What are the Kansas City Chiefs doing at running back?

By taking visits with odd running back choices, the Kansas City Chiefs have raised questions about the future of every back-up on the roster.

On paper, the Kansas City Chiefs have every reason to feel great about their talent and depth at running back.

Any franchise would feel good about having the NFL’s returning rushing leader in Kareem Hunt—a rookie, no less—a second-year stud who shed tackles like no other player in the NFL in 2017. As good as he looked last year, he should be even better behind a healthier offensive line and with more weapons in the passing game to keep defenses honest.

Behind him is the returning starter from 2016 in Spencer Ware. Knocked out for the year by a torn PCL before the season even started, it’s easy for Chiefs fans to forget (let alone the rest of the NFL) that Ware racked up nearly 1,400 yards from scrimmage in his first full year taking starters reps. Ware’s return gives the Chiefs an accomplished option to put in tandem with Hunt, a one-two punch to stay fresh and effective down the stretch both in-game and in-season.

Charcandrick West has held down the RB3 role for the last three seasons, showing off a well-rounded ability to help the offense on passing downs and in relief here and there of the starter in front of him. He is an able blocker, a decent pass catcher and has learned the nuances of the position all as a productive and positive teammate.

Altogether, any franchise should feel good about the ceiling and floor of this running back group. In terms of production, there is serious ability to move the chains and insurance in case a worst-case scenario plays out.

So what’s the problem?

The Chiefs have been spending a considerable amount of free agent attention on the running backs available. There have only been a handful (or less) of free agent visits (that we know of) since the Chiefs opening hurrah at free agency, which landed linebacker Anthony Hitchens and wideout Sammy Watkins.

Since the start of free agency, the Chiefs have brought in (and signed) a back-up quarterback in Chad Henne, a defensive tackle in Xavier Williams and then two running backs: Thomas Rawls, formerly of the Seattle Seahawks, and Damien Williams, formerly of the Miami Dolphins.

Note that there has not been a single visit from any available player in the secondary despite a rumor that the Chiefs were the “other” team bidding on Chicago Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller (besides the Green Bay Packers). And despite another rumor that the Chiefs called with interest in Kyle Jensen, who is now the most expensive center in the NFL, the Chiefs have also not brought in a single offensive lineman, at least in terms of what’s been reported.

Despite other areas of need (and admitted need), the Chiefs are spending more time with position players from an area already well-stocked. Either Brett Veach is making sure he has insurance for his insurance or something else is going on.

The problem with discerning the problem

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Immediately, it’s easy to wonder which of the two back-up running backs for the Chiefs is the problem. Is something wrong with Ware’s health? Is he not returning to form? Or is it West? Maybe the Chiefs want an overall upgrade near the bottom of the depth chart.

The problem is that the two backs who have visited are different players. Rawls has been a lead back in the past, subbing for Marshawn Lynch and not missing a beat during his rookie season in Seattle. If something is wrong with Ware, then Rawls is the sort of guy you could turn to in theory (although his lackluster production over the last two seasons shouldn’t make any fan feel good about this as a potential signing).

Damien Williams, the other visiting FA back, is an ideal replacement for West, if one was necessary. He’s fairly well-rounded without a proven ability to run consistently to move the chains. However, he’s a willing blocker and capable pass catcher, much more so than Rawls, who has never had 100 yards receiving in a single season.

It’d be easier to diagnose if the Chiefs had brought in backs that mirror each other, so we can point at a current player and know his time was limited or that competition was on the way. Instead, it looks like Veach is bringing in generic free agent backs without any real inspired ceiling for a position that already looks rock solid.

Are the finances in play here?

One good idea here is that maybe the Chiefs are shuffling some money around, so let’s take a look:

Spencer Ware is set to count $1.83 million against the salary cap in 2018, the final year of his contract.
Charcandrick West is set to count just over $2 million against the cap in 2018, also the final year of his deal.
For the sake of information, Kareem Hunt will count $778K against the cap, the cheapest of all.
Cutting either player, Ware or West, would result in $333K in dead money. That’s an allowable amount in case Veach has this in mind for some reason.

The Chiefs have two of the 30 most expensive running backs in the NFL and both of them are back-ups. West is No. 29 overall in cap hit in 2018 and he’s No. 3 on the depth chart. That’s not a proportional rate. That said, there’s more dimensions to even the finances here.

The Chiefs are spending around $5 million overall on the position, which is No. 14 overall in the NFL. In other words, it’s not a horrible figure itself and, as we noted, it’s one that gives the Chiefs peace of mind knowing they’re in good hands heading into a long season.
In addition, these backs—West and Ware—are also leaving in a year, and as they say, there’s no such thing as a bad one-year contract.

But one very confusing thought (for me) here: If the Chiefs were concerned about pinching pennies, which they should, and wanted to reduce Charcandrick West’s costs, as they should, then it shouldn’t be hard to point to the disproportional reality of his pay and his place and production and ask him to take a pay cut. Given his outright release, it’s hard to guess what interest he might draw, but the Chiefs could likely recoup some of that money if they wanted to keep West and yet earn a bit more spending power.

Is Veach thinking of the future?

The one angle of this we left untouched is that the cupboard behind Kareem Hunt will be completely bare next year at this time. From that angle, it makes sense for Veach to potentially bring in someone new whose contract doesn’t expire at the same time as everyone else.

But let’s be honest: no team in their right mind is going to sign someone else’s castoff at running back to a multi-year deal. Rawls was let go by Seattle for good reason. The Dolphins, thin as they could be at running back after trading Jay Ajayi, are letting Williams explore the market. Both players could use a productive year before hopefully cashing in again in 2019. These aren’t long-term scenarios.

If anything, Veach should be looking for a nice Day 3 prospect in the draft to add to the bottom of the depth chart. That would allow for some more consistency, some new talent and a cheaper overall impact. Instead, we’re meeting free agents that, quite frankly, don’t make much sense given what we know.

What should we think?

The bottom line is that it’s impossible to say at this point what the Chiefs are thinking. A quick recap:

The free agent emphasis on running back itself doesn’t really line up with the Chiefs biggest needs, even those they’ve already attempted to address.
It’s not even clear which running back they might want to replace.
The players brought in aren’t even a clear upgrade.
It’s hard to even tell the angles that show these as helpful maneuvers: finances, future, etc.

For the first time, it feels as if the Chiefs have gone from bold, decisive moves that clearly address positions of need to kicking the tires on free agents that have no clear purpose. Perhaps the plan will show itself in time, but for now, I’m left scratching my head at what Brett Veach is doing here.