Tag: Brenden Knox

Chiefs sign RB Brenden Knox to reserve/future contract

The #Chiefs have signed RB Brenden Knox to a reserve/future contract after multiple tryouts with the team during the 2021 NFL season.

The Kansas City Chiefs have signed their first player to a reserve/future contract.

According to agent Aston Wilson, the Chiefs have signed RB Brenden Knox to a reserve/future contract. Knox tried out for the team twice during the 2021 regular season, as the team dealt with injuries at the RB position. They maintained a steady level of interest in Knox and now he’ll have a chance to prove himself in the 2022 NFL offseason.

If you’re not familiar with reserve/future deals, they allow teams to sign players before the end of the current league year. Each of these players won’t count against the Chiefs’ roster until the new league year begins and the 90-man offseason roster is opened up.

Knox played collegiate football for the Marshall Thundering Herd, amassing over 3,000 yards from scrimmage and 25 total touchdowns during his three-year college career. Listed at 6-foot and 225 pounds, he’s got the ideal size at the RB position for Chiefs GM Brett Veach.

An undrafted free agent following the 2021 NFL draft, Knox signed on with the Dallas Cowboys where he spent the offseason and preseason. Despite posting a strong performance in the preseason with 29 touches for 110 yards, Knox was cut by Dallas during 53-man roster cuts and he didn’t catch on with any teams on the practice squad.

We’ll see if the Chiefs can develop Knox where the Cowboys could not.

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Chiefs host RB Brenden Knox on second tryout

The #Chiefs had RB Brenden Knox in for a second tryout on Monday. His first tryout with the team came back in September.

The Kansas City Chiefs hosted free agent RB Brenden Knox for a tryout on Monday per the NFL’s official personnel notice.

It marks the second time this season that the Chiefs have brought him in for a tryout. An undrafted free agent out of Marshall in the 2021 NFL draft, Knox is a powerful, squatty halfback. The 6-foot and 223-pounder was a bit of a workhorse with the Thundering Herd, with over 3,000 yards from scrimmage and 25 total touchdowns during his three-year college career.

Knox inked a deal with the Dallas Cowboys during the offseason, sticking with them through the preseason and until 53-man roster cuts. He’s been a free agent ever since, with his only tryouts this season coming from Kansas City.

The team is likely doing their diligence and getting a player on their call list back into the NFL’s testing protocols. Jerick McKinnon remains on injured reserve and Elijah McGuire is the only player at the position on the practice squad. With COVID-19 cases on the rise throughout the league, the team needs to stay on its toes in case of an emergency. It is worth noting that this tryout happened on the day that the Chiefs added RB Darrel Williams to the injury report in estimation with a knee injury.

Beyond that, there’s plenty of appeal to Knox and his game. Andy Reid will take a liking to the fact that in 577 career touches at Marshall, Knox only fumbled the ball once.

Update: After the Dolphins placed all three RBs on their 53-man roster on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, they were showing interest in signing McGuire from the Chiefs’ practice squad. He spent time with Miami last season.

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Chiefs waive LB Omari Cobb from practice squad, host a pair of players for tryouts

The #Chiefs have terminated the contract of practice squad LB Omari Cobb. They also hosted a receiver and running back for tryouts.

The Kansas City Chiefs continue to fiddle with their 16-man practice squad ahead of their Week 2 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

Yesterday, the Chiefs officially added developmental TE Mark Vital to the practice squad after a successful tryout. In a corresponding move, the team waived WR Maurice Ffrench.

On Tuesday, the Chiefs made another move, waiving LB Omari Cobb from the practice squad per the NFL’s personnel notice. Cobb was signed as an undrafted free agent signing out of Marshall following the 2020 NFL draft. He spent the past season on the practice squad in Kansas City and was a standout during the preseason this year, even sacking 49ers QB Trey Lance in preseason Week 1. Unfortunately for Cobb, it would seem the Chiefs are going in a different direction at the position, at least for this week as they prep for the Ravens.

The Chiefs have yet to make a corresponding move, but they did bring a pair of players in for tryouts on Tuesday. According to the NFL’s personnel notice, the team hosted WR Kelvin Harmon and RB Brenden Knox.

Harmon, 23, is a former sixth-round 2019 NFL draft pick by Washington. He caught 30 passes for 365 yards during his rookie campaign, appearing in all 16 games in the process. Unfortunately, Harmon suffered an ACL injury while training during the 2020 offseason. Washington released Harmon on August 15th. He should be fully recovered from his injury by now and could potentially be a steal for Kansas City were he to sign to the practice squad.

Knox went undrafted out of Marshall in the 2021 NFL draft. He was a bit of a workhorse back with the Thundering Herd, known for his power and elusiveness. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys for the offseason and managed to showcase some good work during the preseason, but he was still released during 53-man roster cuts.

Both are intriguing prospects and I’d expect one of them to be signed to the practice squad as early as tomorrow now that they have an open space.

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RB Rico Dowdle lands on IR, ending season, here’s who Cowboys may turn to

The Dallas Cowboys lost their second running back for the year when they placed Rico Dowdle on injured reserve. Who might step into the void? | From @StarConscience

The Dallas Cowboys have one of the best running back tandems in the NFL. Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard form an explosive and productive duo and  were responsible for almost all the touches from the position in 2020.

Only one other RB got carry last season, rookie runner Rico Dowdle who toted the rock seven times for 24 yards. There weren’t many opportunities for anyone else, but the University of South Carolina product worked his way from an undrafted free agent to making the roster and playing in 15 games, mostly on special teams.

Dowdle came into training camp third on the depth chart and had played well enough to keep his spot. However, an injured hip has forced the Cowboys to put Dowdle in IR, ending his season.

It’s tough break for the Cowboys, who were likely to start the season with Elliott, Pollard and Dowdle as their top three backs again this year. Dowdle had shown enough in the preseason to earn that role, leading Dallas with 99 yards rushing in their three exhibitions games thus far.

Although it’s not a crushing blow to a team that has arguably the best one-two punch in the league at RB, the Cowboys will now be looking elsewhere to fill the RB room and their depth chart has taken another hit.

Dowdle became the second Cowboys RB to lose his season to injury, joining Sewo Olonilua, who was placed on season-ending IR with a neck injury last week. A group that had already been whittled down to three strong runners, will now be looking for a replacement for Dowdle.

The main options for the Cowboys now are two undrafted rookie free agents, JaQuan Hardy out of Tiffin, and Brenden Knox from Marshall. Both RBs have seen ample opportunities in the preseason and will have another game to prove they belong on the 53-man roster. Hardy has gotten more carries through three games, but there’s a lot riding in the preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The extra exhibition game for Dallas is now a blessing in disguise for these two runners.

Or the team could go in a different direction, choosing to keep Louisiana-Lafayette fullback Nick Ralston, another undrafted rookie free agent.

There is also the option of a trade or sifting through waivers after teams cut their rosters down to 53 players next Tuesday. The Cowboys are only likely to keep three on the roster and they are doubtful to receive much playing time.

Losing Dowdle is another blow to a position for the Cowboys where they once had depth. Running back is still a strength for Dallas but they’ll have to find another option behind their two-headed monster.

You can chat with or follow Ben on twitter @BenGrimaldi.

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