Former Chiefs DE Breeland Speaks lands with Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have signed former Chiefs prospect Breeland Speaks.

Former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Breeland Speaks has found a new home in the NFL after signing with the Dallas Cowboys on the team’s practice squad.

Speaks is an interesting blip on the résumé of Chiefs general manager Brett Veach as the first overall draft selection of his career. In fact, Veach moved up in the 2018 NFL Draft to get him earlier in the second round at No. 46 overall. From the moment of his selection, however, Speaks endured questions as to his ceiling as an NFL prospect and fit with the Chiefs defense.

Unfortunately for Speaks, the naysayers were correct in their negative perception of Speaks’ ability for the Chiefs. Speaks played in 40 percent of the Chiefs defensive snaps during his rookie year for Bob Sutton’s defense as a tweener who was a poor fit. When Steve Spagnuolo took over as the team’s defensive coordinator, Speaks was hopeful about his chances, but a preseason injury ruined his entire year.

By the time he came back around to the Chiefs, the team had largely moved on from him in his third year. The Chiefs already had Frank Clark and Alex Okafor as assumed veteran starters and Mike Danna and Tanoh Kpassagnon added fellow draft picks vying for playing time. Taco Charlton was also signed and Demone Harris was a holdover from late last season. Thus Speaks was let go when roster cuts were due this past September.

Speaks spent most of the last month with the Las Vegas Raiders, but he was released in early November after signing the month before. The Cowboys are his third NFL team.