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The Kansas City Chiefs could potentially still use some help at defensive tackle and a former member of the 2022 D-line just became available again assuming he’s healthy.
According to the NFL league notice, the Houston Texans terminated the contract of veteran DT Taylor Stallworth with an injury settlement on May 30.
However, on May 18, Stallworth’s agent Brett Tessler cleared the air in regard to his injury, stating: “It has been incorrectly reported that my client Taylor Stallworth has been put on season-ending IR with the Houston Texans. We will be doing an injury settlement on a short-term injury which would allow him to return there in the coming months or sign elsewhere when ready.”
Based on the Texans’ decision to release Stallworth, it appears both sides settled on him signing “elsewhere” once he’s healthy enough to play.
Taylor Stallworth Is Familiar With Chiefs Defense
Kansas City general manager Brett Veach has been shopping in the bargain aisle at defensive tackle outside of superstar Chris Jones — let’s just be real about it.
The projected starter next to Jones is Derrick Nnadi, who’s back for yet another season in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. Nnadi’s stats do not jump off the page whatsoever, and many are already predicting that sixth-round prospect Keondre Coburn could replace him before the year is out.
That’s a sixth-rounder we’re talking about.
The alternative options are Tershawn Wharton — returning from a torn ACL — Phil Hoskins, Danny Shelton, Matt Dickerson, Chris Williams and tweener Daniel Wise. Out of these six reserves, the most expensive is Wharton with $850K in guaranteed money. The other five are guaranteed nothing, and you could probably bring back Stallworth on a similar type of deal.
Coming off an injury settlement and lackluster 2022 campaign, the veteran shouldn’t cost much and he’s at least familiar with the system. After all, Spagnuolo has preferred familiarity over the years and Stallworth provides that, while also adding a small boost in the talent and experience departments over a few of the names above.
All told, the former New Orleans Saints UDFA and Indianapolis Colts breakout appeared in six games with the Chiefs during the early stages of the 2022 Super Bowl run. He never made it to the postseason, finishing the year with the Texans, but he did register four total tackles with Kansas City.
Ex-Chiefs DT Taylor Stallworth Flashed Dual-Threat Potential With Colts
There’s a reason KC targeted Stallworth in the first place last offseason. The journeyman defensive tackle flashed some dual-threat potential with Indy, but was quickly lost in a crowded Chiefs 2022 depth chart behind Jones, Nnadi and Khalen Saunders last summer.
Veach eventually made the move to bring in veteran Brandon Williams — another free agent option that’s still available in 2023 — replacing Stallworth late in the year.
Having said that, the ex-Colt did log three sacks as a rotational piece in 2021, with 12 QB hits and four tackles for a loss. That was his best NFL season.
As training camp depth in 2023, the Chiefs could do far worse than Stallworth assuming the price is right. First, he’ll have to prove he’s healthy but if he does, he could be signed to compete for one of the final roster spots — or key practice squad roles — in Kansas City this summer.
If it doesn’t work out, the Chiefs could always choose to bolster the position more later on via signing or trade —which appears to be the plan anyway.
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