Chiefs release CB KeiVarae Russell (2 Viewers)

[mjf504]

He was cut from there roster but KC will probably sign him to there practice squad.

No different than Saints giving up on 3rd rounder Grayson.

 

[St. Geezy]

When is the last time a top 2 or 3 round pick got cut very early in his career and then suddenly blossomed at their next stop.

I know it happens much more with low round picks and UDFAs since they are usually caught up in numbers games and don't really get ample opportunities to show their stuff, but usually a team does everything they can to see that their high round picks succeed.

I know there are examples, I just can't seem to think of any off-hand.

 

[B_doggman47]

He was cut from there roster but KC will probably sign him to there practice squad.

No different than Saints giving up on 3rd rounder Grayson.

If they would have given up on Grayson, they wouldn't have signed him to the PS. They probably needed his roster spot for another player they needed more than an extra QB.

 

[Mojomajik9]

The new NOLA Saints beat reporter used to cover the Chiefs:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Whoa. KeiVarae Russell was Chiefs&#39; third-round draft pick in 2016. Teams in need of a CB should be very interested. <a href="https://t.co/1y1QTnfn99">https://t.co/1y1QTnfn99</a></p>&mdash; Herbie Teope (@HerbieTeope) <a href="https://twitter.com/HerbieTeope/status/776063168342663168">September 14, 2016</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Reference that last tweet and before I left Chiefs beat, saw KeiVarae Russell can play press-man, has good size at 5-11, 196 pounds.</p>&mdash; Herbie Teope (@HerbieTeope) <a href="https://twitter.com/HerbieTeope/status/776063844200308736">September 14, 2016</a></blockquote>
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[ANKOMA33]

According to the folks in KC, he was a reach in rd3 & he needs a lot of work.

Pass.

 

[crosswatt]

He was cut from there roster but KC will probably sign him to there practice squad.

No different than Saints giving up on 3rd rounder Grayson.

No different than if the Saints had cut him in the same season as his draft date. Russell was taken in this year's draft.

 

[crosswatt]

The new NOLA Saints beat reporter used to cover the Chiefs:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Whoa. KeiVarae Russell was Chiefs&#39; third-round draft pick in 2016. Teams in need of a CB should be very interested. <a href="https://t.co/1y1QTnfn99">https://t.co/1y1QTnfn99</a></p>&mdash; Herbie Teope (@HerbieTeope) <a href="https://twitter.com/HerbieTeope/status/776063168342663168">September 14, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Reference that last tweet and before I left Chiefs beat, saw KeiVarae Russell can play press-man, has good size at 5-11, 196 pounds.</p>&mdash; Herbie Teope (@HerbieTeope) <a href="https://twitter.com/HerbieTeope/status/776063844200308736">September 14, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

When we were doing the "Official" Mock Draft, I seem to remember him being looked at by multiple teams as a safety. I wonder if he was tried there and it's a no go, or if his time in the slot was unproductive, as KC needs a slot/nickel corner right now, not a boundary guy.

Either way though, something is up with this quick of a roster decision.

 

[LoE]

Bring him in. Kid deserves at least a try-out.

I picked him a number of times, late, in mock drafts. I remember the thing I didn't like about him was missing that season for academic dishonesty. Still, we're beggars at CB right now, so bring him in, at least give him a look.

 

[mccombmike]

But I was led to believe that missing on draft picks only happened to the Saints?

EXACTLY. Everyone acts as if this is the only NFL team this happens to. Oakland lost two starter O lineman last week -- they may have a W, but they are in our boat exactly. Their Oline, our CBs, same situation.

This happens to everyone. Draft picks and trades don't work out. People get hurt. It's football.

Snead got cut by two different NFL teams and you could argue that he is our best WR right now. You don't always know how things work out.

 

[JackT.]

bring him in and take a look.

 

[AL_Bundy]

In a passing league, I doubt anyone is waiving a CB with any promise at all. Especially when you've given up a 3rd round pick to get him. Sounds like they are just cutting bait and admitting he's not an NFL caliber CB.

So, doesn't that make him perfect for us? /sarcasm

 

[LoE]

He was waived. Which means we cannot contact him, not even for a tryout, unless he clears waivers from all 31 teams. No way he passes all 31.

So it's a choice of either claiming him (blindly, no tryout) -- or let him pass to the next team in the waiver order.

 

[lildyce504]

Do I have this right? He was waived. Which means we cannot contact him, not even for a tryout, unless he clears the waivers from all 31 teams. No way he passes all 31.

Right?

So as I understand it, it's a choice of either claiming him (blindly, no tryout) -- or let him pass to another team in the waiver order.

Right if the Saints put in a claim, I doubt we'd get him. I'm sure Cleveland or some other team with a higher priority will be awarded the player.

 

[crosswatt]

Two articles that paint a clearer picture of the depth chart he was dealing with, but it's still baffling as to why they were willing to cut him so soon.

Since training camp started, the 5-foot-11, 192-pounder has watched a player at the same position taken three rounds later than he was &#8212; Georgia Tech rookie D.J. White &#8212; actually start the second preseason game, while Russell himself has been relegated solely to second- and third-team duty.

He also watched the Chiefs deal for another young corner, San Francisco&#8217;s Kenneth Acker, who immediately earned reps ahead of him. Acker started the final preseason game while Russell came off the bench.

So what gives? Russell says he&#8217;s simply struggled with the Chiefs&#8217; defensive terminology, most of which he heard and used at Notre Dame but directly conflicts with what it meant in college.

&#8220;I&#8217;m getting better, but I definitely struggled at first,&#8221; Russell said. &#8220;I still had a lot of what I learned in college in my mind ... when I&#8217;d go out to practice, the terminology I was supposed to say, I wouldn&#8217;t say it the right way or I&#8217;d put it into a different defense. It&#8217;s been tough, mentally.&#8221;

Read more here: Rookie corner KeiVarae Russell is trying to master the Chiefs

Since training camp started, the 5-foot-11, 192-pounder has watched a player at the same position taken three rounds later than he was &#8212; Georgia Tech rookie D.J. White &#8212; actually start the second preseason game, while Russell himself has been relegated solely to second- and third-team duty.

He also watched the Chiefs deal for another young corner, San Francisco&#8217;s Kenneth Acker, who immediately earned reps ahead of him. Acker started the final preseason game while Russell came off the bench.

So what gives? Russell says he&#8217;s simply struggled with the Chiefs&#8217; defensive terminology, most of which he heard and used at Notre Dame but directly conflicts with what it meant in college.

&#8220;I&#8217;m getting better, but I definitely struggled at first,&#8221; Russell said. &#8220;I still had a lot of what I learned in college in my mind ... when I&#8217;d go out to practice, the terminology I was supposed to say, I wouldn&#8217;t say it the right way or I&#8217;d put it into a different defense. It&#8217;s been tough, mentally.&#8221;

Read more here: Rookie corner KeiVarae Russell is trying to master the Chiefs

 

[Eman5805]

This is where scouting comes into play again. I'm sure we didn't get rid of our reports from this offseason. And I don't care what impatient, negative types are saying, Jeff Ireland has done a very good job.

If he thinks Russell can provide something, I bet he goes for him. One thing I remember is a film review of Marcus Peters and it shows that for some reason the Chiefs weren't using Peters to his greatest strength all the time. As a press corner, in favor of having him play off ball.

Are the Chiefs doing more zone and off coverage looks now? Can't say, when the Saints lose, I don't watch other teams all that much...


Which means I haven't been doing a lot of watching the NFL lately...