The Cardinals released receiver Isaac Whitney and added speedy former undrafted receiver Aleva Hifo out of BYU.
The Arizona Cardinals will, as general manager Steve Keim likes to say, “churn the bottom of the roster.” They made such a move on Friday, swapping out a receiver not expected to make the final roster for another receiver.
The team announced the release of Isaac Whitney. Whitney joined the Cardinals practice squad in late December last season and was re-signed after the season’s end.
He gets replaced by wideout Aleva Hifo, who signed a one-year contract Friday.
Hifo was an undrafted rookie out of BYU in 2020 who spent time in training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs.
His is 5-10 and 187 pounds.
While at BYU, he appeared in 51 games. He caught 18 passes for 1,336 yards and seven touchdowns and added 233 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 55 attempts. Hifo also had 29 kick returns for 598 yards and 23 punt returns for 232 yards in his collegiate career.
He has speed. He ran the 40 in 4.41 seconds at his pro day in 2020.
The Cardinals love speed at receiver. He will have a hard time making the final roster but could land a spot in the practice squad.
He will be a player to watch in the Cardinals’ first preseason game, assuming he will get some playing time.
These transactions in Kansas City make way for the return of Marcus Kemp and likely the forthcoming signing of Adrian Colbert.
The Kansas City Chiefs have waived a pair of rookie undrafted free agent receivers on Wednesday. According to the NFL’s official transaction report, WR Aleva Hifo and WR Andre Baccellia have both been waived. It was noted in the transaction report that Baccellia had a partially guaranteed contract.
This is the second time that Hifo has been waived by the team. He was recently brought back following the roster move to send Alex Brown to injured reserve. Hifo was initially waived by the team after having been the only member of the team to reportedly test positive for COVID-19 and end up on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Both Baccellia and Hifo signed with the Chiefs following the 2020 NFL Draft. Baccellia played college football for the Washington Huskies, while Hifo played for the BYU Cougars. Both players were considered exceptional athletes and were in the mix as the Chiefs look to add a return specialist.
Now, the Chiefs have just three receivers remaining from their 2020 class of undrafted free agents with Kalija Lipscomb, Justice Shelton-Mosley and Maurice Ffrench. The competition among this group is getting fiercer with each passing day.
The releases of Baccellia and Hifo makes way for the re-signing of Marcus Kemp, who previously spent 16 games during the 2018 season on the 53-man roster in Kansas City. The Chiefs also have one more roster spot available, presumably for the forthcoming signing of DB Adrian Colbert.
Two more transactions for the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
The Kansas City Chiefs made a handful of transactions on Sunday, including one move that was suspected to happen soon.
Andy Reid confirmed during his Sunday media availability that DB Alex Brown tore his ACL at training camp. It’s the first major injury we’ve seen this offseason to go with a plethora of soft tissue injuries the Chiefs are currently dealing with. The team put Brown on the injured reserve list following his knee injury, effectively ending his season before it truly began. Brown was expected to contribute in a depth role after being active for the last six games of the 2019 season, including Super Bowl LIV.
In a corresponding move, the Chiefs re-signed undrafted free agent WR Aleva Hifo, who was waived in late July. Hifo was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list in July after reportedly testing positive for the coronavirus. Days later Hifo was removed from the list and waived from the team. He appears to be healthy and ready to contribute after a bout with the virus.
The Chiefs are currently dealing with a variety of depth issues at tight end, cornerback and wide receiver due to minor injuries. With Sammy Watkins and Byron Pringle missing practice time, there were some available reps to go around for receivers. Hifo spent the offseason with the Chiefs, signing out of BYU following the 2020 NFL Draft. He knows the system and can jump in right away and contribute.
The league is now allowing NFL teams to bring in players for workouts and the Arizona Cardinals are apparently taking advantage of the opportunity to potentially make changes at the back of the roster. According to NFL Draft Diamonds, they will host undrafted rookie receiver Aleva Hifo, who was recently waived by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hifo played collegiately at BYU, where he caught 118 passes for 1,336 yards and seven touchdowns. He had his most productive season in 2019 when he caught 42 passes for 483 yards and three scores.
He also returned punts and kicks in college, averaging 15.5 yards on punt returns and 20.6 yards per return on kickoffs.
Another undrafted free agent has been waived by the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Kansas City Chiefs have waived undrafted free agent wide receiver Aleva Hifo according to the NFL’s official transaction report.
That name might sound familiar to you because Hifo was the first and only Chiefs player added to the Reserve/COVID-19 list. It was reported by Kansas City Star reporter Sam McDowell that Hifo had tested positive for the coronavirus but was asymptomatic. Now, Hifo has been removed from Reserve/COVID-19 list because he was waived by the team. If he is claimed or signs with another team and tests positive during their screening process, he’ll return to the list.
Hifo joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL Draft. He played college ball for Andy Reid’s alma mater, BYU. During his career he amassed 111 receptions for 1,336 yards and seven touchdowns. He added 55 carries for 233 yards and four touchdowns. Hifo was also a return specialist at BYU.
We know that Kansas City is looking to add a return specialist to the mix and Hifo would have figured into that competition. He is the second undrafted free agent receiver to be released following Cody White. The Chiefs have Kalija Lipscomb, Justice Shelton-Mosley, Maurice Ffrench and Andre Baccellia remaining at the receiver position from this undrafted free agent class.
The Kansas City Chiefs rookie receiver tested positive and is asymptomatic according to a new report.
The Kansas City Chiefs have their first positive COVID-19 test ahead of the 2020 NFL season.
According to a new report from Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star, Chiefs rookie wideout Aleva Hifo, an undrafted free agent out of BYU, has tested positive for COVID-19. Chiefs rookies first reported to team facilities for COVID-19 screening last Monday.
Per the NFL and NFLPA’s new agreement on health and safety measures during the global pandemic, Hifo has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list until he’s medically cleared to return. According to McDowell, Hifo is asymptomatic. Chiefs’ infectious control officer confirmed on Saturday that there are different guidelines related to how players are cleared to return based on whether they show symptoms or are asymptomatic.
Chiefs rookie Aleva Hifo (BYU) tested positive for COVID-19, but he's asymptomatic, per source.
Not all players who are placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list have tested positive for the virus. This list will also be used for players who’ve come into contact with a confirmed positive case of the virus. The NFL will not be releasing information on player’s who’ve tested positive.
Hifo was one of six players who appeared on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Sunday’s official NFL transaction report. He won’t be the last positive test that the Chiefs have, so prepare for this type of thing to be the new normal throughout the 2020 NFL season.
How does BYU WR Aleva Hifo fit with the Kansas City Chiefs?
Hifo was a multi-sport athlete in high school, playing both football and baseball. He played receiver, cornerback and punter and was considered a three-star athlete coming out of high school. He was recruited by BYU and Nevada but ultimately chose to join the Cougars because he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His cousin, Sione Takitaki, also played for BYU and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2019.
As a freshman in 2016, Hifo struggled a bit, but the coaching staff didn’t give up on him. He eventually became a pivotal part of the BYU offense, playing slot receiver. They used him in a variety of ways, including lining him up in the backfield. Hifo even threw a touchdown pass in 2018 against Wisconsin in an upset victory. Versatility was a big part of his success with the Cougars.
Stats:
2016: 13 games played. 11 receptions for 58 yards. 21 kicks returned for 440 yards.
2017: 13 games played. 37 receptions for 437 yards and two touchdowns. One kick returned for 23 yards.
2018: 13 games played. 28 receptions for 358 yards and two touchdowns. 29 carries for 124 yards and two touchdowns. Seven kicks returned for 135 yards. One punt return for 10 yards.
2019: 12 games played. 42 receptions for 483 yards and three touchdowns. 23 carries for 102 yards and two touchdowns. 14 punt returns for 222 yards.
Like a number of the undrafted free agents that Kansas City added following the 2020 NFL Draft, Hifo has experience as a punt returner and kick returner. We know the Chiefs are looking for someone to take over return specialist responsibilities from Mecole Hardman as he takes a larger role in the offense. Hifo averaged 11.3 yards per kick return and 15.5 yards per punt return during his career with the Cougars, but he never scored a touchdown.
In addition to being a talented return specialist, Hifo is the type of player that Chiefs HC Andy Reid can get creative with. At the college level, he was a jack-of-all-trades type of offensive weapon. He excels when you give him the ball in space. Plays like screen passes, jet sweeps, swing passes and quick outs are where Hifo makes his money.
Reid always has a need for gadget players and he knows how to develop them to get the most out of them. Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman are the only receivers from the Super Bowl LIV team under contract beyond the 2020 season. Hifo has as good of a chance as any of the undrafted free agent receivers to be the one that sticks.
