Chiefs RBs: Are They Good Enough?

 

 

 

 

Chiefs RBs: Are They Enough?

 

By Laddie Morse | April 9, 2019

 

From Christian Okoye to Marcus Allen to Priest Holmes to Larry Johnson to Jamaal Charles to Kareem Hunt: the Kansas City Chiefs have been blessed with one great running back after another for three decades. The Chiefs will most certainly be answering the question: “Is the current installment of RBs enough?” Enough to excite Chiefs Kingdom? Enough to control and win games late? Enough to take them all the way to a championship? So, naturally, we must ask: Chiefs RBs: are they good enough?

 

When you replace the standard for a running back, like those who have gone before, it’s hard to imagine that the Damien Williams, Carlos Hyde and Darrel Williams trio will fill the bill. Why? Well, the optics are fairly straight forward:

 

• there is no Christian Okoye here who can plow you over
• there is no Marcus Allen here who can finesse his way through the maze
• there is no Jamaal Charles here who will break one loose and maintain his huge YPC (yards per carry average)
• there’s also not going to be a fantasy league player convergence where the best OL in history opens holes for a slice-em-and-dice-em RB like Priest Holmes who also knew precisely how to follow his HoF blockers.

 

So, let’s take a closer look at who the Chiefs do have right now… prior to the draft.

 

RB Damien Williams

In 2018, Damien Williams had 256 yards rushing for the Chiefs and a 5.1 yards per carry average. He also contributed 160 receiving and was excellent as a receiver out of the backfield. If the 2019 season were to begin today, Damien Williams would be the most likely starter. When Kareem Hunt went out last season, Williams picked up the slack and did a more than admirable job. I was thrilled that the Chiefs signed Damien Williams last offseason (but I also think they knew something about Kareem Hunt’s situation that we didn’t). During the season DWill developed and was ready when he got his chance as the starter. Here, Matt Lane points out how DWill is learning to follow his blockers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the time late December rolled around, Damien Williams had established himself as the go-to running back highlighted by BJ Kissel:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Kareem Hunt came into the league as a 3rd round pick of the Chiefs in 2017, we all fell head-over-heels in love with his hard yards after contact style. Damien Williams was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 2014 and he had his own moments in the sun during college, and the following was one of them:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hunt may have come to the Chiefs with more fanfare but Damien Williams may end up having just as nice a career as Hunt in the long run. That’s because Andy Reid scheme’s well for his running backs. This play against the Patriots in the AFC Championship game at Arrowhead was a great example of that:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t move on without sharing my favorite Damien Williams play.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RB Carlos Hyde

There’s been a lot of talk about how Andy Reid is a QB Whisperer. However, I think he’s probably had a greater impact on his RB’s careers than he has his QBs (Duce Staley, LeSean McCoy). For that reason, Carlos Hyde should be really happy to be a Kansas City Chief. Hyde is a 6-foot-0, 242 lbs RB. That sounds like a Fullback’s dimensions, but Hyde has always been a RB. He was the 57th pick of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2014 NFL Draft and played his college ball at Ohio State University. He played four full years of college football and averaged 6.1 YPC and gained 1,521 yards his senior season. In 5 professional seasons, Hyde has 3,300 rushing yards for 4.0 ypc and 667 receiving yards. FYI, Carlos Hyde’s twitter account is @elguapo. “El Guapo” means, “The Handsome.” Go figure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the size of Carlos Hyde, Andy Reid may want to use him in goal line situations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, Reid likes his RBs to keep their shoulders more North-South and push it straight into the end zone. So, unless Hyde is willing to be taught, he may lose that job. Again, here’s Hyde running wide at the goal line. This time against the New Orleans Saints:

 

 

 

 

 

 

If Carlos Hyde can keep his shoulder pads lower as he crosses the goal line, he could be a huge load to handle. Here his pads are too high, even though he gets the TD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carlos Hyde was the starting RB for Ohio State in 2013, his last season there. Do you know who was his backup? That’s right, Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott went on to have two 1,800 yard rushing seasons in 2014 and 2015 and was then drafted 4th overall by the Dallas Cowboys. Why bring that up? Because I believe that Carlos Hyde likes to compare himself to Ezekiel Elliott… and… that could be a problem. While I don’t think Hyde will ever be anywhere as good a Ezekiel Elliott, if he sees himself as a #1 RB and will accept nothing less, but that could end up being problematic for the Chiefs. On the other hand, any RB who doesn’t see themselves as one of the best, is doomed from the start. The positive is, Hyde has a lot to work with and Deland McCullough should be able to get the best out of him. He’s a very good RB coach. So, what does McCullough have to work with in Hyde?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You may have heard me mention this before here at ArrowheadOne, Gil Brandt has said before that, “You can tell everything you need to know about an athlete in one play.” I’m not sure it was Brandt or Bill Walsh to be honest, but, I’d like to add the word “sometimes” to the end of that sentence. That’s such a great run by Carlos Hyde, that Chiefs fans should be thrilled that he chose to come to Kansas City and especially if Deland McCullough can influence him and get him to progress and grow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m sure that this is what Andy Reid had on his mind when he gave his okay to sign Carlos Hyde.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m also sure Reid had that on his mind… another RB who can catch the ball!

 

 

RB Darrel Williams

Darrel Williams had 13 carries for 44 yards in his first season for the Chiefs in 2018 (regular season yards). However, there were plays from early on in training camp which showed his potential and I’m sure that’s why Andy Reid ended up wanting him on the 53 roster. Darrel Williams was good enough for Redid to not want to risk placing him on the Practice Squad where he could be poached by other teams needing a good running back. Darrel played all four years at Louisiana State University (LSU) and had a total of 1,651 yards rushing there, with half of those yards coming during his senior season. However, the reason for that was, he played a backup role to Derrius Guice in 2017 and Leonard Fournette in 2016.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Darrel showed he was able to run with the big boys starting in the Chiefs training camp last year and then again in the preseason games as well as some key plays during the season. Here’s a play from preseason game #4, versus the Packers, that was a wake up call to everyone that Darrel Williams could play well at this level:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the Chiefs hosted the Indianapolis Colts and ripped them a new one, Darrel Williams had a TD and made his impact felt… with “helping hands” from Patrick Mahomes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s Darrel Williams first ever TD in the NFL, a reception, on a great play schemed up by Andy Reid against the Chargers:

 

 

 

 

 

You can call Darrel whatever you want, but he’s looks like he’s going to be a keeper:

 

 

 

 

Perhaps my favorite play in Darrel Williams young career came in a Preseason game vs. the Atlanta Falcons:

 

 

 

 

 

 

While I see Darrel Williams as more of a developmental RB, he could take over and execute all the plays in Andy Reid’s offense now. The Chiefs have three very good running backs who can all run between the tackles, jump it outside adn catch passes out of he backfield. That’s exactly what HC Andy Reid is looking for. Does that mean the Chiefs won’t be looking to take a RB in the upcoming draft? No. Not at all. However, it does mean that if the guy the covet doesn’t fall to them in the spot they’d like to take him, they’re either going to jump up a few slots to draft him, or they’re going a different direction. Now, that means, there is also the possibility that the Chiefs don’t draft a RB at all. That being said, I see many of the traits in a RB that are similar to Kareem Hunt, in David Montgomery. Traits like, leading all of college football in Forced Missed Tackles:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RB David Montgomery would be my pick, and someone I’d like to see the Chiefs take, if they get the chance. Otherwise, I’m fine if they draft no RB at all.

 

 

 

Laddie Morse — ArrowheadOne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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