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The Kansas City Chiefs lost one 53-man roster cut after waiver claims were announced on August 28. That player was undrafted rookie linebacker Curtis Jacobs — who was poached onto the New England Patriots’ active roster.
Jacobs was immediately pegged as a UDFA that was “most likely” to make an NFL Week 1 roster this spring. And he lived up to that billing throughout the summer.
Having said that, the Chiefs are extremely deep at linebacker right now. In the end, KC elected to roll with NFL-proven special teams experience over Jacobs’ potential ceiling — which Bleacher Report draft analyst Ryan Fowler detailed back on May 5.
“Jacobs was the No. 2 linebacker recruit in the class of 2020, according to 247Sports,” Fowler wrote at the time. “While he has yet to marry his elite athleticism and fundamental ability as a football player, he has an immense floor as a special teamer with the potential to earn rotational snaps.”
Ironically, it turns out that Jacobs will begin the season on an NFL roster as Fowler predicted. It just won’t be the one he started with.
Chiefs Claim Defensive Back Eric Scott off Waivers From Cowboys
The Chiefs lost Jacobs on waivers, but they also gained a prospect in return. The NFL transaction log noted that Kansas City claimed defensive back Eric Scott, who was officially cut by the Dallas Cowboys on August 27.
Scott was a sixth-round selection of the Cowboys in 2023. He has yet to appear in a regular season NFL outing after suiting up for 34 at Southern Mississippi in college.
Over that span of games, Scott accumulated 78 total tackles, 12 pass breakups, 5 interceptions, 2.0 tackles for a loss, 2 fumble recoveries and 2 defensive touchdowns as a cornerback.
He was projected to be a priority UDFA by NFL Network draft analyst Lance Zierlein in 2023.
“Scott’s size and explosiveness will immediately jump out to NFL teams,” Zierlein scouted at the time. “The traits are nice, but the agility and fluidity are major concerns as it pertains to staying connected to routes as a man defender. Scott seeks out playmaking opportunities and has the attributes needed to win 50/50 challenges, but he needs to play in zone-heavy looks and become a more well-rounded run defender.”
After this claim, Scott will join a wide-open cornerback room in KC. His competition behind CB1 Trent McDuffie will be Jaylen Watson, Nazeeh Johnson, Joshua Williams, Nic Jones and nickelback/safety Chamarri Conner.
Chiefs Retain LB Reserve Cole Christiansen via the Practice Squad
Jacobs missed out on a roster spot while competing with backup linebackers Jack Cochrane, Cam Jones and Cole Christiansen. Cochrane and Jones ended up making the roster for the second straight season — third straight for the former — but Christiansen joined Jacobs as a cut.
Fortunately, the Chiefs did manage to retain Christiansen on August 28. KC Star beat reporter Jesse Newell relayed the news, stating that the reserve linebacker and special teamer would be signing with the Kansas City practice squad.
This will be key as the season progresses. With practice squad elevations becoming more and more important to the modern-day NFL, Christiansen adds value.
His experience on special teams is obviously very useful. But even more integral could be his years inside this defensive system if injuries were to occur.
Right now, the Chiefs are pretty set at linebacker. Christiansen adds that little bit of extra security though.
The Army product has been in Kansas City since 2022. He has appeared in six regular season outings, playing solely on special teams. The Chiefs also elevated Christiansen for three playoff games last winter, showing how much they trust him.
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