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With two players from the Kansas City Chiefs backfield hitting free agency this offseason, adding talent to their backfield was one of the top offensive priorities entering the offseason.
The Chiefs didn’t re-sign their free agents in the backfield, Darrel Williams and Jerick McKinnon. At least not yet. However, they did add a running back with a strong resume and at quite the deal.
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Kansas City signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones II to a one-year deal that’s worth up to $5 million, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero. Due to incentives in the contract, Jones is only on the books with a $1.5 million cap hit in 2022, per Over The Cap.
During the 2020 season, Jones gained 239 yards over expected on inside runs, which ranked second in the NFL, only behind Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry, per Next Gen Stats. Jones, unfortunately, took a back seat to Leonard Fournette last season in Tampa Bay, but the 24-year-old potentially has his best football in front of him. That’s great news for Kansas City, as the team got Jones at a rate that makes him the 48th-highest cap hit in the NFL at his position in 2022, per OTC.
Jones now joins a backfield in Kansas City that includes 2020 first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire and 2021 undrafted rookies Derrick Gore and Brendan Knox.
Andy Reid Gushes Over Jones, Issues Challenge to Him
Speaking at the NFL owners meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, head coach Andy Reid had plenty of nice things to say about the Chiefs’ newest running back.
“I like Ronald (Jones). I like the size, speed that he has. He’s a tough runner,” Reid said, via Charles Goldman of the Chiefs Wire. “He has good vision. I’ll take that”
Reid also issued a challenge of sorts to Jones.
“[Jones] needs that opportunity to feel like he’s a major part of this thing. We’ll give him that as long as he comes in the right frame of mind and all those things,” Reid added, via Jamey Eisenberg of CBS Sports.
Jones Reveals Why He Joined Chiefs
During his introductory press conference with the Chiefs, Jones explained why he chose to join Kansas City.
“It came down to some teams, and in the end, I just wanted to be in a situation where I have the best chance to compete for that second ring and make my mark on the game,” Jones said on March 27.
Jones also explained that the Chiefs’ offensive line, particularly the younger guys along the line, intrigued him while he was weighing his options during free agency.
“The young guys that they do have are the best in the league,” he explained. “And so that’s another thing — just looking for those opportunities, and we’re going to complement each other well.”
While Jones likely won’t be the bell cow in Kansas City’s backfield due to the presence of Edwards-Helaire and Gore, Jones’ opportunities will nevertheless be plentiful, which he’s looking forward to.
“In Andy Reid’s system, everybody’s going to eat,” he said. “So excited to see my number get called and take it from there.”
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