One thing to love about each of the Chiefs' newest players acquired during 53-man roster cuts
The Kansas City Chiefs have plenty of new faces who made the 53-man roster and practice squad this year, but several of those players are brand new to the team. Players like DE Cameron Thomas and TE Peyton Hendershot were acquired via trade from the Cardinals and Cowboys, respectively. They managed to snag CB Eric Scott Jr. on the […]
The Kansas City Chiefs have plenty of new faces who made the 53-man roster and practice squad this year, but several of those players are brand new to the team.
Players like DE Cameron Thomas and TE Peyton Hendershot were acquired via trade from the Cardinals and Cowboys, respectively. They managed to snag CB Eric Scott Jr. on the waiver wire from the Cowboys as well. They also signed former Patriots QB Bailey Zappe to the practice squad and they should soon officially announce the deal that makes former Bengals and Broncos RB Samaje Perine a member of the team.
Brett Veach had plenty of reasons for adding each of those players to the team, but here's one thing to love about each of the newest players for Kansas City.
Cameron Thomas is the versatile weapon that Steve Spagnuolo's defense needs while Charles Omenihu is on the PUP
Anyone could see that the Chiefs needed to make a move for a defensive end during roster cuts, but for Veach, it was all a numbers game. He told reported on Thursday that he's always carried five defensive ends on the 53-man roster and his comments suggest that they didn't feel they had five worth keeping on the roster before the trade for Thomas.
"I think, if you look, since I've been here, we've always carried five D-Ends," Veach said. "And you know, game day, it might be four, some games it's five, but I think on the active roster, we've always carried five D-Ends. And then with, obviously, BJ (Thompson)'s situation, and the (Charles) Omenihu injury, we were on the lookout to add a fifth defensive end."
Veach called Thomas a "high motor player" and even likened his effort to that of George Karlaftis. The big thing to like about him is his versatility. He can play 4-3 defensive end, but he also gives you the flexibility to reduce inside to 4i or 3-tech during Steve Spagnuolo's NASCAR packages. He also gives you a ton looping around on stunts and twists, which is a skillset the Chiefs are lacking with Charles Omenihu on the Reserve/PUP list.
Peyton Hendershot gives Dave Toub a new weapon
Chiefs GM Brett Veach revealed that special teams play was one of the biggest reasons behind the team's decision to go out and acquire Hendershot. He can be a difference-maker there, too. Last January he blocked a punt against the Washington Commanders.
It stands to reason that Hendershot will also be used on the new kickoff coverage and return teams for Kansas City. He played just four total special teams snaps for the Cowboys this preseason, but he has 430 special teams snaps over the past two seasons in Dallas. Hendershot ran a 4.8 40-yard dash back in 2022 coming out of Indiana and he's proven that he can separate against defenders in the NFL, so he's got the ability to match the role of a multi-phase special teamer in Kansas City.
Samaje Perine could be a true Jerick McKinnon replacement
Perine used to give the Chiefs fits when he was back on the Bengals, but his role has become much more specialized over the past several years. Last season alone, he caught 50 passes on 56 targets for 455 yards and 23 first downs. That yardage would have been good for fourth-most in Kansas City behind Travis Kelce, Rashee Rice, and Justin Watson.
He's not only a pass-catching machine, but he's a pass-blocking fiend out of the backfield.
The Chiefs are getting a 28-year-old veteran with the skill set they're now lacking without Jerick McKinnon on the 53-man roster.
"That third down Jerick McKinnon role, we obviously have some guys that can run and catch, but the proficiency in pass pro," Veach explained. "I think one of the things that Samaje (Perine) brings to the table is he's been one of the best in the NFL the last few years on third down in regards to targets and pass protection, and he's just a veteran player that fills that role."
Eric Scott Jr. always seems to be in the right place at the right time
Coaches talk about staying in a receiver's hip pocket and that tends to be exactly what Scott Jr. does. He's rarely out of position to make a play on the ball when he's in coverage. He recorded an interception and batted a pass to a teammate for an interception during the 96 snaps he played in the 2024 preseason with Dallas.
Additionally, Scott Jr. does exactly what Steve Spagnuolo likes out of his cornerbacks – he tackles well. He recorded two solo stops during the preseason and he's often coming up to make a play in run support. The key here will be about how quickly he can adapt to playing in Steve Spagnuolo's scheme, which plays a higher percentage of man coverage than he might be used to while playing for the Cowboys.
Bailey Zappe is more experienced than your average third-string quarterback
Not many third-string quarterbacks have played in NFL games, let alone started NFL games. Zappe has 14 games of NFL experience under his belt with eight career starts in the past two seasons with the Patriots. During that span, he's recorded 192 completions on 304 attempts for 2,053 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Turnovers were something that he struggled with during his tenure in New England, but he managed to cut those down in the preseason. He didn't throw a single interception in the preseason this year, completing 15 passes for 137 yards over the past three weeks.
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