Chiefs Sign Recent Raiders Draft Pick, Cut Rookie WR: Report

Following Bryan Cook’s ankle injury in Week 13, the Kansas City Chiefs

reportedly finalized a signing that should help address their safety depth.

 

On December 5, KSHB41 media member Nick Jacobs disclosed the transaction,

saying, “WR Chase Cota’s practice squad contract has been terminated by the

Chiefs.” S Tyree Gillespie was signed by the team to fill the vacancy.

The division rival Las Vegas Raiders selected Gillespie, a 25-year-old defensive

back, in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. During his rookie campaign, he

played in 11 games with the Raiders, mostly helping out on special teams.

It goes without saying that Gillespie’s time in Las Vegas wasn’t successful. The

following summer, the Silver and Black did in fact trade the safety prospect to

the Tennessee Titans for a conditional pick, but that deal also fell through when

Gillespie couldn’t make it through the final cut in Tennessee.

After that, the Jacksonville Jaguars claimed him. After making three special team appearances for the Jags in 2022,

Gillespie hasn’t suit up for a regular season game since.

Chiefs New Signing Tyree Gillespie Scouted as ‘Physical’ & ‘Athletic’ Deep Safety Prospect Out of College

Back in 2021, Gillespie was scouted as a third or fourth-round talent for a reason.

NFL Network draft expert Lance Zierlein called him a safety prospect with “the

physical and athletic profile to make it in the league,” although he did add that

“finding the right spot for him could be the key.”

Gillespie, who has joined his fifth team in three years, including a brief stint with

the Houston Texans, has not yet found that fit.

 

Draft scout Cory Giddings of Bleacher Report wrote in 2021, “Gillespie is an

average-sized safety who flashes very good speed and twitch.” “Having played

in over 30 games for the [Missouri] Tigers, he has a ton of experience,”

Giddings added that Gillespie “may be best served as a deep Cover 3 safety” in

the NFL and that he “works best in deep coverage, where he can see the play develop.”

Noting that Gillespie “frequently roamed as a single-high safety in the Missouri scheme,” Zierlein restated this

description. Although he lacks top-end range, the NFL Network scout called his

ball-carrier pursuit fluid and his instincts “decent.”

 

Zierlein came to the conclusion at the time that Gillespie “should be an early

contributor on special teams with enough versatility to be looked at in a

variety of schemes, although there might not be a perfect fit for him.”

As Gillespie gets a look in practice over the next few weeks, expect the Chiefs to

potentially elevate veteran safety Deon Bush in Cook’s absence.