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As the dust settled after the NFL trade deadline, Kansas City Chiefs fans hoping for a sparkly new pass rusher were left wanting.
According to reports, the Chiefs did pursue help at the defensive end position but were unable to find a suitor that matched their asking price. Just before the final bell, FanSided national reporter Matt Verderame burst everyone’s bubble by revealing that “the Chiefs are not close on any trades” for an edge rusher.
He ended up being correct — although Kansas City did make one move at the buzzer, selling off veteran cornerback Rashad Fenton in an effort to clear both cap space and a path for their rookie DBs to start. The Chiefs also re-signed an intriguing D-end prospect that spent some time with them this summer.
Chiefs Re-Sign Ex-Cowboys’ Azur Kamara to Practice Squad
According to the NFL’s official transaction log, Kansas City re-signed pass rusher Azur Kamara to the practice squad along with wide receiver/returner Dazz Newsome — which was leaked earlier in the day on November 1.
The former Dallas Cowboys prospect is probably best remembered for his featured appearance on the 2021 season of the HBO docu-series, Hard Knocks. During training camp with the Cowboys that summer, Kamara captured the hearts of fans because of his compelling backstory that centered around immigrating to America from the Ivory Coast at a young age.
After surviving war and hardship alongside his family, Kamara found football in the states and quickly took to it before earning a spot at the University of Kansas. At the NFL level, the raw but talented D-end made the Cowboys roster in Dan Quinn’s system before eventually getting released after nine special teams appearances (Pro Football Focus graded him at a solid 72.1 with three tackles on ST duties).
The Chiefs picked up Kamara the following offseason in July before cutting him when the final preseason roster dropped to 53 men. The youngster did spend part of September with the KC practice squad and now he’ll return.
During his time on the open market, Kamara received one tryout with the Denver Broncos but was not offered a contract. He’ll look to continue his development in Kansas City.
Will Chiefs Faith in Frank Clark Be Their Undoing?
This spring, the Chiefs front office decided to restructure Frank Clark’s contract rather than move on. The veteran has responded with a lackluster three-sack effort over his first seven starts of 2022.
Clark has not been terrible by any means, but he has failed to live up to his price tag once again.
Now, with the trade deadline come and gone, it will be on Clark and company to perform down the stretch. George Karlaftis has shown positive signs as a rookie but he’s not ready for a starter’s workload. Neither is the 33-year-old Carlos Dunlap who looks like he’s lost a step this season.
Mike Danna has been solid, when healthy, but he’s no more of a star pass rusher than Clark is at this point in his career. It’s clearly a rotational game plan right now in Kansas City — with blitzers coming off the edge — but is that enough to get the job done against an offensive powerhouse like the Buffalo Bills or the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC conference? How about Cincinnati or Miami and Tyreek Hill?
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense should hold up their end of the bargain when the time comes but this defense is putting a lot of faith in veterans like Clark. After all, the rest of the unit is young with a clear lack of postseason experience.
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