KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs added another running back to their practice squad on Wednesday, signing former Ohio State back Mike Weber.
The rookie fills the practice squad spot vacated when the Chiefs promoted offensive lineman Ryan Hunter to the 53-man roster on Tuesday. Hunter replaced safety Juan Thornhill, who went to injured reserved and is out for the season.
Dallas selected Weber in the seventh round of the 20 19 NFL draft with the No. 218 overall pick. Weber left Ohio State after his redshirt junior season, rushing for 2,676 yards and 24 touchdowns in 38 games, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. He also caught 54 passes for 297 yards.
Weber earned the Big Ten freshman of the Year Award in 2016, taking over the starting position in the backfield after Ezekiel Elliott departed for the NFL. Weber averaged 6 yards per carry while picking up 1,096 yards on the ground in helping Ohio State earn a berth in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
His biggest college game came in the 2018 season opener against Oregon State, when he rushed for a career-high 186 yards and three touchdowns in a 77-31 Buckeyes victory.
The 5-foot-10, 210-pound back saw action in four preseason games with the Cowboys, rushing for 54 yards on 22 carries while catching five passes for 28 yards. The club waived Weber during the cutdown to the 53-man roster following the preseason, and signed with the practice squad. He remained on the Cowboys practice squad until his contracted expired on Monday.
Weber is one of two running backs on the team's practice squad, along with third-year running back Elijah McGuire.
The Chiefs also signed defensive end Anthony Lanier to a reserve future contract. the 6-foot-6, 285-pound Lanier entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2016 from Alabama A&M. He spent time with both Washington and the Los Angeles Chargers during the past four seasons.
Lanier has played in 15 games with two starts. Most of that playing time came in 2017 with Washington, when Lanier played in 11 games collecting 14 total tackles, including five sacks, while breaking up six passes.
By signing a reserve future contract, Lanier doesn't count against the current roster limits and cannot play or practice with the team. He will be counted on the team's 90-man offseason roster once the season concludes.
