What to expect from the 2019 Kansas City Chiefs running game
Darrel Williams
The guy that probably lost out the most for the Chiefs with the signing of Carlos Hyde and the drafting of Darwin Thompson was Darrel Williams. This Williams looked good as an undrafted rookie last season. In fact, by the end of the year it seemed pretty clear that he was every bit as good if not better than NFL veterans like Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware. However, the additions of Hyde and Thompson mean that Darrel will likely be fighting just to keep a spot on the roster this season. His best path to relevance on the Chiefs is probably to out perform Carlos Hyde during training camp and the preseason and convince the Chiefs that they’d be better off keeping him as a bigger between the tackles runner to pair with Damien Williams than the older and more expensive Hyde.
James Williams
The Chiefs added yet another Williams to their backfield when they signed rookie free agent James Williams out of Washington State. While this Williams has never shown a lot as an actual runner, he was one of the more accomplished pass catching running backs in all of college football. He caught 83 passes last season. That was an average of more than 7 receptions per game. I think Williams is a good bet for the practice squad, but its not out of the question that he could earn a spot on the active roster as a third down back.
Marcus Marshall
The final back competing for a job this season is another undrafted rookie, Marcus Marshall who the Chiefs recently signed after he had a tryout during their rookie minicamp. The good news for Marshall is that the Chiefs liked what they saw in him enough to offer him a contract. The bad news is that he likely finds himself at the bottom of the running back totem pole and will have an uphill battle to even earn a spot on the practice squad. Still, stranger things have happened.
Next. Rashard Robinson makes sense as a cornerback project. dark
So there you have it Chiefs fans. Those are the candidates to fill the Chiefs running back spots this season. Despite a steady turnover in running backs since Andy Reid arrived in Kansas City their production running the ball has stayed pretty consistent. If that remains the case it isn’t a question of if the Chiefs will be productive running the football this season, just a question of which backs will get a chance to shine.