On Monday, the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs waived defensive again (and particular groups ace) Chris Lammons. On Tuesday, we discovered from the official NFL transactions report that Lammons was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals, who can be in Kansas Metropolis to play the Chiefs for the AFC Championship on Sunday.
Usually, we’d marvel if the Bengals would hope to achieve some intelligence in regards to the Chiefs earlier than Sunday’s recreation.
However there are particular guidelines about waiver claims made by groups nonetheless lively through the postseason. These waiver claims will not be formally processed till the season ends — that’s, the day after the Tremendous Bowl. So Cincinnati is not going to have entry to no matter info Lammons has till it received’t do them any good.
So why do it?
As we famous on Monday, we imagine Kansas Metropolis waived Lammons to create a roster spot it might use to activate both tight Jody Fortson or working again Clyde Edwards-Helaire to the lively roster. The Chiefs had been doubtless hoping that Lammons — who led the group in particular groups snaps throughout 2022 — wouldn’t be claimed on waivers. Even within the postseason, that will make Lammons a free agent who might then be signed to Kansas Metropolis’s follow squad.
Within the postseason, follow squad gamers could be elevated to the roster a vast variety of instances. So the Chiefs would have been in a position to elevate Lammons to the roster for Sunday’s recreation — and doubtlessly to their Tremendous Bowl roster — whereas utilizing his outdated roster spot to activate one other participant (most likely Fortson) from the Reserve/Injured (injured reserve) checklist.
That is much like Kansas Metropolis’s different strikes with cooperative gamers. Chances are you’ll recall that on Might 5, the group launched reserve heart Austin Reiter and vast receiver Gary Jennings from its 90-man roster. That was proper earlier than the group carried out its rookie minicamp. This allowed them to signal two extra rookies they may work out in camp. On Might 10 — after the group made up its thoughts about which rookies it wished to maintain — each gamers had been re-signed.
Kansas Metropolis apparently wished to do the identical factor with Lammons — however Cincinnati has blocked the transfer.
Ultimately, the Chiefs might get the final chuckle. As we informed you on Monday, the group has considered one of their different favourite particular groups gamers on the follow squad: vast receiver Marcus Kemp. It’s a protected wager that Kemp can be elevated to the roster for Sunday’s recreation — and hopefully, to the Tremendous Bowl recreation day roster.
In the meantime, the Bengals will doubtless pay Lammons per week’s wage — or perhaps two weeks’ wage — after which launch him. It’s doubtless that he’ll then be signed to a 2023 Reserve/Futures contract in Kansas Metropolis.
