Chiefs news: Kansas City signs pair of defensive tackles

The Kansas City Chiefs signed Phil Hoskins and Bryan Cowart in free agency to bolster the interior before the draft.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been adding strategic players at every part of the defense so far this offseason in a clear effort to create greater competition heading into training camp and further security at each position before the draft. The latest efforts have come along the defensive interior with two signings on the same day: Phil Hoskins and Byron Cowart.

The news of both Hoskins’s and Cowart’s signings was leaked on Friday afternoon. Terms of the deals were not yet known, as of press time.

The Chiefs lost Khalen Saunders in free agency to the New Orleans Saints, so there was a rotational need for someone to fit into the picture here. However, the Chiefs decided to bring back Derrick Nnadi for a sixth season already, and Turk Wharton was also brought back after missing most of last season with an injury.

To further bolster the interior next to Chris Jones, the team now adds a fresh face in Cowart and a slightly familiar one in Hoskins—both players from the SEC. Hoskins joined the Chiefs as a practice squad signing back in January, so it’s not surprising to see them bring him back for a longer evaluation during the postseason. He was a seventh-round choice of the Carolina Panthers in 2021 after playing at Kentucky.

As for Cowart, he comes over as an Auburn product who was drafted in the fifth round in the 2019 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Cowart grew into a 14-game starter in just his second season with Bill Belichick in 2020, but was lost for the entire year on injured reserve in 2021. Cast aside, he joined the Colts last year and played in all 17 games as a rotational lineman—playing 20 percent of snaps.