Getty Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Austin Edwards (#60).
The Kansas City Chiefs have shaved their roster down to 85 players by waiving defensive end Austin Edwards and wide receiver Devin Gray, according to Matt Lombardo of Heavy and Herbie Teope of the Kansas City Star, who was the first on the news.
NFL teams are required to bring their rosters from 90 to 85 players by 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, per the league rules. The Chiefs entered the day with 87 players after waiving four players on Monday and officially signing veteran defensive tackle Danny Shelton.
Edwards, 24, originally entered the league undrafted out of Ferris State in 2020. He joined the Atlanta Falcons that year and was activated for one game during the 2020 season, but spent a majority of the season on the team’s practice squad.
During Kansas City’s postseason run in January of 2021 is when Edwards joined the Chiefs via the practice squad. He was a practice squad body for the team again during the 2021 season and was battling for a permanent spot in Kansas City once again this summer.
Kansas City signed Gray on August 6. Prior to joining the Chiefs, Gray 27, most recently played for the Philadelphia Stars in the USFL this spring. He recorded 215 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns during the league’s inaugural season, per Fox Sports. Prior to that, Gray spent time on the Falcons practice squad from 2019-21, as well as the Baltimore Ravens practice squad in 2021, per Pro Football Reference.
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Shelton is Officially a Chief
The Chiefs have finally signed Shelton after reports surfaced on Tuesday, August 9 that the two parties agreed to a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Shelton, 28, entered the league as a first-round draft pick — 12th overall — of the Cleveland Browns in 2015. After three seasons in Cleveland, Shelton spent three seasons with the New England Patriots, one with the Detroit Lions, and last season with the New York Giants.
During his seven-year career, Shelton has accumulated 138 tackles and 17 tackles for loss in 100 regular season games played, according to Pro Football Reference.
Shelton worked out for the Las Vegas Raiders on August 8, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. So the Chiefs potentially lured Shelton away from Las Vegas with a better offer. Time will tell what the deal is between Shelton and the defending AFC West champions.
The Raiders tried veteran NT Danny Shelton. He’s familiar with GM Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels from his time playing for the Patriots.
Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing approximately 350 pounds, Shelton does his damage on the field as a run defender. So, the Chiefs’ coaching staff must have felt they needed to improve the defense’s ability to stop the run in the trenches based on what they saw from the unit during the first few weeks of training camp.
Shelton joins a defensive tackle room in Kansas City that includes Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi, Khalen Saunders, Joshua Kaindoh, and Taylor Stallworth.
Twitter Reacts to Shelton Signing
Twitter users reacted to the Chiefs signing Shelton.
“Danny Shelton wasn’t good last year. At all. Just my first observation — not saying he can’t be good this year,” Jordan Foote of Arrowhead Report wrote. “The Chiefs now have quite a few guys competing. Going to be interesting to see how many of (or who of) Shelton/Saunders/Stallworth ends up sticking.”
“Super Bowl LIII Champion Danny Shelton spent 1 season with the Patriots and Brendan Daly was his DL coach in 2018 where the two won Super Bowls LIII together. This DL room is loaded,” another Twitter user wrote.
“I like the reported Danny Shelton signing,” Nick Jacobs of KSHB 41 News wrote. “He provides a the #Chiefs a big bodied one tech. If he can push the pocket in pass rush, that would be an added bonus.”
I like the reported Danny Shelton signing. He provides a the #Chiefs a big bodied one tech. If he can push the pocket in pass rush, that would be an added bonus.
“Danny Shelton is more an A-gap, 1-tech type of DT, something the #Chiefs really only have in Derrick Nnadi,” Ron Kopp Jr. of Arrowhead Pride wrote. “Most of the rest are closer to penetrating, B-gap type of players Might just be getting another one of those types in to help with rotation during preseason.”
Danny Shelton is more an A-gap, 1-tech type of DT, something the #Chiefs really only have in Derrick Nnadi. Most of the rest are closer to penetrating, B-gap type of players
Might just be getting another one of those types in to help with rotation during preseason
“This is absolutely a product of pre-season ultra-optimism, but … our DL is suddenly looking … not bad,” another user wrote.
“I am always down for signing a UW DAWG! Was skeptical because Shelton doesn’t bring pass rush, He’s a space-taking NT,” Ryan Tracy of Locked On Chiefs wrote. “Good sign that #Chiefs are happy with Wharton/Saunders and could go with more stout DL addition. Bad news for Stallworth’s season.”