The Kansas City Chiefs went through some changes this offseason after falling short of their three-peat goal. The transformation of the roster came on both sides of the ball. Defensively, the Chiefs lost Derrick Nnadi, Tershawn Wharton, and Justin Reid, and signed Kristian Fulton and Jerry Tillery. Fulton will likely take over as the starter opposite Trent McDuffie but the Chiefs aren't done adding to their cornerback room.
On Friday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Chiefs were signing free agent cornerback Robert Rochell to a one-year deal. The 26-year-old, who spent the past two seasons with the Packers, has a ton of similarities with the former Chiefs defender L'Jarius Sneed.
Free-agent CB Robert Rochell, who spent last season with the Packers, reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Chiefs, per @UniSportsMgmt CEO Kevin Conner.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 21, 2025
Chiefs News: Kansas City Signs CB Robert Rochell
Ever since Sneed was traded from the Chiefs to the Titans in the 2024 offseason, Kansas City has been looking for ways to replace him. GM Brett Veach famously doesn't like to give contract extensions to the members of the secondary. No matter how good Sneed was in his four seasons in Kansas City, he was no exception.
Rochell has not been the player Sneed has been in his career, but he has a similar background and physical attributes. Rochell came into the NFL as a fourth-round pick, like Sneed a year after. Both players are Louisiana natives, even though Rochell left to play college ball at Central Arkansas. At over six-foot and 190 pounds, Rochell has similar physical tools.
Before the 2021 NFL Draft, Rochell was identified as a good fit in Steve Spagnuolo's system as a boundary cornerback by the KCSN draft guide. So far in his career, Rochell has differed from Sneed in the fact that he hasn't been able to live up to his potential. However, he was able to win a Super Bowl with the Rams in his rookie season and has been an important special teams contributor throughout his career. If he can finally put it together under Spags and Andy Reid, the Chiefs could have another long and athletic cornerback with upside on their hands.