Why LeSean McCoy makes sense for the Kansas City Chiefs
By Kole Berrey
The thing about depth, is that it is better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Look at the San Francisco 49er’s for a recent example of this. They had a roster with Matt Brieda, Jerick McKinnon and Jeff Wilson Jr. on the roster.
Brieda and Wilson, along with journeyman running back Raheem Mostert, combined for 250+ carries in 2018. Adding Coleman and a returning McKinnon would just make the backfield too crowded. Well, looking at the roster now, and you see McKinnon is on Injured Reserve, Jeff Wilson Jr. was released and Raheem Mostert is finally back after battling an injury in the preseason.
Depth is a luxury. until you need it. The signing of Coleman now looks like a genius move, and the 49ers are sure glad they made it
The Chiefs are a little different than the 49ers, in that they actually need running back depth. Damien Willliams come on late in 2018 and earned a chance to start in 2019. Darwin Thompson, whom I am very high on, vaulted up the depth chart to claim the number two running back spot.
Even though Williams and Thompson are great players, a veteran back was needed here. That role was previously occupied by Carlos Hyde, but after being outplayed by Darwin Thompson and failing to separate himself from Darrell Williams, he was eventually traded to the Houston Texans.
Enter LeSean McCoy.
McCoy is, at worst, an insurance policy in case Damien Williams sustains an injury. They have similar skill sets, and McCoy could in the best case scenario spell Williams to keep everyone fresh, or in the worst case scenario, take over for Damien as the starter. This would allow Thompson to not have to take on a full workload, which is in his best interest as he is a smaller player.
Another thing that needs to be mentioned is that Damien Williams has only started three career regular season games. The Chiefs have no idea if he can handle a starters workload. Now, he doesn’t have to.
The dreaded “running back by committee” approach may make fantasy owners groan, but by monitoring all of the running back’s snaps throughout the season, each player should go into the playoffs with plenty of gas left in the tank.
At the very least, McCoy brings a veteran presence to the team. The only other players over 30 on the roster are back-up quarterbacks Matt Moore and Chad Henne, fullback Anthony Sherman, tackle Mitch Schwartz and now LeSean McCoy. He can serve as mentor to the younger backs, and , be the extension of coach Reid’s voice on the field and an example for the younger backs to follow.