore Contract Details, Chiefs, Dolphins, Patriots

Chiefs

Chiefs HC Andy Reid said they will focus on developing recently signed Louis Rees-Zammitt, who is a former rugby player, as a running back. 

“We’ll start him off at the running back position, get him to feel comfortable with that going forward here,” Reid said, via ProFootballTalk. “He’s had an opportunity to also go down there to Dallas and work with Pat and so again, he’ll get used to some of these calls through our Zooms, and the plays, and then we’ll just see where it goes from there.”

Dolphins

Dolphins fifth-round OLB Mohamed Kamara said he is “very, very angry” about sliding that far in the draft and has a chip on his shoulder.

“To be honest, I’m very excited, but I also am very, very angry going the round that I did,” Kamara said, via ProFootballTalk. “That’s just my personality. I knew I could’ve gone higher and I wanted to go higher, but the lovely team of Miami picked me up and I’m going to give them that burning desire. I have a chip on my shoulder, so it just got even greater. Everybody else, all 31 other teams, look out, because the way I’m about to play against these guys, you should’ve picked me before.”

Kamara reiterated he’s using criticism against him as motivation. 

“Everything that people knock me for, I use it for fuel,” Kamara said. “If you want to call me short, watch out. If you didn’t believe in me, watch out.”

Patriots

• Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk writes Patriots DT Christian Barmore‘s four-year, $83 million contract includes an $18,889,503 signing bonus with $6 million of it deferred to March 31, 2025. His $1.822 million base salary in 2024 and $10 million salary in 2025 are guaranteed.
• In 2026, $2 million of Barmore’s $12 million salary is guaranteed while his $18 million and $19 million salaries in 2027 and 2028 are not guaranteed. He can earn up to $5.95 million in per-game roster bonuses and $1,050,000 in workout bonuses over the life of the contract. 
• Patriots LB Josh Uche on taking less money to stay in New England: “There were some offers on the table… I felt like it was my calling to be a Patriot. It felt like this is what I was destined to do… I didn’t want to be anywhere else.” (Mark Daniels)
• Uche cited how well HC Jerod Mayo carried himself throughout the struggle of the 2023 season: “That’s when you see the true character of somebody -when things are not going the way they want them to go.” (Daniels)
• New England RB Rhamondre Stevenson noted they are running the “Cleveland offense” this year, meaning a plethora of outside zone concepts. (Doug Kyed)
• Stevenson believes extension talks could begin to gain more traction: “I love the Patriots organization. I’d love to be here for a countless amount of years.” (Daniels)
• Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett isn’t concerned about competition with first-round QB Drake Maye and is excited to have Maye on the team: “That’s all out of my control. I don’t really worry about that. I’m excited to have him on the team, and the other guys that we drafted … Competition brings out the best in all of us. I’m excited about that part.” (Dakota Randall)