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A former Kansas City Chiefs champion is on the move again.
The Arizona Cardinals announced the signing themselves, welcoming cornerback Rashad Fenton to “the Valley.” Cardinals Twitter added that it’s a one-year contract for the ex-KC starter.
ESPN’s Field Yates and The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov confirmed this one-year agreement moments later.
Chiefs Wash Out in Rashad Fenton Trade With Falcons
The Chiefs dealt away Fenton in a cap-saving move last year at the trade deadline, but it was mostly a total wash for both parties involved.
A five-game starter for Kansas City in 2022, Fenton barely played with the Atlanta Falcons, registering two appearances and one start. He still made out with his second Super Bowl ring for his troubles, but the Chiefs never received the conditional seventh-round pick that they traded the cornerback for in the first place.
During a Chiefs Wire draft pick update on March 10, media member Charles Goldman explained: “The Chiefs did not receive a conditional draft pick for the trade that sent Rashad Fenton to Atlanta. Whatever the conditions were for that trade, they were not met. It’s not a huge surprise as Fenton didn’t play much for the Falcons last year.”
A former sixth-round selection out of South Carolina, Fenton served three and a half years as a cog in defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s secondary. All told, he appeared in 47 games, starting 16. He also forced four turnovers (two interceptions, two fumbles) and defended 20 passes.
In the end, he was ousted by rookie breakouts Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams, who quickly outshined Fenton during the early portion of the 2022 campaign. It’ll be interesting to see if the 26-year-old corner is able to rebound inside a weak Arizona secondary.
Chiefs Faith in Young CB Room Was Rewarded
Even if the trade didn’t turn into a seventh-round pick for the Chiefs, it did work out in the long run for Kansas City. In trading Fenton, KC general manager Brett Veach and Spagnuolo both declared their confidence in youngsters like Trent McDuffie, Watson and Williams.
Obviously, given the end result of the 2022 season, that faith was rewarded.
It’s an underrated point, but a veteran trade like that might have even provided a boost in morale for a lower pick like Watson or Williams. With McDuffie returning from injury and two veterans in front of them on the depth chart, the promising prospects might have been relegated to the bench if not for a Fenton trade — at least from their perspective.
Instead, they were given a huge vote of confidence, which turned into a full season of live action experience. That’s additional development heading into year two, and there’s no better way to learn than first-team reps at the NFL level.
WR Jumps From Chiefs Rival Chargers to Raiders
Around the NFL, there was another free agent signing this week with ties to the Chiefs — first reported on March 28. Former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver DeAndre Carter traded in his lightning bolt for some crossbones, agreeing to a new contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.
For Kansas City, Carter will go from one division rival to the other.
The pesky journeyman enjoyed a career-year in L.A., accumulating 538 receiving yards off 46 catches. He also scored three touchdowns.
Now Carter will join Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels and a new-look offense headlined by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and fellow wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Of course, Las Vegas still has superstar WR Davante Adams and workhorse running back Josh Jacobs as well.
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