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As we approach the beginning of organized team activities, which are set to being on Monday afternoon, the Chiefs still have room to add more players to the roster should they choose to do so. With 83 players currently on the roster, but eight of those spots taken by seven unsigned draft picks and an unsigned tender (Jarrad Page), Kansas City is below the NFL maximum of 80 players under contract.

Today, the Chiefs opened up one more roster spot with the release of rookie free agent LB Michael Johnson. Johnson, out of North Alabama, was the 2009 NCAA Division II Defensive Player of the Year. He was hoping to join DBs Maurice Leggett (Valdosta State) and Brandon Carr (Grand Valley State) as D2 players on the Chiefs roster.

Johnson’s release shrinks the Chiefs 2010 undrafted rookie class from 10 players to nine. Originally, the Chiefs signed 11 such rookies a mere 24 hours after the draft, but TE T.C. Drake of Kentucky was released late last week.

The release of Johnson was not necessary to clear any room should a draft pick choose to sign a contract or should Page decide to ink his tender offer as the Chiefs can sign up to six of those eight righted players before roster space would have to be cleared for a move.

In case you’re wondering when draftees will begin to ink their deals, it likely won’t happen for a few more weeks. K Ryan Succop was the first of Kansas City’s eight 2009 draft picks to sign his contract a year ago. Succop signed on June 18^th.