Tyreek Hill Not Guaranteed A Roster Spot
- The Chiefs selected West Alabama receiver Tyreek Hill in the fifth round despite his having a domestic violence arrest in his past, but general manager John Dorsey told Pro Football Talk Live that Hill is not guaranteed a roster spot.
Chiefs Notes: Draft, Berry, Nicolas
- Chiefs GM John Dorsey told SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) says that he tried to move up in the first round of the draft, but the cost proved to be too high. Instead, Kansas City traded back, and Dorsey says he still got the guy he wanted in defensive tackle Chris Jones.
- Dorsey expects contract negotiations with safety Eric Berry to be a “slow process,” but the two sides continue to have dialogue (link). Because Berry received the franchise tag, he and the Chiefs have until July 15th to work out a multiyear deal. If the two sides don’t reach an agreement by that point, Berry would be in line to play out the 2016 season on his $10.806MM franchise salary.
- More from Dorsey (link): According to the GM, Chiefs seventh-round pick Dadi Nicolas will be converted from defensive end to outside linebacker.
Chiefs Sign Four Players, Cut Four
In the wake of their three-day rookie minicamp, the Chiefs have made some changes to their 90-man roster, announcing today (in a pair of Twitter links) that they’ve four players and cut four others.
The Chiefs have signed defensive back Shannon Edwards and offensive linemen Garrick Mayweather, Drew Nowak, and Zach Sterup, cutting defensive back Jordan Kovacs and offensive linemen Jake Bernstein, Ben Clarke, and Laurence Gibson to open up the necessary roster spots.
Of the incoming players, Nowak is the most notable name. Having been waived last week by the Seahawks, the 26-year-old entered the 2015 season as Seattle’s center, starting seven games at the position before being replaced.
Among the four players cut by Kansas City, Kovacs is the only one with real NFL experience. The ex-Dolphin, who turns 26 next month, appeared in 28 games during his three seasons in Miami, recording 10 total tackles and a sack. When Kovacs saw the field with the Dolphins, it was almost exclusively as a special-teamer.
Outside of Gibson, the rest of the players involved in today’s Chiefs transactions are undrafted free agents. Bernstein and Clarke signed with the club last week, but lost their spots on the 90-man roster to new UDFAs following the rookie minicamp. Edwards, Mayweather, and Sterup played their college ball at Fresno State, Fordham, and Nebraska, respectively.
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Chiefs Claim Devey Off Waivers From 49ers
- The Chiefs claimed guard Jordan Devey off waivers from the 49ers, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Devey unexpectedly made his way into the Niners’ starting lineup to open the 2015 season. Although he was replaced down the stretch, the 28-year-old made nine starts and played nearly 400 offensive snaps for San Francisco in 2015.
- The Chiefs cut offensive lineman Mike Liedtke, according to freelance reporter Jenna Laine (on Twitter).
Chiefs Sign Six Draft Picks, Seven UDFAs
The Chiefs have officially locked up the majority of their nine-player draft class, having signed six selections to contracts, the team announced. Along with the previously reported Chris Jones (second-round pick), the Chiefs inked the followers players to deals:
- 4-105: Parker Ehinger, OL (Cincinnati)
- 4-126: Demarcus Robinson, WR (Florida)
- 5-162: Kevin Hogan, QB (Stanford)
- 6-178: D.J. White, DB (Georgia Tech)
- 6-203: Dadi Nicolas, LB (Virginia Tech)
The Chiefs traded out of the first round this year, making third-round defensive back Keivarae Russell their most significant unsigned draft pick as of now. The team also officially signed seven undrafted free agents, including three cornerbacks:
- G Jake Bernstein (Vanderbilt)
- C Ben Clarke (Hawaii)
- CB Vernon Harris (Dartmouth)
- CB Tre Jones (Mount Union)
- WR Mitch Mathews (BYU)
- CB Shak Randolph (SMU)
- LB Terrance Smith (Florida State) [15K bonus, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle]
Additionally, Kansas City waived Lithuanian-born linebacker Tautvydas Kieras, per a team announcement (Twitter link).
Tyreek Hill Not Subject To Discipline
- Chiefs rookie return specialist Tyreek Hill will not be subject to NFL discipline upon entering the league but could be considered a repeat offender under its conduct policy if he is involved in another incident of domestic violence, as Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star writes. The fifth-round choice out of West Alabama pleaded guilty in August 2015 to a domestic abuse incident involving his pregnant girlfriend. The policy only applies when the player’s first infraction occurs while the player is in the NFL. However, the league will not hesitate to hit Hill with advanced punishment if another incident takes place.
Chiefs Sign Second-Round Pick Chris Jones
The Chiefs have signed second-round pick Chris Jones, a source tells PFT (Twitter link). The defensive lineman out of Mississippi State becomes KC’s first rookie to sign. Jones’ stock rose in the weeks leading up to the draft as more and more teams zeroed in on interior pass rushers.
Chiefs Cut WR Fred Williams
- The Chiefs cut wide receiver Fred Williams, as Wilson tweets. Williams, 28, has been on and off of KC’s taxi squad since September of 2014. In January, the Chiefs signed Williams to a future/reserve deal.
Chiefs Waive Jimmy Wilson, Cameron Gordon
- The Chiefs released veteran safety Jimmy Wilson, as ESPN.com’s Adam Teicher writes. Wilson, 29, appeared in 13 games with San Diego last season before the team released him in December. Roughly one month ago, he hooked on with KC, but that stint was short lived. Since entering the league as a seventh-rounder in 2011, Wilson has played in 73 regular-season games, logged 28 starts, and amassed five interceptions.
- The Chiefs have waived linebacker Cameron Gordon, who was initially signed to a reserve/futures contract in January, tweets agent Brent Tessler.
Chiefs Exercise Eric Fisher’s 2017 Option
The Chiefs are the latest team to officially announce that they’ve exercised a fifth-year option on a 2013 first-rounder. In Kansas City’s case, that player is former No. 1 overall pick, Eric Fisher. The Chiefs formally confirmed (via Twitter) that they’ve exercised the veteran tackle’s 2017 option.
Fisher, 25, has been a starter for the Chiefs – first at right tackle and then at left tackle – since being selected first overall in the 2013 draft. Although his first two years were somewhat underwhelming, he showed signs of improvement in 2015, particularly down the stretch. His performance was enough to convince the Chiefs to exercise his option for 2017, which will put him in line for a $11.902MM salary.
Of course, for now, that option is only guaranteed for injury, so as long as Fisher stays healthy in 2016, Kansas City’s real decision will happen next March — on the first day of the 2017 league year, Fisher’s $11.902MM salary would become fully guaranteed.
Fisher had been one of two offensive tackles at the top of the 2013 draft whose fifth-year option for 2017 wasn’t necessarily a slam dunk. The Jaguars have yet to announce a decision on the No. 2 overall pick from that draft, tackle Luke Joeckel.
The full list of fifth-year option decisions for 2017 can be found right here.
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