Chiefs Upgrade Linebacker Corps With Signing of Mark Simoneau

The Kansas City Chiefs linebacker corps gained depth and experience with the signing Wednesday of free-agent linebacker Mark Simoneau.

The Chiefs are Simoneau's fourth NFL team.(nfl jerseys cheap) He also spent time with New Orleans, Philadelphia and Atlanta since breaking into the NFL in 2000 as a third-round selection of the Falcons.

Though he hasn't played in an NFL game in two years, Simoneau told the Kansas City Star that he has stayed in good physical shape on the chance that he would get a call to play again.He'll back up the inside linebacker tandem of Derrick Johnson and Jovan Belcher.

"He's obviously an experienced guy that we've worked out a few times,(Jaguars Jersey) and we have some coaches on our staff who have been with him," Chiefs coach Todd Haley said. "It's no different than the receiver moves. We're trying to get better at all times, and if there is someone on our list that we think can help us do that, then we're going to take a look."

A former Kansas State star, Simoneau welcomed the chance to join the NFL team he has followed from his youth, especially after not playing in the last two years. He had back surgery in 2008 and missed the 2009 season with a triceps injury.

While confronting the possibility in recent months that his career could be over, Simoneau decided to keep himself in shape just in case. When the phone finally rang earlier this week,(Jacksonville Jaguars Jersey) it was from his hometown team and ended a long run of frustration.

"I definitely was keeping myself ready physically if I got the opportunity," said Simoneau. "The last two years, it's been a lot of watching, a lot of rehab. It's been frustrating."