Ross Travis is ready for opportunity to climb depth chart
By Matt Conner
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Ross Travis is excited about the chances ahead of him to potentially climb the depth chart.
The way has cleared a bit for Ross Travis. Just a few months ago, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end faced a much tougher challenge to not only remaining on the roster but garnering serious opportunities. It’s not that Travis wasn’t going to make the team or earn some reps, but it’s just the team has made the depth chart much less cluttered in the last several weeks.
Earlier this offseason, fellow tight end Demetrius Harris was arrested for felony possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia. The Chiefs are being patient with the legal process, but in terms of Travis and any playing time, there’s significant drama for now around the No. 2 tight end on the roster. Further competition was traded away when the New England Patriots took James O’Shaughnessy from the Chiefs in a draft-day trade.
Travis spoke to the mother ship about his own hopes and approach in the process.
"“With him leaving, spots open up and stuff,” he said. “I know it’s an opportunity and I have to take advantage of it. [The coaching staff] is not going to pull you aside or anything and be like, there’s a vacancy in this spot. They’re going to make you work for it.”"
Travis is another basketball-player-turned-tight-end prospect for Chiefs general manager John Dorsey. Travis started 98 career games for Penn State but landed a developmental deal with the Chiefs in 2015. Dorsey clearly likes what he’s got in Travis, keeping him around while others leave, and Travis seems ready to seize that opportunity.
Travis isn’t all clear, however, as he still faces stiff competition from newly signed Gavin Escobar, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, and Emanuel Byrd, an undrafted free agent from Marshall.