Update (October 3, 2018 | 5:33 p.m. CT)
Ellis has been added to the Chiefs’ injured reserve list.
TE Alex Ellis has been placed on the #Chiefs injured reserve list, per the NFL’s official transactions report. It turns out Ellis was waived with an injury designation on Tuesday.
— Pete Sweeney (@pgsween) October 3, 2018
The Kansas City Chiefs waived tight end Alex Ellis and signed free-agent defensive back Josh Shaw Tuesday afternoon, the team announced via its official Twitter account Tuesday afternoon.
We waived TE Alex Ellis.
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) October 2, 2018
We signed free agent DB Josh Shaw. pic.twitter.com/c2jToiHCou
Ellis made the Chiefs at the 53-man roster deadline and played 10 offensive snaps Week 1 with Demetrius Harris out with a suspension. He didn’t see much time after that, and I suspected when the Chiefs added David Wells his cut could be inevitable. Ellis didn’t play against the San Francisco 49ers or the Denver Broncos.
Shaw, 26, is a 6-foot, 201-pound defensive back who first entered the league as a 2015 fourth-round pick out of USC made by the Cincinnati Bengals. Some believe Shaw fell in the draft that year due to the infamous balcony incident at USC, in which he injured himself and lied about it.
Shaw played 47 games (14 starts) for the Bengals over the past three seasons at cornerback and safety before injuring his groin in the team’s third preseason game.
Shaw was waived by the club in early September with an injury settlement.
Rapid reaction from the Arrowhead Pride Nerd Squad
Shaw is a CB/S hybrid that doesn't have great speed, but definitely fits the Chiefs press requirement. Decent coming up on crossers as a safety coming out, fits the Chiefs "do it all" versatility if they are deploying him as a S.
— Craig Stout (@barleyhop) October 2, 2018
Josh Shaw was playing as a safety this preseason in Cincinnati if you were wondering.
— Kent Swanson (@kent_swanson) October 2, 2018
With any move for Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas now off the table, perhaps the Chiefs are getting creative with how to upgrade their secondary.
There were expectations in Cincinnati that the fourth-year defensive back would make the club, and it was somewhat of a surprise he didn’t return once his injury was healed.