Kansas City Chiefs 2012 Training Camp Roster Moves

The Chiefs have gotten nicked up quite a bit during their 2012 training camp, and several injuries have forced the team to make some roster moves as the upcoming regular season approaches. After losing two fullbacks, Kansas City has signed Patrick DiMarco.

DiMarco signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers last season, and had a brief training camp stint with the Chiefs’ rival. On the third day of camp, the fullback fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his foot, and the Chargers decided to release him. DiMarco played in 52 games as both a fullback and tight end in college at the University of South Carolina, where he caught 38 passes for 302 yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 34 yards on 11 attempts. He developed a reputation as a good lead blocker, and hopefully he can help the Chiefs avoid a significant drop off in camp. He is the nephew of PGA Tour Pro Chris DiMarco.

DiMarco was required to go through a three-day acclimation period before becoming eligible to join the Chiefs in practice; meaning today will be the first day he can participate in team drills. The Chiefs training camp roster now has 90 players, meaning the team is at its full camp allotment.

The signing of DiMarco was necessary due to an injury to Shane Bannon. Bannon suffered an abdominal injury early last week; however the team believes he will be able to return to practice within the next couple of days. The other fullback on the roster, Taylor Gentry, was cut after he failed the Chiefs’ physical. Rookie Nate Eachus has played fullback in practice over the past couple of days.

Kansas City has had to do some shuffling on its offensive line as well, as veteran reserve Tony Ugoh decided to retire from football after the team recently signed him. To replace Ugoh, the Chiefs signed veteran tackle Ray Willis, who was recently cut from the New York Jets. Willis played 44 games with the Seahawks from 2005-2009, starting 26 games. A knee injury kept him out of the 2010 season, and he has been trying to stick on a roster ever since. He should provide some quality depth and experience backing up Branden Albert and Eric Winston.

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Breaking Down the Chiefs' WR Position

The Kansas City Chiefs have made an effort to surround QB Matt Cassel with more weapons to work with, including an upgraded receiving corps. The Chiefs already boast one of the top rushing attacks in the league, and if the team can find some consistency and explosiveness with its wideouts, Kansas City will likely have one of the best offenses in the NFL.

Dwayne Bowe finally delivered the type of performance Kansas City fans thought he was capable of last year, earning a pro bowl bid after a monster regular season. While Bowe produced like a bona fide top WR, Kansas City struggled to find other receivers to take some of the heat off him and spread the field. The Chiefs upgraded their receiver corps this offseason by signing Steve Breaston, who has been productive in his first few seasons in the league. If Breaston can stay healthy, he should have a strong first season in Kansas City.

Since Breaston will likely be used more as a slot receiver, the attention now turns to who will start on the outside opposite of Bowe. The Chiefs selected Jonathan Baldwin in the first round of the draft, and by all accounts, the rookie has been impressive so far in camp. However, Kansas City currently has Jerheme Urban listed as the starter opposite of Bowe. Urban showed a lot of promise in Arizona before missing last season with a broken hand, and his experience could help him get the nod over Baldwin early in the season. No matter who starts, expect both to be mixed into the passing game with Bowe, Breaston and tight end Tony Moeaki.

Kansas City will likely keep Terrance Copper as the team's fifth receiver due to his ability on special teams and may keep Jeremy Horne as a sixth receiver. Horne, who signed with the Chiefs as an rookie free agent in 2010, spent last season on the team's practice squad.

Chiefs Sign Amon Gordon

In an effort to add some much-needed depth to its defensive line, the Kansas City Chiefs have signed free agent Amon Gordon. Gordon has been a bit of a journeyman in his NFL career, having played with the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks.

Gordon has made four starts and seen action in 17 games in his pro career. The former fifth round pick out of Stanford has 36 career tackles and a forced fumble.

The 6'2, 305 lb. lineman should provide some good competition for Tyson Jackson, who has had some motivational issues in the past. By all accounts, Jackson has showed up for camp this season in great shape and could be poised to live up to the hype that surrounded him when the Chiefs selected him third overall in the 2009 draft. This is a make or break season for Jackson, and the Chiefs were smart to pick up a little insurance should the former LSU star once again fail to live up to expectations.

Chiefs Signed Brandon Carr And Justin Houstin

After signing OLB Tamba Hali to a five year deal, Kansas City only had two key free agents left to sign and get into camp. The Chiefs have now reached terms with cornerback Brandon Carr and rookie LB Justin Houston, putting Kansas City at full strength on the defensive side of the ball.

Carr has started every game at corner for the Chiefs over the past three seasons, pairing with Brandon Flowers to form one of the best cornerback tandums in the league. Yesterday, Carr signed his restricted free agent tender, and will join the team in camp shortly. After agreeing to terms with Carr, Kansas City added more depth to its defensive backfield, signing safety Sabby Piscitelli.

Kansas City finally came to terms with rookie Justin Houston, making the former Georgia star the last rookie to sign with the team. Houston's four year deal is worth around 2.8 million dollars, a bargain for a player many thought was talented enough to be drafted in the first round. Kansas City is counting on Houston to provide a much-needed pass rush opposite of Hali, who has been the team's only consistent threat to opposing quarterbacks.