Despite being in the midst of a potential playoff run, Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach must still keep an eye towards the future.
That’s part of the job for an NFL general manager and there are no days off when it comes to building a winner. We mentioned that the Chiefs have already signed wide receiver Mathew Sexton to a future/reserve contract on January 11.
Later that night, six more deals were announced and sports producer Nick Jacobs listed them via Twitter.
The Chiefs have signed the following to reserve/futures deals:
WR Omar Bayless
TE Jordan Franks
WR Gary Jennings
RB Brenden Knox
DT Lorenzo Neal
WR Mathew Sexton
DT Darius Stills
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2 Wide Receivers Headline Group
The two most notable names from this group are probably wide receivers Gary Jennings Jr. and Omar Bayless.
The former West Virginia man, Jennings, was the Seattle Seahawks fourth-round pick in 2019. He was also the Mountaineers Offensive Player of the Year in 2017.
Known for his kick returning prowess and an “impressive combination of size, speed and contested-catch toughness” in college — per draft analyst Lance Zierlein — Jennings has struggled to make his mark in the NFL. Since being drafted, the WVU product has already played for six different franchises in three seasons.
Kansas City will be his seventh stop in 2022.
As for Bayless, the undrafted rookie looked to be a promising prospect for the Carolina Panthers in 2020 but in the end, he failed to stick with the roster. Zierlein originally pegged the Arkansas State product as a “vertical target coming off a monster season with several big plays to light up the stat sheet.”
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Scouting the Rest of the Lot
You never know what may come out of a futures deal and Veach has a great eye for talent. Having said that, let’s take a brief look at a few of these other additions.
Brenden Knox, RB, Marshall
Knox earned Conference USA and team MVP honors in 2019, while also being selected to first-team all-conference in 2020.
Zierlein wrote: “Knox checks the size box with the physical traits and overall body composition of an early-down running back. His stiff arm is powerful but it’s his strong legs and sturdy base that fuel balance, allowing him to create yards after contact. He plays with above-average feet for his size as an interior runner but that athletic talent is often mitigated by indecisiveness and a lack of vision/trust that has him pulling the run off track when he shouldn’t.”
The undrafted prospect began his professional career with the Dallas Cowboys in 2021.
Lorenzo Neal, DT, Purdue
Neal has NFL blood, being that his father was a fullback for 16 seasons. He went undrafted and has spent time with the New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos in 2021.
At Purdue, he was a team captain and a three-year starter. Zierlein noted that “Neal was much quicker and more impactful as a nose for the Purdue defense, but his knee injury took away 2019 and he was just too heavy to get a good feel for what he could do in 2020.”
Darius Stills, DT, West Virginia
Stills is the second former Mountaineer added by the Chiefs. He’s also another NFL legacy and one step further, he’s a Kansas City legacy. His father, Gary Stills, was a pass rusher and a former third-round draft pick of the Chiefs in 1999.
Darius Stills went undrafted and played for the AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders in 2021.
He’s another nose tackle prospect like Neal and Zierlein described him as a player who has “an extremely active brand of football with desired short-area foot quickness and the leverage to play through blocks when he gets into gaps.”
Jordan Franks, TE, Central Florida
The brother of quarterback Feleipe Franks was an undrafted rookie out of Central Florida. He was a fullback hybrid who transitioned into a tight end at the NFL level, spending time with the Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns.
Franks has been touted for his athleticism but he doesn’t profile as too much of a receiving threat. He has appeared in seven NFL outings and most of his use has come on special teams.
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Chiefs Sign 6 Including Former College Offensive Player of Year