McKinnon Returns
On Tuesday, we found that Brett Veach signed RB Jerick McKinnon to a new one-year contract. Hurray!
McKinnon didn’t get much play in the regular season of 2021, but he had all the juice in the playoffs. Laddie and I both said he needed to return to the RB room for 2022. It didn’t happen until June 13th. I am glad he rejoins the Chiefs for the upcoming season. Jerick’s post-season production was top drawer: Jerick had 48 touches, 315 total yards, and one TD during The Chief’s playoff run last year. He easily eclipsed all Chief’s RBs.
During the playoffs, Laddie commented to me or I him or both, that McKinnon had “Juice.” His numbers during the post-season run were crucial to the Chief’s offense. Indeed, he didn’t get used too much in the 18-week regular season. He was not all beat to pieces. Maybe that helped. McKinnon is a 9-year pro and turned 30 this spring. Perhaps age was why Veach waited until Tuesday to sign him back aboard. Clyde struggled all season and had drastic weight loss due to an organ malfunction. As I understand it, he lost 67 pounds with that illness. This is no small reason for his lack of production in 2021. CEH is back to his playing weight and ready to rock n’ roll! Adding RJ to the mix along with McKinnon provides Andy Reid and Eric Bieniemy with a solid group for the ground game.
Early in the off-season, the Chiefs brought RB Ronald Jones(Tampa Bay) to the Kingdom. I thought that was an excellent, cost-effective addition. My outlook at the time was that Clyde Edwards-Helaire and RJ could be a formidable duo. From 2021’s Roster, RB Derrick Gore returns. Then Brett Veach drafted RB Isiah Pacheco(Rutgers), whose running style and speed significantly differ from the other RBs in camp. There are two more RBs on the 90-man Roster, but here is my projected 4-man RB group as I anticipate for the 2022 roster: CEH, Ronald Jones, Jerick McKinnon, and Isiah Pacheco. It could be that the Chiefs decide to stash Pacheco on the PS and move Derrick Gore up. That way, the Chiefs could keep the top six players for the RB Room and add RB Ealy to the PS as well. We have yet to see Jerrion Ealy in action, and I am looking forward to that, along with taking a good hard look at Pacheco in pads at the Pro Level. I know nothing about RB Tayon Fleet-Davis, another RB on the 90-man Roster. I did take a brief look at Ealy. I am curious about him. I do think Pacheco has the makings of an NFL RB. Pacheco comes to the program with the “proverbial chip on his shoulder” due to being drafted so late. It could well be that Pacheco serves notice very quickly at the NFL level of play.
Offensive Line – It makes The Chiefs Running Attack Purr
I will discuss why the offense will be more potent in the running attack and be better able to keep QB Patrick Mahomes upright. The existing OL(Sans Lucas Niang) are heading into their second season as a unit. Brown, Thuney, Humphrey, and Smith are all very good run-blockers. If Niang makes the start, all five of the 2021 starters head into 2022 in their second season. All five men are big, powerful blockers. They all have the Pancake mentality.
PFF ranks the Chiefs as ninth among all 32 Offensive Lines. It lists Niang as a starter, not another player. I don’t know if Niang will be ready, but at least this offensive unit has some curb appeal among NFL punditry and rating services. If Niang starts the season on the PUP, the Chiefs have Veteran players who would relish the role. Andrew Wylie played well when Niang was injured. Geron Christian was a starting Tackle for the Texans(and he started several games on the left side). In the draft, Brett Veach selected Darian Kinnard in the 5th round. Getting Kinnard this late was a tremendous value-added draft pick. Many rating services projected Kinnard as being a 3rd round pick by many.
For the reasons listed and the depth of the front-five, I see the Chiefs offensive line as a top-10 unit, regardless of how they resolve the starting ROT for opening day.
I add the topic of the O(again) because of the run-game prowess that I firmly believe will be unleashed in 2022. Arriving at season two as a unit, I anticipate improving pass protection. Pass protection was Niang’s weak point, especially during the first five weeks of 2021. It appeared that Lucas settled in and played well as a pass protector later in the year.
If my projection is valid, Patrick Mahomes will take shorter drops, operate from under the center, and play-action passing will be an integral component of the Chief’s aerial attack. For this reason, I think Patrick Mahomes will return to his form and output of 2018. Patrick may well exceed the 2018 numbers.
Bottom Line
I think PFF gets it right about the offensive line. They did not rate the RB worth spit. Of course, PFF did not have McKinnon in the mix at the time of their ranking of the RB groups. I will give them that much leeway. I still think they are wrong anyway. In my view, the RB group will exact a toll on opposing defenses because of the strength of the OL and the ability to be receivers simultaneously. Adding Jerick McKinnon brings the “Juice” to the effort.
David Bell – Arrowheadone