Tag: Tajae Sharpe

Chicago Bears sign wide receivers Tajae Sharp and Dante Pettis

The Chicago Bears added some veteran help at receiver Wednesday, signing Dante Pettis and Tajae Sharpe.

The Chicago Bears made a pair of moves on Wednesday to bolster their wide receiver room. They signed free agent wide receiver Tajae Sharp to a one-year deal, as well as wide receiver Dante Pettis.

Ian Rapoport reported on the Sharp move on social media:

Pettis himself posted about the move on Twitter:

New general manager Ryan Poles has faced criticism in recent days regarding a perceived failure to add talent around second-year quarterback Justin Fields. The Bears had a pair of selections in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft, but used both picks to address their secondary, adding safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Kyler Gordon. Wide receivers Wan’Dale Robinson, Tyquan Thornton, George Pickens, Alec Pierce and Skyy Moore were all available when the Bears drafted Gordon with the 39th pick in the draft.

The team did address receiver in the third round, adding Velus Jones Jr. from Tennessee. Laurie Fitzpatrick outlined prior to the draft how his speed and quickness could benefit an NFL team.

The additions of Pettis and Sharpe, along with the selection of Jones, give the Bears some options around Fields. Whether those are enough for the young passer to take the next step remains to be seen.

Bears are signing WR Tajae Sharpe to 1-year deal

The Bears continue to add depth at the wide receiver position with the signing of Tajae Sharpe to a one-year deal.

The Chicago Bears continue to add depth at the wide receiver position. But it’s not with any big-name veterans still on the free agent market.

The Bears are signing wide receiver Tajae Sharpe to a one-year deal, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. As Rapoport mentions, Sharpe is another depth signing at the wide receiver position as Chicago continues to fill out its 90-man roster. Sharpe’s addition will bring them to 89.

Sharpe, a former fifth-round pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2016, saw significant action with Tennessee in his first four seasons, with the exception of the 2017 season when he landed on injured reserve. In four years with the Titans, Sharpe totaled 92 receptions for 1,167 yards and eight touchdowns.

In 2020, Sharpe signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings, but he wasn’t involved much on offense. Sharpe joined the Atlanta Falcons in 2021, where he saw action in 15 games, including seven starts, where he hauled in 25 catches for 230 yards and no scores.

Sharpe joins a receiving corps featuring Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown and third-round rookie Velus Jones Jr.

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Ex-Falcons WR Tajae Sharpe is signing with the Bears

Ex-Falcons wide receiver Tajae Sharpe is signing with the Chicago Bears, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The Atlanta Falcons had a major hole at the wide receiver position entering the offseason and they addressed it by drafting USC’s Drake London and signing Auden Tate and Damiere Byrd.

Once Olamide Zaccheaus signed his right-of-refusal tender, that left free agent Tajae Sharpe as the odd man out. On Wednesday evening, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Sharpe is signing with the Chicago Bears.

Sharpe appeared in 15 total games with seven starts for the Falcons last season, finishing with 25 catches for 230 yards.

Prior to his one-year pit stop in Atlanta, Sharpe spent a season in Minnesota (2020), and four seasons with the Titans (2016-2019).

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Six points with David Dorey

Friday’s quick look at six fantasy items to know

The week kicks off on a sad note after Ex-Raider Henry Ruggs was responsible for the death of a woman in Las Vegas early on Tuesday morning. The conditions surrounding the deadly crash are unimaginable and if this serves any purpose, let it be a warning about making bad decisions to others like him.

Then there was Aaron Rodgers getting COVID while immunized not vaccinated. He’s the highest-profile player that will miss a game while on the list. Rodgers vs. Mahomes sounded like must-watch TV.

We’ve reached the mid-point of the NFL season, and fantasy teams are starting to fall out of contention. If that’s the case for you, check out the Daily Fantasy site and play a team or two. Some are free and many can be very inexpensive. You already know so much, so give Daily Fantasy a try.

Heading into Week 9, here are six things I am thinking about.)

1.) TE George Kittle (SF) – Left for injured reserve in Week 5 and has returned to practice and is eligible to be activated. If he is active, it would add a lot to an offense that  simply lacks any notable receivers outside of the reliable Deebo Samuel.  Kittle played four games to start the season but never scored. But he was thrown up to ten targets and would be equal to Samuel when Jimmy Garoppolo looks downfield. He would energize a passing attack that is limited to just one player.

Robbie Gould is expected to play as well. Jeff Wilson returned to the practice field after missing the first eight games with a torn meniscus but is not expected to be activated this week.

2.) WR Tajae Sharpe (ATL) – Calvin Ridley “stepped away from football” last week to attend to his mental health. There’s no set date to return, but he hasn’t been removed from the active roster. He merely appears on the injury report as ‘Did Not Practice.” So he could be back at any time. In the interim, how does that affect the Falcons passing scheme? In Week 8, they opened with Olamide Zaccheaus as the only wideout and Hayden Hurst and Kyle Pitts as both starters. Zaccheaus only caught one pass for 12 yards.

It was a terrible day for the offense anyway, as the Panthers held the Falcons to only 228 yards and one score. But, Tajae Sharpe filled in and led the team with five catches for 58 yards. Cordarrelle Patterson remained one of the busier receivers (5-37, TD) as well. The Falcons meet the Saints this week for a tough matchup again but then play at the Cowboys in Week 10.

3.) QB Taysom Hill / Trevor Siemian  (NO) – The Saints haven’t named a starting quarterback in the wake of Jameis Winston’s season-ending ACL injury. But he and Taysom Hill had a quarterback competition this summer. Hill had a full practice on Thursday as an encouraging sign that he may be ready. Trevor Siemian completed 16-of-29 for 159 yards and one touchdown last week once Winston left the game in the second quarter.

There are a lot of unknowns. If Hill starts, does that mean Siemian is on the bench? With the Saints mix Hill and Siemian as they did with Winston before Hill was injured. Hill only threw three passes over four games but rushed in three touchdowns in his final two matchups. As a side note to Week 8, had Siemian also leave the game injured, the Saints were ready to use their emergency quarterback – Alvin Kamara.

4.) WR Odell Beckham Jr. (CLE) – Beckham is on the outs with the Browns and that they are trying to figure out the least painful way to part with him. There are reports that he may just be released today. For fantasy purposes, how will his spot be filled and will that net any opportunities? The rookie Anthony Schwartz (3.28) was drafted for his 4.26 40-time speed that could stretch the field for the rest of the receivers. He caught a 44-yard pass in Week 1 but only totals seven receptions for 102 yards and no scores on the season.

Donovan Peoples-Jones is the most likely to benefit from Beckham’s absence. He caught five passes for 70 yards in Week 5 and then posted 101 yards and two scores on four catches in Week 2 versus the Cardinals. He injured his groin in the pregame warmups in Week 7 and has been out. Peoples-Jones is expected to return this week and had limited practice on Wednesday and Thursday. He is on track to return to face the Browns this week. Rashard Higgins is also an option but has done little this year. Peoples-Jones has the best shot at becoming a fantasy option.

 5.) Raiders receivers – The sudden release of Henry Ruggs removes the No. 1 receiver, and the Raiders have to fill that void. Their official depth chart places Zay Jones as the new starter despite only catching  seven passes on the season and just one game with as many as two catches. Bryan Edwards is already the starting flanker and Hunter Renfrow is the slot receiver.  Jones may be the starter for the rest of the season, but he’s not going to assume Ruggs’ workload.

There is speculation that the Raiders might have interest in DeSean Jackson. Barring adding a new player, the expectation is that Darren Waller gets a boost in his targets, something that has declined while Ruggs was breaking out this year. Waller hasn’t fielded more than eight targets in any game since Week 1. More than half of his games in 2020 totaled more than eight targets. Ruggs increased production was the biggest improvement in the passing game this year.

 6.) RB Adrian Peterson / Jeremy McNichols (TEN) – There are few, if any, non-quarterbacks that are more central to his offense than Derrick Henry. His impact cannot be completely replaced, and the backfield now shifts to some combination of Adrian Peterson and Jeremy McNichols. While Peterson is in practice and is expected to be active for the Week 9 tilt at the Rams. That doesn’t mean he gets 30 carries. It’s no lock that he gets three. Peterson is new to the offense and hasn’t played a down this year.

Assuming that he is as spry as he was last year, Peterson would do well enough to match his full-time role with the Lions when he totaled 156 carries over 16 games. Peterson is a future Hall-of-Famer, but he is also 36 years old. He rarely offered more than a dozen carries per game in 2020.  McNichols totals 56 carries over his four-year career. Henry had 57 carries in just his last two games. McNichols has operated as the third-down back this season with 21 catches against seven carries. He’ll maintain that role which could see more passes.

The Titans signed D’Onta Foreman to their practice squad and could call him up. But the fourth-year back only totaled 107 career runs and isn’t likely to matter. Whatever happens, will rely on some combination of Peterson and McNichols. Notable too is that they play at the Rams this week and host the Saints in Week 10. Those will be tough opponents to remake the rushing offense, but the Texans show up in Week 11 to make it all look good again.

The Titan – Rams game should be watched. Losing Derrick Henry  is one of the rare “this changes everything” sort of events. The expectation that there will be more passing is reasonable, but Henry’s presence heavily influenced the defense, including the pass defense. The Titans offensive line is still one of the best and that cannot be undervalued. The offense may not be worse, it will not be better, and the only certain thing is that it will be different.

Tunnel Vision of Week 8

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Tom Brady 375 – 2 4
 Mike White 405 – (-1) 3
 Josh Allen 249 – 55 3
 Justin Fields 175 – 103 2
 Jimmy Garoppolo 322 – 4 2
Running Backs Yards TD
Michael Carter 15-77 rush
9-95 catch		 1
Joe Mixon 14-33 rush
4-58 catch		 2
Austin Ekeler 11-64 rush
6-60 catch		 1
Aaron Jones 15-59 rush
7-51 catch		 1
Darrell Henderson  14-90 rush
1-3 catch		 1
Wide Receivers Yards TD
A.J. Brown 10-155 1
Michael Pittman 10-86 2
Chris Godwin 8-140 1
Robert Woods 3-57 2
Cooper Kupp 7-115 1
Tight Ends Yards TD
Pat Freiermuth 4-44 1
Brevin Jordan 3-41 1
Jesse James 3-38 1
T.J. Hockenson 10-89 0
Geoff Swaim 4-23 1
Placekickers XP FG
Zane Gonzalez 1 4
Joey Slye 1 4
Jake Elliott 5 3
Nick Folk 1 4
Randy Bullock 4 2
Defense Sack-TO TD
Eagles 6 – 1 1
Saints 3 – 3 1
Patriots 3 – 2 1
Titans 1 – 3 1
Broncos 5-2 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

QB Sam Darnold – Concussion
QB Jameis Winston – Knee
RB Damien Williams – Knee
RB James Robinson – Ankle
RB Justin Jackson – Quad
RB Derrick Henry – Foot
TE Robert Tonyan – ACL
TE Rob Gronkowski – Back spasms
WR Denzel Mims – Finger
WR T.Y. Hilton – Concussion
WR Jalen Reagor – Ankle
WR Calvin Ridley – Stepping away
PK Chris Boswell – Concussion

Chasing Ambulances

QB Sam Darnold (CAR) – Suffered a concussion in the win over the Falcons and entered the league protocol. P.J. Walker will be the starter this week when the Panthers host the Patriots if Darnold remains out.

QB Jameis Winston (NO) – Believed to have suffered a torn ACL, but an MRI will confirm the damage.  Taysom Hill is expected to clear the concussion protocol by this week so he’ll likely be available. But then do the Saints use Hill as a starter? Will they stick with Trevor Siemian? Or will they pick up Cam Newton? They’ll be adding a quarterback if Winston is out for the year, the question is if it will just be a warm body at the bottom of the depth chart or will they look for someone with the potential to be the starter?

Oh yes, and the NFL trade deadline is Tuesday afternoon. That suddenly gets interesting. The Saints host the Falcons this week, so there’s a chance for someone to step in and look good.

RB James Robinson (JAC) – Injured during the loss to the Seahawks, head coach Urban Meyer said that Robinson bruised his heel. The extent of the injury and length of time to recover won’t be known until Monday at the earliest. Carlos Hyde took his place in the game and would do so  this week when they host the Bills if needed.

RB Derrick Henry (TEN) – Left the field and had his foot examined but later returned. He gained just 68 yards on 28 carries so his huge workload continues, but he’s been so indestructible that it’s the first sign that maybe he is getting too much work.

TE Rob Gronkowski (TB) – Only lasted for two series before he was pulled from the game with back spasms. He’s battled back issues at times in his career but the prognosis won’t be made until Monday. It is concerning that he’s going from one injury to the next so quickly, but it could be related to his previous rib injury.

TE Robert Tonyan (GB) – Tore his ACL in the Thursday night win at the Cardinals and is lost for the season. The Packers have Marcedes Lewis and Josiah Deguara who caught two passes in the game. There is speculation that they could trade for another tight end, but it is more likely they’ll stand pat on their roster. The tight end position hasn’t been very productive this year anyway.

 WR T.Y. Hilton (IND) – Speaking of the often injured, Hilton returned from his neck injury and just picked up a new concussion. He contemplated retirement already, and this string of injuries don’t confirm that he made the right choice to return.

WR Jalen Reagor (PHI) – Was carted from the field with an ankle injury in the blowout win over the Lions. Reagor hasn’t been productive this year, and his absence won’t leave any major hole to fill. J.J. Arcega-Whiteside is his backup, but if he misses games, it would most likely just result in a couple of more targets for Quez Watkins or Devonta Smith.

WR Calvin Ridley (ATL) – Was inactive for personal reasons on Sunday, and then he tweeted during the game that he was stepping away from football to focus on his mental wellbeing. We wish him well and respect the tough decision that he felt was in his best interest. Tajae Sharpe took his place and led the Falcons with five receptions for 58 yards in the loss to the Panthers. This could make Russell Gage as the primary wideout now though he had no targets on Sunday. It makes Kyle Pitts likely to be the No. 1 receiver if he can handle it. The Falcons play at the Saints this week and have to figure out how they want to juggle their receivers.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

Trade Deadline – With all the injuries, the trade deadline may be more active than originally expected. The deadline is Tuesday, November 4 at 4 PM EST.

Falcons receivers – The Panthers secondary had no problem handling the Falcons wideouts and now that they are officially without Calvin Ridley, they have to reinvent this unit. They went from 2020 with Ridley and Julio Jones, with Russell Gage in the slot, to Tajae Sharpe and Gage who is now miscast as an outside receiver. The Falcons have one of the kinder schedules but there’s no certainty any of these receivers can step up. Gage was active, was on the field, and never had a pass thrown to him. Sharpe has never been more than depth on any team. And Olamide Zaccheaus totaled eight catches on the year. Gage may seem to be the best bet, but his success was last year as the No. 3 between Ridley and Julio Jones. He doesn’t seem capable of stepping into a primary role.

WR DeVante Parker (MIA) – Returned after missing three games and led the Dolphins with eight catches for 85 yards. Parker collected 11 targets which were second only to Jaylen Waddle (12) with just four catches for 29 yards in the loss at the Bills.

TE Tommy Sweeney (BUF) – The Bills lost Dawson Knox in Week 6, and Sweeney takes his place. Dawson broke his hand and is out for an indeterminant amount of time.  Sweeny caught a touchdown in Week 6 on his only catch that extended the Bills’ tight end scoring streak to five games. That streak ended on Sunday, but Sweeny accounted for three catches for 30 yards for his best game.

QB Justin Fields (CHI) – Maybe it was because head coach Matt Nagy was out with COVID or maybe it was something else. But while the Bears lost the game, Fields looked more dangerous than in any previous week. He completed 19-of-27 passes for 175 yards and one score and ran for a season-best 103 yards on ten rushes. He still hasn’t connected well with Allen Robinson, but using his legs more adds a needed element to the offense.

Eagles Backfield – This is getting hard to track. Miles Sanders is on injured reserve with an ankle issue, and the Eagles called up Jordan Howard from the practice squad. They split all the rushing work up almost perfectly between the three backs of Boston Scott (12-60, 2 TD), Howard (12-57, 2 TD), and Kenneth Gainwell (13-27) who was given almost every carry during the mop-up time in the fourth quarter. And yet, none registered a catch but it was a blowout win over the Lions. This week the Chargers show up with a below-average defense against running backs, and there’s no telling what to expect.

WR Brandin Cooks (HOU) – He was a Top-12 wideout this week and he’s one of those fantasy rarities that produces nearly all of his production at the end of games when the opponent is already substituting players and trying to just go home. This week, Cooks had two catches for 16 yards by midway through the fourth quarter but then logged four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown in the final minutes. It all counts.

TE Brevin Jordan (HOU) – The Texans’ fifth-round pick was this rookie out of Miami who generated some hype in the summer. He’s been inactive  until Sunday when he caught 3-of-4 targets for 41 yards and a touchdown in his debut.  This is more notable because the Texans are 1-7 and will look at new players for the rest of the season and for next year.

QB Mike White (NYJ) – The first start in his three-year NFL career was one for the record books. He threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Bengals. Zach Wilson’s best effort so far was only 297 yards and two scores against the Titans in Week 4. White mostly used his two starting running backs that combined for 14 catches and 166 yards, but he connected with ten receivers, and eight had at least two or more catches. He’ll start next week  at the Colts, but there will be a little game film on him for the Colts to study.

WR Jamal Agnew (JAC) – On a day that Trevor Lawrence mostly looked for tight end Dan Arnold (8-68) and running back Carlos Hyde (6-40), it was notable that Agnew continues to expand his role in the offense. He caught six passes for 38 yards and the lone touchdown, and his 12 targets led the team.

RB J.D. McKissic (WAS) – The third-down back started the season with fewer catches but led Washington with eight catches for 83 yards in the loss to the Broncos. That makes two of the last three games with eight receptions.

WR Jerry Jeudy (DEN) – He injured his ankle in the season opener and just this week was taken off the injured reserve. He only caught four passes for 39 yards in his return, but that was a team high for receptions in the win over Washington. The Broncos play at the Cowboys this week and Teddy Bridgewater will need to throw more than 26 passes in that game.

RB Mark Ingram (NO) – His first game back with the Saints saw Ingram run for 27 yards on six carries and catch two passes for 25 yards. That was impressive for just arriving there and he’ll offer more in the coming weeks. Alvin Kamara still ran 19 times in the win over the Buccaneers, and needs to scale that level of work back so he can last the season.

QB Cooper Rush (DAL) – His first NFL start after four years in the league couldn’t have gone much better. Rush passed for 325 yards and two touchdowns and produced two 100-yard receivers in Amari Cooper (8-122, TD) and CeeDee Lamb (6-112). Dak Prescott is likely to return this week, but Rush pulled off the win at the Vikings to extend the Cowboys’ winning streak to six games.

Huddle player of the week

Michael Carter  –   The Jets’ rookie started the season locked into a maddening three-way committee but eventually became the primary back on a bad offense with a bad offensive line during a bad season. No matter – Carter ran for 77 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in the win over the Bengals and caught a team high nine passes for 95 yards.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Mike White 405 3 QB Kyler Murray 295 0
RB Ty Johnson 86 1 RB James Robinson 39 0
RB Boston Scott 60 2 RB Nick Chubb 69 0
WR Cole Beasley 110 0 WR Devonta Smith 15 0
WR DeAndre Carter 51 1 WR Mike Williams 19 0
WR Jamal Agnew 38 1 WR Allen Robinson 21 0
TE Pat Freiermuth 44 1 TE Kyle Pitts 13 0
PK Zane Gonzalez   1 XP  4 FG PK Ryan Succop   3 XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 129 Huddle Fantasy Points = 31

Now get back to work…

Former Titans WR Tajae Sharpe signs with Falcons

Tajae Sharpe will be reuniting with Arthur Smith in Atlanta.

A pair of former Tennessee Titans are reuniting with the Atlanta Falcons, as wide receiver Tajae Sharpe has signed with the team, per the league’s transactions wire, re-joining his old offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith.

Sharpe’s tenure in Nashville ended in 2020 after the team decided not to re-sign him. The former fifth-round pick then moved on to play for the Minnesota Vikings, where he played sparingly and didn’t record a catch.

After being released by the Vikings later in the season, Sharpe latched on to the Chiefs’ practice squad but didn’t see the field. He was retained by Kansas City this offseason, only to be released a month later.

Now Sharpe will try to stick in Atlanta, where he’ll have a leg up over other less-established receivers trying to make the roster because of his experience in Smith’s system.

In his one season with Smith as his offensive coordinator in Tennessee, which came in 2019, Sharpe totaled 25 catches for 329 yards and four touchdowns, his second-best season statistically.

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Falcons sign former Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe

According to ESPN’s Tom Pelissero, the Falcons have signed 6-foot-4 wide receiver Tajae Sharpe.

Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones has been the biggest story in sports since he admitted on live television that he’s probably done in Atlanta on Monday morning. While trade speculation has been going on for weeks, rarely do we hear players be honest about these types of situations.

Life goes on in the NFL, though, and according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Falcons have signed 6-foot-4 wide receiver Tajae Sharpe.

After spending four years in Tennessee (2016-2019), Sharpe had a forgettable run with the Vikings last season which ended in him being released. The Chiefs later signed him to their practice squad for the remainder of 2020.

Sharpe, 26, has 92 catches, 1,167 receiving yards and eight touchdowns over a five-year career. His best season came as a rookie in 2016 when he finished with 41 catches for 522 yards and two touchdowns.

The veteran wideout has experience playing under Falcons head coach Arthur Smith and will bring some size the the team’s receiving corps if/when Julio Jones gets traded.

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4 former Titans who can fill Tennessee’s remaining roster needs

These former Titans each fill a remaining need Tennessee has ahead of 2021.

The Tennessee Titans have had to part ways with several notable players over the last two offseasons, leading to quite the roster overhaul on both sides of the ball.

With that being the case, plenty of former Titans have been sprinkled around the league, finding new homes in 2021 — but there are also others who remain unsigned.

While some of the notable players on that latter list won’t be returning to Nashville, there are some former Titans who make sense for the team to reunite with in 2021 based on their current situation.

Let’s take a look at four notable former Titans who are still available in free agency and could help the team fill their remaining needs.

Chiefs to re-sign WR Tajae Sharpe

A former practice squad WR returns to Kansas City.

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to re-sign a player who joined their practice squad in December of 2020.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Chiefs plan to bring back WR Tajae Sharpe. Kansas City Star beat writer Herbie Teope confirmed the signing, adding that it’s a one-year deal. A former fifth-round draft pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2016 NFL draft, Sharpe spent three seasons in Tennessee before spending a portion of the 2020 season with the Minnesota Vikings. When Sharpe was released, Kansas City swooped in and added him to the practice squad, providing themselves with some receiver depth for their postseason push.

During his career, Sharpe has appeared in 51 games, starting 29 of them. He’s caught 92 receptions on 168 targets for 1,167 yards and eight touchdowns, all of which came while he was on the Titans.

Sharpe’s practice squad contract with the Chiefs expired the week following Super Bowl LV. He wasn’t among the 10 practice squad players to sign reserve/future contracts with the team, opting to test the waters of free agency. After no luck, he makes his return to Kansas City, likely on a minimum deal that will have no impact on the salary cap.

Sharpe is basically a year removed from any meaningful snaps on the offensive side of the ball. Adding him to the roster again should, at the very least, provide him with a better chance to make an impression on the coaching staff and carve out a role with the team. At worst, he’s a training camp body. At best, he’ll compete for a reserve role on the offense.

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Chiefs re-sign WR Chad Williams to practice squad

The Grambling State product returns to the Chiefs’ practice squad.

For the second time this season, the Kansas City Chiefs have signed WR Chad Williams to the practice squad.

According to the NFL’s official transaction report, the Chiefs re-signed Williams to the practice squad on Friday. Williams was in Kansas City, along with WR Tajae Sharpe, on Thursday for a visit. The former third-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals had first joined the practice squad in Kansas City back in late September. He was released in November to make room for CB DeAndre Baker.

The Chiefs also plan to sign Sharpe to the practice squad once he clears the league’s COVID-19 protocols. That will bring the total number of receivers on the practice squad up to five including Jody Fortson, Maurice Ffrench and Gehrig Dieter.

Williams, 26, played with the Cardinals for two seasons, recording 20 catches for 202 yards. In 2019, he was picked up by the Indianapolis Colts, spending time on their practice squad before being elevated to the 53-man roster late in the year.

After the release of WR Marcus Kemp, it’s smart for the team to add another player that knows the system. Williams is someone who could play gunner on special teams for Kansas City, just as Kemp did. Since Williams hadn’t been elevated from the practice squad yet this season, the Chiefs will still have the ability to elevate him twice in the coming weeks and during the playoffs. That could prove to be valuable with players like Gehrig Dieter already having exhausted their practice squad elevations for the season.

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