The Kansas City Chiefs' running game was one of their primary issues last season. Matt Nagy's rushing attack averaged just 106.6 yards per game, which ranked 25th in the league. Patrick Mahomes had the third-most rushing yards on the team, and only Kareem Hunt gained more than 500 yards on the ground.
That's why, now that Eric Bieniemy is back in town, they need to make the most of his ties to the Chicago Bears to get him back together with D'Andre Swift. Given the emergence of Kyle Monangai during his rookie season, the veteran running back could be a trade candidate this offseason, and he makes perfect sense for the Chiefs.
The Chiefs Need to Make a Run at D'Andre Swift
Swift is coming off a solid season, but the Bears might still be better off moving on from him. According to Over The Cap, they would save $7.4 million with a trade, and since they're $5.3 million over the cap, every penny will count. Also, they have a promising young back in Monangai, who showed strong flashes as a rookie and is on a cheap contract as a seventh-round pick.
The Chiefs have only six picks in this year's NFL draft, and don't own a single selection after the fifth round. Still, this is a weak class, so they will probably get more from trading for Swift than from any player they could get in the fourth or fifth round. And, given his expiring deal and age, plus the Bears' obvious need to trade him, that's probably what he's worth right now.
Swift got off to a slow start to the season, much like the rest of the Bears' offense. Then, Ben Johnson's team had one of the best running games in the league, and Swift finished the season with 223 carries for 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Despite sharing touches with Monangai, he still averaged 65.0 rushing yards per game.
Swift might not be much of a factor in the passing game, but he still had 34 catches on 48 targets for 299 yards and one touchdown. Defenses at least have to account for the potential of Swift being a receiver out of the backfield, which opens up opportunities for others in the passing game. The Chiefs also have Brashard Smith to handle those duties, so any concerns in that area shouldn't be much of an issue.
The Chiefs' offense should be much better now that Bieniemy is back in town. He's a master at developing and getting the best out of his running backs. He's already familiar with Swift, and even if things don't work out, this is a gamble that can be off Kansas City's books after just one season.