Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC West
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs and Raiders moves are noted below.
Denver Broncos
Signed to practice squad:
- LB Levelle Bailey, WR Michael Bandy, QB Sam Ehlinger, TE Caleb Lohner, C Joe Michalski, DT Jordan Miller, CB Quinton Newsome, WR A.T. Perry, FB Adam Prentice, CB Jaden Robinson, DB Keidron Smith, CB Reese Taylor, OL Calvin Throckmorton, LB Jordan Turner, S Delarrin Turner-Yell, LB Garret Wallow
Kansas City Chiefs
Signed to practice squad:
- LB Cole Christiansen, S Mike Edwards, Chukwuebuka Godrick, G C.J. Hanson, WR Jimmy Holiday, DT Coziah Izzard, CB Kevin Knowles, QB Chris Oladokun, WR Hal Presley, CB Melvin Smith, RB Carson Steele, TE Robert Tonyan, DT Marlon Tuipulotu, TE Tre Watson
Las Vegas Raiders
Signed:
Claimed:
- LB Brennan Jackson (from Rams)
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- WR Alex Bachman, RB Chris Collier, S Terrell Edmunds, DE Jahfari Harvey, WR Sheldrick Jackson, LB Matt Jones, DT Treven Ma’ae, G Atonio Mafi, QB Cam Miller, TE Albert Okwuegbunam, TE Carter Runyon, WR Justin Shorter, OL Laki Tasi, S Trey Taylor, CB Greedy Vance, T Dalton Wagner, S JT Woods
Los Angeles Chargers
Signed:
Placed on IR:
- CB Eric Rogers
Signed to practice squad:
- G Karsen Barnhart, DL TeRah Edwards, CB Harrison Hand, WR JaQuae Jackson, S Tony Jefferson, RB Emany Johnson, C Josh Kaltenberger, LS Rick Lovato, RB Nyheim Miller-Hines, CB Myles Purchase, OLB Garmon Randolph, WR Jalen Reagor, T David Sharpe, G Branson Taylor, QB DJ Uiagalelei, RB Kimani Vidal, TE Thomas Yassmin
Chiefs Cut 34 Players, Settle On 53-Man Roster
The defending AFC champs have set their 53-man roster. The Chiefs announced the following moves:
Released:
- LB Cole Christiansen
- S Mike Edwards
- DT Mike Pennel
- TE Robert Tonyan
- DT Marlon Tuipulotu
Waived:
- WR Elijhah Badger
- DE Owen Carney
- CB Ajani Carter
- OT Dalton Cooper
- S Jacobe Covington
- WR Mac Dalena
- OT Chukwuebuka Godrick
- G C.J. Hanson
- CB Azizi Hearn
- WR Jimmy Holiday
- DT Coziah Izzard
- LB Cam Jones
- CB Kevin Knowles
- C Joey Lombard
- DT Fabien Lovett
- DE Nate Matlack
- S Glendon Miller
- LB Xander Mueller
- QB Chris Oladokun
- OT Esa Pole
- WR Hal Presley
- WR Key’Shawn Smith
- CB Melvin Smith
- TE Geor’Quarius Spivey
- RB Carson Steele
- TE Tre Watson
- RB Michael Wiley
- S Major Williams
- QB Bailey Zappe
Placed on reserve/NFI:
Placed on injured reserve:
Placed on injured reserve (designated for return):
On the defensive side of the ball, Cam Jones was a somewhat surprising cut after getting into all 34 games for the Chiefs over the past two years. A former UDFA, Jones has seen the majority of his playing time on special teams, but he still got into 161 defensive snaps for Kansas City between 2023 and 2024. Over the span, the linebacker has collected 36 tackles. The team also moved on from veteran defensive tackle Mike Pennel, who started seven of his 17 appearances for Kansas City in 2024.
On the other side of the ball, the team dropped 2024 preseason standout Carson Steele. The UCLA product had a brief chance to show his stuff immediately following Isiah Pacheco‘s injury, but a persistent fumbling issue had him tumbling down the depth chart. Steele ultimately finished his rookie season with 209 yards from scrimmge on 63 touches.
Chiefs Sign 17-Man UDFA Class
The rich got richer last week when the winners of the last two Super Bowls drafted seven players, with the first three selections joining the team’s well-established offense. The Chiefs expanded their rookie class to 24 players by signing these 17 undrafted free agents:
- Emani Bailey, RB (TCU)
- Miles Battle, CB (Utah)
- Swayze Bozeman, LB (Southern Mississippi)
- Phillip Brooks, WR (Kansas State)
- Reggie Brown, WR (James Madison)
- Baylor Cupp, TE (Texas Tech)
- Ethan Driskell, T (Marshall)
- Curtis Jacobs, LB (Penn State)
- Fabien Lovett, DT (Florida State)
- Griffin McDowell, T (Tennessee-Chattanooga)
- McKade Mettauer, G (Oklahoma)
- Derrick Miller, CB (Kent State)
- Ryan Rehkow, P (BYU)
- Christian Roland-Wallace, CB (USC)
- Carson Steele, RB (UCLA)
- Nick Torres, G (Villanova)
- Luquay Washington, LB (Central Connecticut State)
The Chiefs return their top three rushers in Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and La’Mical Perine, but after finishing a middling 19th in the league in rushing yards, Kansas City may be taking some flyers on potential upgrades at the backup positions behind Pacheco. Bailey comes in after two seasons at Louisiana and two seasons at TCU. At each school he had a season in which he scored eight touchdowns, and he racked up 1,209 rushing yards in 2023. Steele arrives after two years at Ball State and one at UCLA. He led his team in rushing yards all three seasons and was first-team All-MAC in 2022 after leading the conference with 1,556 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Driskell was a surprising prospect to end up undrafted. He’s raw and needs NFL coaching to develop a role with the Chiefs, but his towering 6-foot-8 frame was expected to land him somewhere in the fifth or sixth round of the draft. Lovett was likewise expected to land in the fifth or sixth round but slipped out to an undrafted position unexpectedly. He has the ability to flash as a rotational defensive lineman, but a lack of consistency could cost him a spot on the 53-man roster.
After trading away L’Jarius Sneed in the offseason and drafting Kamal Hadden in the sixth round out of Tennessee, the Chiefs bring in three more prospects including Roland-Wallace. Roland-Wallace spent his final season with the Trojans after four years as a starter at Arizona. His quick twitch helped him rack up four interceptions and 29 passes defensed in college.
Even Rehkow was expected to get drafted after four years with the Cougars. The four-year punter saw his punting duties skyrocket in 2023 as BYU’s offense struggled mightily in their move to the Big 12.