Chargers claim wide receiver off waivers from KC Chiefs

Wide receiver Maurice Ffrench is at least staying in familiar territory. Shortly after the K.C. Chiefs released him from their practice squad, the L.A. Chargers announced they’d claimed him on waivers, thus keeping him in the AFC West.

The Chargers announced the minor signing on Wednesday and that they’d created room for him by moving fellow wideout JoeReed to the injured list.

The Chiefs had released Ffrench in an effort to bring aboard developmental tight end Mark Vital, who signed with K.C. earlier this week. Vital has never played organized football since he was in middle school, but he was known as a tenacious defender at the highest levels of college basketball over the last few seasons at Baylor, where he also won a national championship.

The Chargers have signed former Chiefs WR Maurice Ffrench.

Ffrench has been around the Chiefs for more than a year after signing as an undrafted free agent after following the 2020 NFL Draft. The former Pitt Panther had heard early Day 3 grades on him, even as high as the fourth round, after setting single-season marks for receptions in his collegiate career. However, he was passed over for seven rounds and the Chiefs signed him thereafter.

French comes to the Chargers with special teams experience as a returner and deep speed as a former track star. He’s proven dangerous after the catch and now has a year under Andy Reid’s coaching after serving on the practice squad all last season in K.C. The fact that he made it twice to the P.S. speaks to the fact that he’s just at that threshold of making the active roster for someone, so perhaps he’ll find his stride elsewhere in the AFC West.