Chiefs sign 13 players to reserve/future contracts on Wednesday

The Kansas City Chiefs officially signed 13 players to reserve/futures contracts on Wednesday, according to the NFL’s official transaction report. Reserve/future contracts count toward the offseason 90-man roster and 2022’s salary cap. The new league year begins on March 16 at 3 p.m. Arrowhead Time.

Here are the signees with some information about each:

• Defensive back Dicaprio Bootle

Bootle, 24, originally joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent for the 2021 NFL season. He spent the year on the practice squad but was elevated to the active roster for three games — Week 4, Week 15 and 16. The Week 16 elevation against the Pittsburgh Steelers came amidst Kansas City’s COVID-19 outbreak, and with his only defensive snaps (27) of the year, Bootle led the team with seven tackles.

• DT Cortez Broughton

Broughton, 25, originally entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick by the San Diego Chargers in the 2019 NFL Draft. He joined the Chiefs practice squad in September and was elevated for one game — Week 15 against those Chargers, as Chris Jones was on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. He had three defensive snaps.

• TE Matt Bushman

Bushman, 26, originally entered the NFL as 2021 undrafted free agent who signed with the Las Vegas Raiders and spent most of the season on their practice squad before his release in December. He left the Raiders but has decided to stay in the AFC West for the 2022 season. Elevated for two games, Bushman has 11 career offensive snaps but on his side is that he is a BYU product, which we know warms the heart of head coach Andy Reid.

• WR Gehrig Dieter

America’s favorite practice-squad player is back for his fifth year with the Chiefs in 2022. The 28-year-old Alabama product entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2017. After a catch for 10 yards in 2020, Dieter did not appear in a game in 2021. Dieter has a ring as a member of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl LIV championship team.

• DE Austin Edwards

Edwards, 24, spent most of his rookie season (2020) on the Falcons’ practice squad, getting called up for one game. The D-II man out of Ferris State was called up for two games in 2021 but never took a snap.

• WR Daurice Fountain

Fountain, 26, entered the NFL as a 2018 fifth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts out of Northern Iowa. After three years with the Colts, he landed with the Chiefs following a minicamp tryout in May. With two career catches for 23 yards over six games, it was hard to believe Fountain would crack Kansas City’s initial 53-man roster, yet he did. Fountain was waived and re-joined the practice in mid-October as veteran Josh Gordon joined the team, but Fountain saw special-teams snaps as a Week 11 and Week 15 call-up. The Chiefs preferred Fountain’s special-teams ability to anything Gordon offered on offense, as Fountain was called up for the Chiefs’ playoff games.

• WR Josh Gordon

Gordon, 30, is the most recognizable name on this list. The veteran receiver played in 12 games for the Chiefs during the 2021 season (seven starts). He was targeted 14 times, but he only caught five passes for 32 yards and a touchdown. He was inactive for the Chiefs’ first two playoff games to allow Fountain to play, and he was waived to make room for defensive tackle Khalen Saunders ahead of the AFC title game. A midseason addition, Gordon still may have 2022 upside with a full offseason under his belt.

• LB Darius Harris

Harris, 26, originally joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and now enters his fourth season with the Chiefs in 2022. After “redshirting” 2019 due to a shoulder injury, Harris made his first career start against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16 of the 2020 season. In that game, he recorded his first career fumble recovery. Harris appeared in seven games for the Chiefs in 2021 but only registered special-teams snaps.

• OT Roderick Johnson

Johnson, 26, originally entered the league as a 2017 fourth-round pick made by the Cleveland Browns. Johnson landed on injured reserve in 2017 due to a knee injury, and the Browns waived him in 2018. He was claimed by the Houston Texans, for which he appeared in 29 games (including six starts) from 2018-20. Johnson started at both tackle positions for the Texans while also entering numerous games as an extra blocker. He joined the Chiefs' practice squad during the playoffs last month.

• DB Devon Key

Key, 24, originally joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent ahead of training camp last season. Key was a hot name up in St. Joseph to make the 53-man roster (including some praise from Arrowhead Pride), and he especially turned heads when he saw camp time with the first team. The buzz ended with San Francisco 49ers rookie Trey Lance hit Trent Sherfield in the preseason, and Sherfield turned Key around for an 80-yard touchdown. Key never saw a game, spending the year on the Chiefs’ practice squad.

• WR Cornell Powell

The Chiefs’ 2021 NFL Draft class was tremendous, as it includes the likes of Nick Bolton, Creed Humphrey, Trey Smith — and even raw prospects in tight end Noah Gray and Josh Kaindoh. Less talked about is Powell, the 24-year-old fifth-round pick out of Clemson. Powell was cut in favor of Fountain at receiver. While he never appeared in a game, he continued to develop on the practice squad. We will see where he is at during organized team activities (OTAs).

• TE Mark Vital

Vital, 24, originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Seattle Seahawks in September 2021. Vital joined the Seahawks as a player transitioning from the sport of basketball, which he played at Baylor. The Seahawks quickly moved on, and Vital became available to the Chiefs’ practice squad in mid-September. The Chiefs have shown previous success in developing former transition players, like Demetrius Harris — who, if you didn’t realize, played basketball in college.

• C Darryl Williams

Williams, 24, originally joined the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent for the 2020 season, and he enters his third year with the Chiefs in 2022. Long considered an intriguing prospect, the man “who loves Kansas City” has yet to make an active-roster impact for the Chiefs.