Chiefs move cornerback Jamell Fleming to safety

It appears Jamell Fleming will be the latest Chiefs cornerback to attempt a move to safety.

During a conference call Tuesday, Chiefs coach Andy Reid confirmed that Fleming, 26, will be moving to a new position in the defensive backfield.

The Chiefs have had some success in the recent past moving a cornerback to safety, as Ron Parker has flip-flopped between the two positions the last two seasons. Parker has developed into a solid starter with versatility, and the Chiefs apparently feel Fleming, a third-round pick of the Cardinals in 2012, has some of the same traits.

The club re-signed Fleming to a one-year deal a few weeks ago. He joined the team in September 2014 after being signed off the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad.

“Listen, we obviously brought him back because he’s a talented kid, and he kind of fits that role a little bit like Parker did for us, where he’s a big, physical guy that can play corner — he’s done that throughout his career,” Reid said. “We felt like he could also help us at safety, so we’re going to kick him in there and give him an opportunity to compete at the safety spot and see how he does.”

There potentially is playing time to be had at his new position, too. The Chiefs still have star Eric Berry, who has been given the franchise tag, and Parker, who played lots of nickel corner in 2015. But another starter, Husain Abdullah, remains a free agent, while another heavy contributor, Tyvon Branch, left for Arizona as a free agent.

Abdullah and Branch combined to log 1,030 defensive snaps last year, according to Pro Football Focus, as the league’s trend toward a pass-first attack has forced defenses to use more nickel and dime subpackages.

Fleming made his mark as a core special-teamer last season, working on the kickoff, kickoff-return, field-goal block, punt-return and punt-coverage units. However, the 5-foot-11, 206-pound Fleming also contributed on defense, earning 157 defensive snaps while recording 21 tackles and five pass deflections in 16 games.

Of those snaps, 110 came as the Chiefs’ nickel back during the first two games of the season, when starter Sean Smith was sitting out because of a suspension. But if Fleming proves to be capable at a new position, he could find himself on the field once again.

This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 8:20 AM with the headline "Chiefs move cornerback Jamell Fleming to safety."