Unsourced rumor mill: Some Chiefs believe Allen has long wanted to play with (Hollywood) Brown

[BillsFanForever19]

https://billswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/10/buffalo-bills-josh-allen-wants-play-kansas-city-chiefs-hollyood-marquise-brown-nfl/

 

Quote

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano wrote on Saturday that Kansas City would love to bring wide receiver Hollywood Brown back to the team so that they could try to make another Super Bowl run next season. However, Fowler and Graziano write that there could be a team that gets in the way of the Chiefs bringing back one of their starting wide-receivers and that team could be the Bills.

 

“The Chiefs very much want to keep receiver Hollywood Brown, who should have a good market due to teams’ desire for speed options on the outside,” Fowler and Graziano wrote. “Mahomes advocated for signing Brown last year and will likely do so again. Will another star quarterback — like Josh Allen — be next? People with the Chiefs I spoke to this week believe that Allen has long wanted to play with Brown.”

 

It's an interesting quote. I'm not sure if there's legs to it or not.

 

If Josh has "long" wanted him on the team - why didn't they push to sign him last year when they paid more for Curtis Samuel? I suppose it's possible that the Chiefs' contract he signed was something he settled for after asking for too much early in Free Agency and the music had pretty much stopped in the WR musical chairs - including us signing Samuel for his spot.

 

Hollywood Brown coming off of a season long injury this season does seem like a Brandon Beane low risk, potential high reward budget type signing though. Brown definitely has speed and field stretching ability. But his injury history is a definite risk. 

 

Honestly, I'd hope for something more at the WR position. But if the 1st pick and large amounts of cap are designated to acquiring big pieces on Defense - something like Brown with a 2nd Round Pick and re-signing Hollins, to go along with Shakir, Coleman, and Samuel might be the play they go with. Though they'd better hope that Brown stayed healthy, Samuel had a better year without getting hurt, the pick provides impact, and/or Coleman answers the gut check they issued him at the year end presser.

[Richard Noggin]

You really think they'd re-sign Hollins, draft another 2nd round receiver, and sign Hollywood Brown in FA? Or just hope?

 

I don't hate the proposed investment at all, but I think the Bills will more likely again hope for growth from both Coleman and Kincaid, further assimilation for Samuel, and direct that Hollywood money more towards their own guy, Shakir. Sure hope Hollins comes back. And wouldn't it be cool if Shavers takes a leap forward? (But that's all hopeful projection. That's got them into trouble with the WR corps before.)

[Bferra13]

Sounds like his agent is sending out bs extra early this year. Guy does little to nothing more than Samuel does for me personally. Hard pass unless it's super cheap and it won't be.

[MikePJ76]

This sounds kind of odd.

[BruceVilanch]

Sounds like someone needed to get an article out and just threw this out there.

[BADOLBILZ]

 

From 2020-2023 Hollywood Brown ran more routes over 20mph than any WR in the NFL except Tyreek Hill.

 

He's been legit in the past but so was Curtis Samuel as an intermediate target in 2023.

 

I haven't seen any of Hollywoods 2024 gps info.

[BillsFanForever19]

30 minutes ago, Richard Noggin said:

You really think they'd re-sign Hollins, draft another 2nd round receiver, and sign Hollywood Brown in FA? Or just hope?

 

I don't hate the proposed investment at all, but I think the Bills will more likely again hope for growth from both Coleman and Kincaid, further assimilation for Samuel, and direct that Hollywood money more towards their own guy, Shakir. Sure hope Hollins comes back. And wouldn't it be cool if Shavers takes a leap forward? (But that's all hopeful projection. That's got them into trouble with the WR corps before.)

 

I'd say that's the bare minimum. I and some others are of the mind that they should be looking at obtaining a True #1 WR from Trade or get in on the Tee Higgins race if he isn't tagged.

 

Hollywood is coming off of a 1 year, 7m contract with 6.5m guaranteed - that saw him make his debut with the team in Week 17. So I don't think "Hollywood money" is going to be much and wouldn't be anything more than a 1 year deal - if there's anything to this report.

 

Our lack of guys who could create separation and our general lack of talent at the pass catching positions was as big of a reason we didn't advance in the Playoffs as any, in my opinion. In the Playoffs, we had to rely on James Cook entirely too much. 

 

We have to replace Amari Cooper's spot on the 53 anyways - so we'll be adding at least 1 regardless. I'd prefer to roll with 6 this year, especially if they were going with a question mark like Brown for that position. But either way - simply running it back with Shakir, Coleman, Hollins, and Samuel and relying on Kincaid and Coleman showing growth would be simply unacceptable in my eyes. Regardless of what they do on Defense.

 

19 minutes ago, BruceVilanch said:

Sounds like someone needed to get an article out and just threw this out there.

 

If it were just them pondering the fit and saying they could see it happening, I'd agree with you.

 

But citing people they talked to specifically from the Chiefs lends me to believe that it happened. Fowler and Graziano are pretty big reporters at ESPN and quoting people from a specific organization that never happened seems a stretch.

 

The real question to me is whether or not whomever they spoke to at the Chiefs have actual Intel on Josh's feelings towards Brown or if they were just spitballing to Fowler and Graziano.

Edited 8 hours ago by BillsFanForever19

[Solomon Grundy]

No

[BillsFanForever19]

2 hours ago, Bferra13 said:

Sounds like his agent is sending out bs extra early this year. Guy does little to nothing more than Samuel does for me personally. Hard pass unless it's super cheap and it won't be.

 

No veteran WR is "super cheap". But as I was saying to Noggin, he's coming off of a year where he was injured in the offseason and on IR until Week 17 - under a 6.5m contract. I don't see any way he's signing to anything big or getting a raise from that 6.5. Likely less.

Edited 6 hours ago by BillsFanForever19

[loyal2dagame]

Josh Allen is one of a very few QBs that gets average WRs paid like their stars. That's the allure of playing with him.

[LABILLBACKER]

49 minutes ago, Bferra13 said:

Sounds like his agent is sending out bs extra early this year. Guy does little to nothing more than Samuel does for me personally. Hard pass unless it's super cheap and it won't be.

If Samuel is even relatively healthy this season, it's a wash and I'm sticking with Curtis one last year. I think we will resign Hollins to a 2/ 8M kinda contract. And I think we draft another wr somewhere in the first 3 picks.  I'm giving Coleman & Kincaid one more year to prove themselves. No doubt we extend Shakir.  I want no part of this Hollywood. 

[Brand J]

12 minutes ago, loyal2dagame said:

Josh Allen is one of a very few QBs that gets average WRs paid like their stars. That's the allure of playing with him.

Under our pass happy offensive coordinator, sure, Gabe Davis cashed in. Under Joe Brady? Buffalo is where WRs go to put up underwhelming numbers 😅

[BillsFanForever19]

20 minutes ago, loyal2dagame said:

Josh Allen is one of a very few QBs that gets average WRs paid like their stars. That's the allure of playing with him.

 

That doesn't mean we should just rely on average WR's bc Josh can get the best out of them. Many of us believe that neglecting the WR position with average targets outside of Diggs has been doing both Josh and the team a disservice. Especially this year when we didn't even have Diggs. 

 

16 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

If Samuel is even relatively healthy this season, it's a wash and I'm sticking with Curtis one last year. I think we will resign Hollins to a 2/ 8M kinda contract. And I think we draft another wr somewhere in the first 3 picks.  I'm giving Coleman & Kincaid one more year to prove themselves. No doubt we extend Shakir.  I want no part of this Hollywood. 

 

I understand not being wow'ed by a Hollywood Brown signing in 2025. And Samuel will be here regardless. We signed him to a 3 year deal and moving on from him this season would result in an 11+m Dead Cap hit.

 

But as I said, I can't agree with *relying* on Coleman & Kincaid to step up. Hope for it? Sure. But we cannot simply just roll it back without contingencies in place in the very real scenario that it doesn't happen. And if they do and you have added talent on top of it, now you're really talking.

 

And just Drafting a WR to replace is not enough. This isn't a great WR class and even in a great one like last season, the odds that you're getting impact from a Rookie WR at the end of Round 2 (as most expect the 1 will be used on a Defender, Veteran or Rookie) is slim to none.

Edited 7 hours ago by BillsFanForever19

[Buffalo_Stampede]

5 minutes ago, Brand J said:

Under our pass happy offensive coordinator, sure, Gabe Davis cashed in. Under Joe Brady? Buffalo is where WRs go to put up underwhelming numbers 😅

And our offense was the best it’s ever been. 
 

Im completely confused on what to do at WR. I would love a talented WR on a rookie contract. I’m not sure about spending big cap on one.

Our separation stats are so bad. I just don’t know if last years success is sustainable with WRs and a system that don’t create separation.

 

 

Edited 7 hours ago by Buffalo_Stampede

[NewEra]

1 hour ago, Richard Noggin said:

You really think they'd re-sign Hollins, draft another 2nd round receiver, and sign Hollywood Brown in FA? Or just hope?

 

I don't hate the proposed investment at all, but I think the Bills will more likely again hope for growth from both Coleman and Kincaid, further assimilation for Samuel, and direct that Hollywood money more towards their own guy, Shakir. Sure hope Hollins comes back. And wouldn't it be cool if Shavers takes a leap forward? (But that's all hopeful projection. That's got them into trouble with the WR corps before.)

I think we should sign Hollins and Brown and not spend a top 4 round draft pick on a WR.  Brown would replace cooper and give us an added dimension of speed and an outside threat for defenses to account for.  Our offense was good last year.  And a 2nd rd rookie wouldn’t get many snaps.  Best going DL or corner.  Bringing back what we had while replacing cooper with brown would suffice. —-  until Brown inevitably gets hurt.  🤣 

Edited 7 hours ago by NewEra

[GunnerBill]

I recall mentioning Brown as a potential target going into FA last year. He'd have been higher up my list than Samuel purely on the fact that he gives you more vertical ability than Curtis and that what I thought, and still think, this offense seriously lacks. 

 

That said Brown had a negative (coming off a career low year) and Samuel had a positive (success previously with Brady) and I know that when you are sitting in a personnel office making those decisions factors like that matter. Brown then got hurt and only made an impact right at the end of the year so I am not seeking to relitigate that decision as a "reason" for the Bills not getting past the Chiefs or anything, but if the Bills are WR hunting in FA this year it HAS to be a guy who can play on the boundary and can win vertically. Everything else should be secondary considerations.

[MJS]

Meh. He isn't that good. No thanks.

[Doc Brown]

It seems redundant for the Chiefs to re-sign him as Xavier Worthy can take the top off a defense and Rashee Rice should be back (barring suspension).

 

I'd be interested if the injuries didn't slow him down.  Hard to tell.  Also, his reason for wanting out of Baltimore was the offensive system.  Not sure if Brady's system is the right fit for him.

[SoonerBillsFan]

Yes.  Re-sign Hollins and add Brown for speed.  Give him an entire offseason with Allen and he is the speed guy we need. The great thing is Brown would be great as "just one of the guys" instead of trying to force him to be a #1. 

 

Spend the rest of the offseason moves on Defense.

[Magox]

He is a decent route runner who can win vertically.    I have been a pretty big proponent of not using lots of cap resources on a WR this off season but from what I saw he is expected to get a contract somewhere around $9m a year.    That is about right at the top of what they should spend on a WR this off season.

 

DE, DT, Safety and CB are needs.