Outside of the onset of the 2018 NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs have used a committee approach at the running back position until the cream rises to the top. With the addition of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Ronald Jones, it doesn’t look like that will change in 2022.
Speaking to media members at the NFL’s owners’ meetings earlier this week, Chiefs HC Andy Reid spoke about Jones for the first time since the team had signed him. He explained what he likes about Jones, but also laid out his plans for the position.
“I like Ronald (Jones). I like the size, speed that he has. He’s a tough runner. He has good vision,” Reid told reporters. “I’ll take that. He needs that opportunity to feel like he’s a major part of this thing. We’ll give him that. I’ve got Clyde (Edwards-Helaire) in there, too. So it’ll just help take some pressure off of Clyde and they’ll work together and be a pretty good combo.”
Two things stick out most from Reid’s comments here.
Firstly, the Chiefs will give Jones the opportunity to be a “major part” of the offense. Knowing what Jones’ strengths are, it feels like the team is willing to give him the early-down work in Kansas City. He’s a great runner between the tackles and he’s adequate as a pass-catcher out of the backfield.
Secondly, the Chiefs want to take some pressure off of Clyde Edwards-Helaire. To me, this suggests that they feel they’ve been putting too much on his plate and they perhaps want to limit his role in 2022. Some have speculated that he’s on a collision course for a third-down role in Kansas City given his ability as a pass-catcher and as a pass-blocker. If you look at his numbers over at Pro Football Focus last year, his pass-blocking grades steadily improved as the 2021 NFL season progressed.
Ultimately, Reid’s words tell us that Jones and Edwards-Helaire will help each other work to become the best versions of themselves on the football field. The team is likely not done adding to the position either, with Edwards-Helaire, Jones, Derrick Gore and Brenden Knox as the only four players at the position under contract. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team target and add another player during or after the 2022 NFL draft.
