Chiefs need more fire as target in Houston
By Ryan Tracy
Russell departs KC
The team made a rare and surprising move on Wednesday. KeiVarae Russell, the Chiefs 3rd round draft pick was released to the waiver wire. Slow to catch on in training camp, Russell had fallen behind sixth-round pick D.J. White, making him the low man in the cornerback room.
"“Listen, we felt like that was the best thing to do for the Chiefs right now. You evaluate players and that’s how we felt.” – Andy Reid on KeiVarae Russell"
Russell told the Kansas City Star’s Terez Paylor last week that the learning curve had been steep in Kansas City. Whether he was unable to grasp the defense or had other problems we don’t know about yet is unclear. Either way, this can only be seen as a draft miss for John Dorsey and the personnel department. They missed something in their pre-draft evaluation of Russell’s learning capability or temperament or medical status. In his only significant preseason action, Russell showed he can play at this level, making a notable pass breakup.
The Russell selection was a bit of a surprise at No. 74. The team had traded back from #59and had a number interesting options on the board. In the end, they passed over players including CB Cyrus Jones, OLB Shilique Calhoun, OLB Jordan Jenkins and WR Braxton Miller. Here’s a look at my Big Board from draft day.
Next: What changed?