Curtis Weaver presents an intriguing case for Kansas City Chiefs

Curtis Weaver would be a worthy grab for the Kansas City Chiefs.

On Monday, an unexpected name in Curtis Weaver was floated out on the waiver wire by the Miami Dolphins, one that could draw the interest of numerous teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs.

Weaver was recently one of 11 draft picks by the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft. Selected in the fifth round, Weaver was a highly productive defensive end at the collegiate level looking to help bolster the Dolphins pass rush. Then came a foot injury suffered during training camp and his subsequent release.

It’s not as if the Dolphins are done with Weaver. It’s just that they don’t want him taking up a roster spot while injured—despite having a plethora of them at 80 right now. Waiving Weaver is a calculated risk by Miami, one in which any team can now claim Weaver and keep him on their own expanded roster. However to place him on injured reserve, he would have to be, once again, released in order to clear waivers. If Weaver goes unclaimed, he will revert back to the Dolphins injured list.

Typically, the idea of an injured fifth round pick who was released in late August is nothing to worry about, but Weaver was a remarkable pass rusher at Boise State. In fact, he set the all time sack record there as well as in the Mountain West. In three seasons with the Broncos, Weaver had 47.5 tackles for loss and 34 sacks along with 3 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions.

Pro Football Focus rated Weaver at No, 26 overall on their big board despite the fact that he fell all the way to the fifth round. Most draft scouts believed he has a solid floor, at least, even if the ceiling isn’t tremendously high. That’s a decent buy in the fifth round. Interestingly enough, some mock drafts even had the Chiefs making a play for Weaver.

That said, there are some obvious downsides here, too, for the Chiefs. First, where does Weaver fit when defensive end is already so loaded? Guys like Taco Charlton, Breeland Speaks, Michael Danna, Demone Harris, Tim Ward, and Devaroe Lawrence are already competing for very limited reps behind Tanoh Kpassagnon, Alex Okafor, and Frank Clark.

Second, if the Chiefs thought so highly of Weaver, they could have grabbed him at any time in the first four rounds. Do the Chiefs really love the idea of Weaver now when they grabbed L’Jarius Sneed at the bottom of the fourth round and Danna in the fifth? Were they aiming for Weaver in the fifth before he was taken?

It’s also important to note why the Dolphins cut Weaver in the first place: his injury. Suddenly the health concern and what to do with him on the roster becomes the same questions the Chiefs must ask and answer.

Weaver has talent, to be sure, and any guy with 34 sacks who is such a polished pass rusher deserves a closer look. But is he a good fit for the Chiefs? Maybe under different circumstances. Brett Veach has worked Tetris-like puzzles before, especially financially this offseason, so if he wanted to add Weaver, he’d find a way. However, it’s hard to see how this could work despite the fact that Weaver’s name on the waiver wire is so intriguing.