Taco Charlton promised the Kansas City Chiefs they would get the best version of him, something the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins may not have received in the defensive end’s previous stops in the NFL.
“I guess you could say that,” Charlton said when asked if his recent hiring with the Chiefs might be his last chance to resurface a career that started as the Cowboys’ first-round pick in 2017.
âThis time, my foot is on the gas. I’m not saying I did my best in the places I’ve been. In all the (previous) situations, things ended and it was as if by mutual agreement. There were no surprises. I felt like I was a little out of place in the past. This year, I feel like I will be comfortable and use my talent to bring out my best skills, âhe added.
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Charlton lasted just two seasons with Dallas, where he had four sacks in 27 games. He had five sacks in 10 games with Miami last season, but the Dolphins decided to cut him a few weeks ago.
The Chiefs are talented in the defensive end position with starters Frank Clark and Alex Okafor and second-round collegiate teams Tanoh Kpassagnin and Breeland Speaks as substitutes. The Chiefs also recruited Mike Danna in the fifth round of the last draft.
Clark and Charlton were classmates at the university in Michigan.
“It was a place I longed to come to,” Charlton said of Kansas City. âOnce they claimed me (from waivers), Frank called me. Nothing else mattered. About money, nothing really mattered. I just wanted to play and I wanted to go to a good situation where I could play and add myself to a good defense.
“It was all about the organization, hearing how great the coach (Andy) Reid is and once I spoke to Frank, he told me how great the defensive coordinator (Steve Spagnuolo) is, how great he is and how I would like to play for him. That is really what I needed to hear. Once I had a chance to talk to him and defensive line coach (Brendan) Daly, I felt more comfortable coming here. I am excited about what I can give Kansas City, âCharlton concluded.
