Chiefs vs. Cardinals: Arizona's roster features some familiar faces

The Kansas City Chiefs are preparing to take their second road journey of the preseason with a trip to the desert where they hoisted a Lombardi Trophy only six months ago or so. There, at State Farm Stadium, they will face the Arizona Cardinals in a game intended to sort out roster battles and remind us all of the horrific playing conditions of the field there in Phoenix.

For those watching the game on Saturday night (7:00 p.m. C.T.), be on the lookout for some of these old friends on the opposite sideline.

Jackson Barton, OL

Jackson Barton came into the NFL as one of the very last players drafted back in 2019 in the seventh round at No. 240 overall. Since then, he's been able to hang around the fringes of NFL rosters enough keep his dreams of playing professional football alive even if a long-term home remains elusive.

Barton was originally drafted by the Indianapolis Colts and ultimately landed on the team's practice squad after the preseason. From there, the Chiefs swooped in and signed him away in mid-November and Barton remained on the roster through the team's first Super Bowl win in 50 years and through the next offseason until he was waived the following September.

Since then, Barton has hung on with the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders, where he even was active for a couple of games, until finally landing with the Cardinals. He faces significant competition for a swing tackle role in Arizona with Kelvin Beachum on the roster behind D.J. Humphries and first-round pick Paris Johnson, but maybe he'll still be around on the practice squad with a solid showing against K.C.

Andre Baccellia, WR

Major points for you if you recall Baccellia's days on the Chiefs' roster since it was only for a couple of months during the COVID-affected season of 2020. In fact, most fans are likely wondering why we're talking about one of the Three Tenors.

Baccellia, believe it or not, was an undrafted free agent signing by Veach out of Washington who was a traits play at the position. That trait was deep speed, which Baccellia has in spades after running the 40-yard dash in 4.28 seconds. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to keep the slight receiver on the roster.

The good news is that despite another failed stint in New England with the Patriots, the Cardinals have given him a real place to grow since the '21 season. Last year, he appeared in his first 8 games on offense and special teams and caught 7 of 10 passes thrown his way for 45 receiving yards. Those are slight numbers, but credit is due to Baccellia who grown into a trusted player for Arizona.

Rashad Fenton, CB

The Cardinals secondary looked like it was shaping up to be a good place for former Chiefs to land (more on that in a second) but unfortunately, Rashad Fenton's season ended earlier this week when the Cards placed him on injured reserve. At the very least, the former Chiefs sixth-round pick should be very visible on the sidelines.

Antonio Hamilton, DB

Antonio Hamilton is another former Chiefs defensive back who came over from the New York Giants in free agency back in 2020 to play in every single game of the season. For the Chiefs, they asked Hamiton to play special teams in a big way and he impressed Dave Toub on his way to significant reps as a core teamer.

Hamilton was never too busy on defense for the Chiefs defense, but he's slated to be a starter for the Cards this season after appearing in 27 games for them in the last two years. He's found another place to land long-term (in NFL parlance, of course) and we're happy that he's thriving in the desert.