Chiefs cut three, sign one, plus other roster notes ahead of rookie minicamp

The Kansas City Chiefs released three players and signed one ahead of rookie minicamp, which begins on Saturday, May 4. The Chiefs released wide receiver Josh Crockett, defensive tackle Henry Mondeaux and fullback Aaron Ripkowski and signed Old Dominion defensive end Tim Ward.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach explained that 6-foot-6, 255-pound Ward was a player the team discovered while scouting his teammate, Oshane Ximines, who was taken in the third round of the NFL Draft by the New York Giants.

“[Ward] was a guy that tore his knee, I don’t know that he’ll be ready this year, but he’s going to be a prototypical Steve Spagnuolo defensive end,” Veach said on a conference call last Monday. “He’s long, athletic, started playing football late, and everyone kind of went in there to evaluate the Ximines kid who got drafted at Old Dominion, this was a kid that one of our scouts, Mike Davis, had mentioned, ‘Hey, they’ve got this other defensive end and he’s raw as all get-out, started playing football late.’ The late tape at Old Dominion he really started coming on, we had him in here for one of the workouts here. The NFL conducted another combine here that we had and he had come to that. Spent a lot of time with him. You may not see him this year, but we’re going to take our time with his rehab, we’re not going to rush him, and he could be a guy that could really develop and be a player in the future.”

Crockett spent last season on the Chiefs’ practice squad, while the other two releases were signed by the Chiefs earlier this offseason.

Late Friday evening, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Chiefs gave former Syracuse wide receiver Jamal Custis $100,000 in guaranteed money to sign with the club.

That probably means that Custis has a solid chance at making the final 53-man roster. Friend-of-the-site Terez Paylor chimed in with some other details on the undrafted free agents’ contracts on Friday.

Thor Nystrom of Rotoworld.com graded the Chiefs with the best undrafted free agent class.

The Chiefs’ undrafted free agent additions should be finalized by the time the team takes the field early Saturday afternoon.

We’ll keep you updated.