{"id":33277,"date":"2025-03-15T07:23:37","date_gmt":"2025-03-15T07:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=33277"},"modified":"2025-03-15T07:23:37","modified_gmt":"2025-03-15T07:23:37","slug":"chiefs-sign-6-foot-6-ex-raider-lose-vet-cb-in-nfl-free-agency-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=33277","title":{"rendered":"Chiefs Sign 6-Foot-6 Ex-Raider, Lose Vet CB in NFL Free Agency: Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"l-article__header\"><\/header>\n<div class=\"l-article__meta\">\n<div class=\"l-article__meta-item l-article__meta-item--dates\">\n<ul class=\"c-meta c-meta--post c-meta--list c-meta--dates\">\n<li class=\"c-meta__item c-meta__item--updated\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"l-article__content\">\n<div class=\"c-content entry-content\">\n<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\" class=\"wp-caption \">\n<div class=\"h-responsive\">\n<figure class=\"h-responsive__inner\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"attachment-featured-image size-featured-image wp-post-image\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jerry-Tillery-e1742000743898.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jerry-Tillery-e1742000743898.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jerry-Tillery-e1742000743898.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Jerry-Tillery-e1742000743898.jpg?quality=35&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Former Raiders defensive tackle Jerry Tillery signs with Chiefs.\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" data-img-load-time=\"323\" data-dom-ready-time=\"955\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-credit\">Getty<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-post-image-caption-text\">Former Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Jerry Tillery has signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in NFL free agency.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>March 14 began with two\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/sports\/nfl\/kansas-city-chiefs\/\">K<\/a>ansas City Chiefs\u00a0reunions on the offensive side \u2014\u00a0reserve quarterback Bailey Zappe\u00a0and\u00a0veteran running back Kareem Hunt. Later in the afternoon, KC traded an addition and a departure on the defensive side.<\/p>\n<p>Beginning with the former, FOX Sports NFL insider\u00a0Jordan Schultz reported\u00a0(per his sources) that \u201cthe Chiefs are signing former\u00a0[Los Angeles] Chargers\u00a01st-round DT\u00a0Jerry Tillery\u00a0to a 1-year deal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Schultz went on to describe Tillery as a \u201cgood depth add to the Kansas City D-Line,\u201d listing 12.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles over 50 career starts.<\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_1_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-1 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_1\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"google-ad-manager-fallback-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Along with the Chargers (three and a half seasons), Tillery also spent one and a half years with the rival\u00a0Las Vegas Raiders, so the Chiefs have plenty of experience lining up against the ex-first-round talent. Tillery spent the 2024 campaign with the\u00a0Minnesota Vikings.<\/p>\n<p>Exiting Kansas City is veteran cornerback\u00a0Keith Taylor, who was\u00a0not tendered by the Chiefs on March 12.<\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_2_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-2 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div class=\"google-ad-manager-fallback-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>According\u00a0to ESPN beat reporter Marc Raimondi, Taylor signed with the\u00a0Atlanta Falcons\u00a0on March 14.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Chiefs Bet on Size &amp; Talent Once Again, Taking Flier on Ex-Chargers &amp; Raiders DT Jerry Tillery<\/h2>\n<p>Tillery (age 28) is a very typical Brett Veach signing. The Chiefs general manager loves betting on size and talent, picking up several former first-round busts over the years.<\/p>\n<p>Bust might be too strong of a word for Tillery, considering he\u2019s held a job since his draft year in 2019, but the former\u00a028th overall selection\u00a0clearly failed to live up to expectations.<\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_3_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-3 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div class=\"google-ad-manager-fallback-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>At 6-foot-6, Tillery can stand eye-to-eye with KC superstar\u00a0Chris Jones, so this is a large human being that we\u2019re talking about. He profiles as a stronger pass rusher than run defender, but as Schultz noted, Tillery has only registered 12.5 career sacks despite 141 career quarterback pressures\u00a0on Pro Football Focus.<\/p>\n<p>Of those 141 pressures, 97 were considered quarterback hurries with another 30 QB hits, so Tillery appears to have some trouble getting home.<\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_4_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-4 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/18190176,25816858\/AdThrive_Content_4\/5ad7479721520f50ab7da88e_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"google-ad-manager-fallback-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Although Tillery\u2019s tackling and run defense were both major areas of weakness in his earlier years, he seems to have improved on each one with experience. The defensive lineman cut his missed tackle rate down from percentages as high at 18.2% and 24.0% to just 9.7% and 10.0% in 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n<p>His PFF grades for run defense have followed a similar trend, with his best marks coming in 2023 with the Raiders.<\/p>\n<p>In terms of positioning, Tillery typically lines up in the B-Gap or over the OT along with some experience at defensive end \u2014 similar to Jones. He\u2019s been utilized in the A-Gap (nose\/one-tech D-tackle) the least throughout his career.<\/p>\n<div id=\"AdThrive_Content_5_desktop\" class=\"adthrive-ad adthrive-content adthrive-content-5 adthrive-ad-cls\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div class=\"google-ad-manager-fallback-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Tillery helps bolster a barren interior DL room for KC, but there is still more work to be done.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Ex-Chiefs CB Keith Taylor Lands With Falcons<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s not surprising to see Taylor sign elsewhere after the restricted free agent was not tendered by Kansas City. Theoretically, he could have returned to the Chiefs at a vet minimum salary, but it appears the cornerback found a better offer upon testing the market.<\/p>\n<p>The 26-year-old Taylor is a former fifth-round selection of the\u00a0Carolina Panthers. He spent two seasons with the NFC South franchise before being released following 2023 training camp.<\/p>\n<p>From there, he signed with the Chiefs\u2019 practice squad and spent his first year in KC learning the system.<\/p>\n<p>In 2024, Taylor finally got some action in Kansas City, suiting up for 11 games as a special teamer and rotational defensive back. He logged 132 snaps on special teams according\u00a0to Pro Football Reference, with another 79 snaps on defense.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Getty Former Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Jerry Tillery has signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in NFL free agency. March 14 began with two\u00a0Kansas City Chiefs\u00a0reunions&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":33282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Chiefs Sign 6-Foot-6 Ex-Raider, Lose Vet CB in NFL Free Agency: Report - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=33277\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chiefs Sign 6-Foot-6 Ex-Raider, Lose Vet CB in NFL Free Agency: Report - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Getty Former Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Jerry Tillery has signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in NFL free agency. 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