Former Chiefs LB Sam Barrington signs with Bills

Former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker finally found a new home before training camps open, this time with the Buffalo Bills.

Sam Barrington was, at one point, a veteran addition to hopefully fill the hole at inside linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs. The slot next to Derrick Johnson has been a revolving door of sorts for the last few years as both veterans and draft picks have failed to claim the spot in the team’s base defense as their own. Barrington, in the end, became just another veteran who failed to do the same.

Now Barrington will be trying to hold down a job with the Buffalo Bills as they seek to bolster their linebacking depth and special teams play, per Adam Caplan.

Barrington originally signed with the Chiefs last year after spending his first few seasons with the Green Bay Packers, drafted in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL Draft. The Chiefs picked him up long enough for him to last two games on special teams duty but he failed to stick and finished the season by playing five more games with the New Orleans Saints.

The inability of Barrington or otherwise to fill the slot next to DJ has been an interesting subplot of nearly every offseason in Andy Reid’s tenure. Josh Mauga has been the primary veteran to hold down the fort, but his presence hasn’t stopped the Chiefs from drafting other players, including Nico Johnson, Ramik Wilson, D.J. Alexander and the latest, Ukeme Eligwe.

Barrington joins newly signed linebacker Gerald Hodges, who was also brought in for a visit with the Chiefs this offseason, as fresh faces for the Bills at linebacker along with this year’s rookies Tanner Vallejo and Matt Milano.