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What to expect from the 2019 Kansas City Chiefs running game

By Lyle Graversen

KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 30: Damien Williams #26 of the Kansas City Chiefs moves a pile of defenders in to the end zone for a touchdown during the first quarter of the game against the Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 30: Damien Williams #26 of the Kansas City Chiefs moves a pile of defenders in to the end zone for a touchdown during the first quarter of the game against the Oakland Raiders at Arrowhead Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images) /
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JACKSONVILLE, FL – NOVEMBER 18: Carlos Hyde #34 of the Jacksonville Jaguars runs with the ball during the first half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at TIAA Bank Field on November 18, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FL – NOVEMBER 18: Carlos Hyde #34 of the Jacksonville Jaguars runs with the ball during the first half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at TIAA Bank Field on November 18, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images) /

Carlos Hyde

Carlos Hyde had back-to-back productive seasons as the San Francisco 49ers feature back in 2016 and 2017. Unfortunately for him, 2018 did not go as well. Hyde started the season with the Cleveland Browns, but after racking up just 382 yards at a 3.4 yards/carry clip, he was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The backs that replaced Hyde for Cleveland ended up putting up much better numbers (to be fair, the entire offense in Cleveland took off in the second half of the season). Hyde didn’t find much better success in Jacksonville where he had just 189 yards and averaged 3.3 yards per carry.

Could Carlos Hyde be a 28 year old NFL running back who’s best days are behind him? Sure, that’s definitely possible and, if that’s the case, it wouldn’t be inconceivable that Hyde wouldn’t even make the 53 man roster. However, I just got finished talking about how productive Damien Williams was in this offense last season. It’s worth noting that Williams had averaged just 3.6 yards per carry during his four years in Miami. That number jumped to 4.9 in the potent Chiefs offense where the defense has to put a top priority on stopping Patrick Mahomes and the passing attack.

While its possible that Hyde is past his prime and might not even make the Chiefs roster, it’s also possible that Hyde could see his career revitalized thanks to Reid and Mahomes. Hyde has more experience as a feature back than Damien Williams does and has a slightly bigger frame at 236 pounds to help absorb the physical wear and tear of running between the tackles in the NFL. He has also shown that he can be a key part of the passing game as well (he had 59 receptions in 2017 with the 49ers). If Hyde clearly outplays Williams in the preseason and training camp, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could find himself as K.C.’s top back at some point this season.

What’s most likely is that Hyde gives the Chiefs a proven #2 running back who can help spell Damien Williams (who we’ve already seen has never had a huge work load before) and provide insurance in case Williams gets hurt.

Next, lets take a quick look at the back that the Chiefs drafted.

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