The Chiefs have promoted 23-year old safety Kendrick Lewis to the starting lineup to replace the injured Eric Berry.  Lewis replaced Berry in yesterday’s game with the Chiefs and he had 4 tackles.  Lewis played in 13 games as a rookie for the Chiefs last year and he had 30 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 7 passes defensed and 3 interceptions.  Lewis is more than capable of replacing Berry against the pass, but the Chiefs are going to miss him as a run thumper.

The Kansas City Chiefs have lost 22-year old safety Eric Berry for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL.  Berry played in yesterday’s game against the Bills but he was injured before he could make a tackle.  This is a huge blow to the Chiefs’ defense as Berry played great as a rookie last year.  Berry played in all 16 games for the Chiefs last year and he had 92 tackles, 4 interceptions (one returned for a TD), 9 passes defensed, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 3 tackles for a loss.  The Chiefs are really going to miss Berry’s physical style at the back end of the D in 2011.

The Chiefs have signed 26-year old LB Tavares Gooden.  Gooden played in 10 games for he Chiefs last year and he had 18 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss.  He has now played in 26 games in his first three years in the NFL and he has 70 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss and 1 pass defensed.  This was a really solid pickup for the Chiefs as Gooden will improve the linebacking unit’s depth while also helping out on special teams.

The Chiefs have lost 24-year old TE Tony Moeaki for the season due to a torn ACL.  He was injured in the preseason finale, which he had no business really playing in.  Moeaki played in 15 games (all starts) for the Chiefs last year and he caught 47 passes for 556 yards (11.8 avg) with 3 TD grabs as a rookie.  Chiefs’ head coach Todd Haley deserves a lot of heat for letting Moeaki play in the preseason finale.  The Chiefs will now have to try to get by with Leonard Pope, Jake O’Connell and Anthony Becht at TE in 2011.  None of those guys are in the same league as Moeaki in the passing game.

The Chiefs have lost 28-year old OT Ryan O’Callaghan for the season as he has been placed on I.R.  O’Callaghan played in 11 games (1 start) for the Chiefs last year.  He has now played in 25 games (13 starts) in his first two seasons with the Chiefs.  This injury will hurt the depth along the O-Line for the Chiefs in 2011.

The Chiefs have signed 34-year old TE Anthony Becht to a 1-year deal.  Becht did not play in any games in the NFL last year.  He has played in 158 games (129 starts) in his first 10 years in the NFL and he has caught 185 passes for 1,511 yards (8.2 avg) with 21 TD grabs.  Becht is a solid receiver in the red zone because of his size but his best asset is his run blocking.  This was a solid addition for the Chiefs.

UPDATE:  (9/6/2011) – The Chiefs have released Anthony Becht in a somewhat surprising move due to the recent season ending injury to Tony Moeaki.

UPDATE II:  (9/17/2011) – The Chiefs have re-signed Anthony Becht.

22-year old rookie WR Jonathan Baldwin came into training camp riding on his high horse as a first round pick (#26 overall).  But a couple of days ago he got on Thomas Jones nerves and a lockerroom brawl ensued.  Now Baldwin is going to miss multiple weeks with a cracked thumb.  Baldwin has a lot of talent, but if he doesn’t grow up soon, he’s going to flame out in the NFL and the Chiefs can’t afford that to happen.

The Chiefs have signed 25-year old OT Jared Gaither.  Gaither is a mountain of a man at 6’9″, 340 pounds and he’s a good tackle when he’s healthy.  He missed all of last season though to a back injury.  Gaither has played in 33 games (28 starts) in his first four years in the NFL.  If Gaither can stay healthy, this signing will be a steal for the Chiefs.

The Chiefs have signed 29-year old WR Keary Colbert.  Colbert last played in an NFL game way back in 2008.  Colbert has played in 68 games (49 starts) in his first five years in the NFL and he has caught 121 passes for 1,540 yards (12.7 avg) with 8 TD grabs.  It will be interesting to see how rusty Colbert is.  If he gets up to speed quickly, he could help the Chiefs off the bench in 2011.

The Chiefs have signed 29-year old DT Amon Gordon.  Gordon played in 4 games for the Seahawks and Titans last year and he had 4 tackles.  Gordon has now played in 17 games in his first four years in the NFL and he has 33 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss and 1 forced fumble.  Gordon is likely just a big body who will be around for depth reasons.  This is not a big move for the Chiefs.