Selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, former Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland’s Buffalo Bills career has come to an end before he even played one regular season game with the team.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Bills have traded Ragland to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round pick.
The #Bill have traded former 2nd round pick Reggie Ragland to the #Chiefs for a 2019 4th round draft pick
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 28, 2017
Ragland, 23, missed his entire rookie season after suffering a torn ACL during camp. He then seemed to fall out of favor under first-year Bills head coach Sean McDermott this summer.
By receiving a future fourth-round pick, it’s apparent that Buffalo was potentially looking at releasing Ragland altogether if a trade was not worked out. It’s an amazing realization to come to, especially considering the team spent a top-41 pick on him just over a calendar year ago.
With aging veteran Derrick Johnson holding down one of the inside linebacker spots in Kansas City, it’s possible the Chiefs could groom Ragland to replace him. For now, he adds depth at linebacker for the defending AFC West champions.