Kansas City Chiefs sign tryout running back Marcus Marshall

The Kansas City Chiefs have a cutthroat competition at running back with the addition of promising tryout Marcus Marshall to the mix.

The Kansas City Chiefs have added yet another running back to an already competitive backfield with word that they’ve inked Marcus Marshall, formerly of James Madison, to a deal after an apparently successful tryout with the team over the weekend.

From Saturday through Monday, the Chiefs recently conducted their rookie minicamp, a three-day event in which 72 players ranging from recent futures signings to the team’s six draftees to 40 or so players invited to try out took part. From that group, the Chiefs hoped to cull together a dynamic rookie class to help round out the 90-man roster and provide plenty of strong competition in training camp.

Marshall apparently turned enough heads to warrant a longer look and will be able to stick around for OTAs, if not longer.

Marshall played his first two seasons for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and averaged 7.0 yards/carry in the ACC. For Tech, he rushed 181 times for 1,273 yards and 8 touchdowns. From there, Marshall transferred to his parents’ alma mater at James Madison. Given it was an FCS school, Marshall was eligible to play immediately.

Marshall was a featured back his first year at JMU, when he had 143 carries for 850 yards and 11 touchdowns. This year, however, Marshall received less reps than ever with only 78 and put up only 446 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns.

Despite the drop in productivity, the Chiefs clearly saw enough to invite him to try out for the team and Marshall made the most of his opportunity.

He does, however, face an uphill climb. Even among new players, Marshall must fend off fellow undrafted free agent James Williams and sixth round draft pick Darwin Thompson. The Chiefs also have holdover UDFA Darrel Williams from 2018 and the presumed starting tandem of Damien Williams and Carlos Hyde atop the depth chart.