Greg Lewis brings receiving improvements to KC Chiefs running backs

When the K.C. Chiefs shifted around their coaching staff this spring, head coach Andy Reid had a decision to make for the running backs on the roster. Specifically, with the surprising departure of Deland McCullough, Reid needed a new coach, either from outside the organization (a la McCullough’s hire in the first place) or a promotion within. What most of us didn’t see was a transfer for someone who was already a positional coach.

For the most part, the Chiefs are going to enjoy incredible continuity on coaching staff that has been to two Super Bowls. Not only is Andy Reid heading into his ninth season with the team, but offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has been present just as long as Reid. Even defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is heading into his third season with the team.

While the Chiefs made a few promotions and new hires to younger quality control coaches, the only major move on the part of the coaching staff this spring came from needing to fill McCullough’s spot, who went to the University of Indiana for a chance to become an assistant head coach back at a familiar spot where he’d already served as running backs coach for five seasons.

K.C. Chiefs running backs are honing receiving skills under Greg Lewis.

In order to fill the role, Reid added an interesting wrinkle to his staff by moving wide receivers coach Greg Lewis to the running backs room.

On the coaching side, it was a good move for Lewis to be able to learn the nuances of a new position and how to teach it. If Lewis has his sights set on an offensive coordinator position, or even head coach, in the future, learning the intricacies of a position like this will be an important step along the way.

For the Chiefs running backs, however, the shift to Lewis has also brought some new perspectives to the room. Former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire noted that Lewis’ expertise with wide receivers, including some gained as a former wideout for Andy Reid himself, has brought a newfound emphasis to the room.

“[Lewis] brings in that receiving coaching aspect as far as the routes that we are implementing and putting in,” said Edwards-Helaire to reporters earlier this week. “Just those little things that you don’t get taught from a running backs coach but you get from a receivers coach.”

Edwards-Helaire was also quick to defend any instinct that questions whether or not Lewis has the goods to coach the backs full-time.

“And also, it’s not like he hasn’t been in the league eight years and hasn’t seen some good backs and then also coached some great receivers. He’s seen it all with the help of EB being around and also in the room, he can still get help from a running back standpoint. So everything is meshing and working well.”

Edwards-Helaire was already described as the best pass-catching back in his draft class in 2000, a weapon the Chiefs really didn’t rely too much on in his first season. Edwards-Helaire also noted that he’s been working hard on his receiving skills this offseason overall as a point of emphasis after getting healthy from late-season injuries to his ankle and hip.

Combined with his work with Greg Lewis, Edwards-Helaire could be a dynamic two-way threat to help round out the offense beyond Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce.