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It felt like the Kansas City Chiefs had so many wide receiver options at the start of training camp, but after the Ihmir Smith-Marsette trade and injuries to Nikko Remigio and Kekoa Crawford, former draft pick Cornell Powell was the only wideout remaining on the KC practice squad heading into the 2023 campaign.
The Chiefs corrected that on August 31, signing Denver Broncos 2022 fifth rounder Montrell Washington to the practice squad — a jack of all trades out of Samford. They also brought in cornerback Keith Taylor, cutting 2023 UDFA Reese Taylor, another CB. Chiefs Digest insider Matt Derrick was the first to announce this news.
He also noted that the practice squad is now full at 17 players — including roster exemption Chuckwuebuka Godrick (OT).
Chiefs New WR Montrell Washington Was STATS All-American Returner at Samford
With Smith-Marsette departing, the Chiefs lost their practice squad returner in case of emergency. Washington is his likely replacement for the time being.
The 2022 rookie was a STATS All-American return specialist in 2019 and a First-Team All-SoCon returner in 2021. He was also a Second-Team All-SoCon wide receiver in 2021.
Washington averaged a ridiculous 21.9 yards per punt return during that 2019 season (one touchdown), with 22.1 yards per kick return. In 2021, he registered another punt return touchdown, although his average was more human at 11.1 yards per return.
His other major college accomplishment was that he “led the FCS with 1,938 all-purpose yards in 2021, including 813 receiving yards, 742 kick return yards, 243 punt return yards and 140 rushing yards, while adding 18 touchdowns” — according to Sports Illustrated’s Ric Serritella.
Considering his availability, Washington obviously didn’t have the same level of success in Denver. Over 18 kick returns, he only averaged 18.9 yards with 15 punt returns for 8.5 yards.
As a receiver, he also caught four passes (nine targets) for a total of two yards, with five rushes for a more impactful 30 yards on the ground. Having said that, Washington is just 24 years old and might offer some untapped potential for special teams coordinator Dave Toub and head coach Andy Reid.
Chiefs Bring in Ex-Panthers Fifth-Round CB Keith Taylor
There has been a theme with the Chiefs’ most recent additions — including waiver claim Darius Rush — they’re all former fifth-round selections.
Keith Taylor was the Carolina Panthers’ fifth rounder in 2021. He’s a lanky 6-foot-3 CB that logged snaps in all 34 games over the past two seasons — with 827 of them coming on defense and another 390 on special teams.
Out of those appearances, Taylor started five games for the Panthers with six passes defended, one tackle for a loss and one forced fumble. He also accumulated 67 total tackles, with a below average coverage grade hovering around 53.0 on Pro Football Focus.
Bleacher Report draft scout Cory Giddings once described him as a “versatile corner with ideal length [that] showed the ability to play out wide and in the slot, covering in-line tight ends.” Giddings added that Taylor “shows the physicality to play close to the line of scrimmage, along with above-average blitzing, [and is] a willing tackler but shows inconsistency with his angles and tackle security.”
As for Reese Taylor, the slot cornerback had impressed during Organized Team Activities, snagging a few interceptions here and there throughout the spring and summer. He performed well enough to earn an initial spot on the practice squad, but not well enough to stick.
We’ll see if the Chiefs elect to bring him back at any point this season, as we’ve seen them do in the past with prospects that are seemingly on the brink of the 69-man roster.
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