Williams starting at RB

[oldtimer 8,694]

at least according to this and to no one's surprise I suppose

Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy: Damien Williams Starting RB Despite Carlos Hyde Signing

News 15 Hours AgoBleacher Report — Rob Goldberg

 

After impressing at the end of last season, Damien Williams will go into 2019 as the unquestioned starting running back for the Kansas City Chiefs.

"Damien Williams is our starter," offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said Thursday, per Brandon Kiley of 610 Sports KC. "We expect him to excel in that role."

The Chiefs added depth at the position this offseason with the signing of Carlos Hyde, but it appears the veteran will serve in a backup role.

Hyde has been well-traveled over the past few years, signing with the Cleveland Browns last offseason after spending his first four years with the San Francisco 49ers. Despite a strong start to 2018 with 382 rushing yards and five touchdowns in six games, he was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

He ended up serving in a minor role with his new team, totaling only 189 rushing yards in eight games with no scores before being released.

Despite his up-and-down play, he could provide decent backup work with Kansas City as a reliable downhill runner.

Still, Williams will be the star after an outstanding final few months 2018.

Spencer Ware was the team's first option after Kareem Hunt was released, but Williams took over down the stretch with six total touchdowns in the final four games of the regular season. In three starts he totaled 322 yards from scrimmage.

The running back was even better in the playoffs, totaling 250 yards and four touchdowns in two postseason games.

With a full season playing in one of the top offenses in the NFL, Williams has a chance to put up huge numbers in 2019.

[SEMO 6,812]

I look for Hyde to get cut if Thompson or the other Williams’ show anything in camp.  We already know Darrell can play.

[Mloe68 1,521]

11 minutes ago, SEMO said:

I look for Hyde to get cut if Thompson or the other Williams’ show anything in camp.  We already know Darrell can play.

I'm not as sold on Darrell. I think Hyde and him are battling it out for that interior runner bruiser type role if those other two make the roster. 

[Thegoatee 1,789]

RB will only be as effective as our deep passing game as far as total production with the group we have, unless a rookie breaks out with innate star talent. If Hill is gone, Watkins hurt, and then have to rely on the other guys, RB will probably struggle. None of our guys scream star talent so far, which we’ve had with Hunt, Charles, Holmes, etc. It is more like those committee years after Marcus Allen as much as I will trust anyone all year.

[dksww 484]

2 hours ago, SEMO said:

I look for Hyde to get cut if Thompson or the other Williams’ show anything in camp.  We already know Darrell can play.

I doubt Hyde gets cut so close to signing a 2 year deal this off-season.  Unless Thompson or one of the Williams' just completely blow up I expect Hyde to be the 2nd or 3rd RB.

[Lamardirts 2,124]

Damien Williams, Carlos Hyde, Darwin Thompson, James Stewart and Anthony Sherman are my selections for the roster.   Darrel's only hope is that Carlos struggles with the offense and he has leg up on him in that regard.

[Biggjliv4 1,292]

I'm not willing to bet Reid will be patient enough to get any RB on track this year. I think our run game struggles regardless and having a good not great back will set us back with few opportunities given. Hunts play forces the run to be called, not seeing it with this crew. Hope I'm wrong.

[kkuenn 3,614]

Hyde will be the 2nd stringer until mid season or so and lose to one of the UDFA. They will need some time to catch up to NFL type speed, blocking etc. One will be hidden on IR too. So 4 RB and Sherman our FB on the roster.

[Palangi 788]

1 hour ago, Lamardirts said:

Damien Williams, Carlos Hyde, Darwin Thompson, James Stewart and Anthony Sherman are my selections for the roster.   Darrel's only hope is that Carlos struggles with the offense and he has leg up on him in that regard.

James Stewart? 

[kkuenn 3,614]

12 minutes ago, Palangi said:

James Stewart? 

Think he meant James Williams

[Mloe68 1,521]

5 hours ago, Thegoatee said:

RB will only be as effective as our deep passing game as far as total production with the group we have, unless a rookie breaks out with innate star talent. If Hill is gone, Watkins hurt, and then have to rely on the other guys, RB will probably struggle. None of our guys scream star talent so far, which we’ve had with Hunt, Charles, Holmes, etc. It is more like those committee years after Marcus Allen as much as I will trust anyone all year.

Andy got pretty good production from West and Ware with Alex Smith and no deep passing game at all. So I think we will be fine at RB regardless with this QB. But when Andy's offense really excels its when he has a dynamic versatile guy upper tier guy. We will need that guy to emerge or Williams to prove his short stint was sustainable. I've got a feeling its gonna develop into more of a committee approach this year despite what the OC says right now. But we will see. 

[DieHard 2,061]

I think Carlos has to win the 2 spot to stay. The 3 will likely be a young guy. Think he is too old to hold the 3 spot.

[dhitter 1,426]

4 hours ago, Mloe68 said:

Andy got pretty good production from West and Ware with Alex Smith and no deep passing game at all. So I think we will be fine at RB regardless with this QB. But when Andy's offense really excels its when he has a dynamic versatile guy upper tier guy. We will need that guy to emerge or Williams to prove his short stint was sustainable. I've got a feeling its gonna develop into more of a committee approach this year despite what the OC says right now. But we will see. 

Exactly. The run game should be fine. Teams will be focused on stopping Mahomes.

Damien Williams averaged 5.1 yards per carry. Yes it was a short sample size overall but who wouldn't take that? I think his abilities were wasted in Miami (shocker right?). I agree with the committee thing. D Williams may line up in the backfield on the first snap of most series but there will be a lot of switching in and out depending on the scenario. If someone emerges as a pro bowl level talent (like Hunt) then all bets are off.

[Calichief 3,025]

10 hours ago, Mloe68 said:

I'm not as sold on Darrell. I think Hyde and him are battling it out for that interior runner bruiser type role if those other two make the roster. 

Only thing getting bruised is Hyde. Hot tub material.

[Mloe68 1,521]

34 minutes ago, Calichief said:

Only thing getting bruised is Hyde. Hot tub material.

The guy had 1,300 yards and 8 TDs in 2017 and is only 28.  I wouldn’t write him off just yet personally.  If he gets beaten out for a roster spot, it would be encouraging though about what they think of Williams. 

[gochiefsgo 380]

Can’t have too many options at running back. Injuries led to the Chiefs resigning of Charcandrick West last year if I’m not mistaken. Hope they found another gem in  this rookie class. 

[kkuenn 3,614]

https://lastwordonprofootball.com/2019/05/31/darwin-thompson-kansas-city-chiefs-ota-takeaways/

 

The Kansas City Chiefs off-season activities are underway, and already some young players are beginning to stand out. While it’s important to note that all coaches lie at this point in the season, rookie running back Darwin Thompson is getting a significant amount of praise from the coaching staff. While Damien Williams currently sits atop the depth chart, Thompson could earn a role if he continues to progress.

Kansas City Chiefs OTA Takeaways: Darwin Thompson Making Impressions

Darwin Thompson has barely had more than a cup of coffee with the Kansas City Chiefs organization, yet he’s already impressing offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. When asked about the sixth-round rookie, Bieniemy called Thompson “incredible” and a person “you fall in love with”. The offensive coordinator continued to say 123 words about Thompson’s talent, which “speaks for itself” and his “tremendous” work ethic.

This is the time for hyperbole, but Thompson easily received the most praise from Bieniemy out of any player. Seeing as he’s the offensive coordinator, this bodes well for Thompson’s career. Even though he’s currently buried on the depth chart, there’s reason to believe he can quickly climb the ranks in Kansas City.

Why Thompson Can Climb the Depth Chart

Anyone who watched the 2018 Chiefs knows that Damien Williams came on strong to finish the season. Stepping in for Kareem Hunt, the former Miami Dolphin recorded 256 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 50 carries, good for 5.1 yards-per-attempt. Additionally, he added 23 receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season. On paper, this was a fantastic production which should ensure job security.

However, the film tells a dramatically different story. Williams entered 2018 as a journeyman backup who never impressed during four years with the Dolphins. During his time in Miami, Williams recorded just 3.6 yards-per-carry on 133 attempts. This average is truly atrocious and made him one of the least efficient running backs in the league. His 2018 season truly came out of nowhere, and there are two explanations for his success. Either Andy Reid found a way to eliminate his flaws, or Williams was simply placed in the perfect situation.

A deeper dive in the numbers suggests the later. Teams were afraid of Patrick Mahomes’ ability to throw the ball and basically allowed Kansas City to run the ball at will. Williams faced just 6.4 men in the box per carry, which is well below the league average. Additionally, Williams ranked just 112^th in yards created per carry, which obviously isn’t good. He simply couldn’t pick up any yardage aside from what the blocking provided.

If Damien Williams had a breakout season in 2018, then Carlos Hyde had a broken season. The former second-round pick averaged just 3.3 yards-per-carry in 14 games with the Cleveland Browns and the Jacksonville Jaguars. While his subpar performance was partially due to atrocious situations, there’s no denying that Hyde simply didn’t perform well when given the ball. Additionally, he offers next-to-nothing as a pass-catcher, which is a problem in this offense.

Darwin Thompson Primed for Breakout

Damien Williams isn’t a good running back and Carlos Hyde is too one-dimensional to play all three downs. This leaves opportunity for others, and Thompson is in position to capitalize on said opportunity. Damien Williams can adequately start, but Kansas City shouldn’t be afraid to let Darwin Thompson take over if he proves to be the better player.

The coaching staff loves him, and it’s easy to see why. The Utah State product has good vision and showed promise as a pass-catcher, averaging 15.3 yards-per-reception in 2018. Additionally, he’s a good athlete who would have tested in the top-five at his position in a few drills if he were invited to the NFL Combine.

It won’t be easy for Thompson, as Williams played well last year and received a contract extension for his efforts. However, the rookie has already impressed the coaches and could continue his rise over the off-season. Most sixth-round picks don’t turn into instant-impact players, but most sixth-round picks aren’t Darwin Thompson.

[Iluvhouse24 1,808]

On 5/31/2019 at 2:13 PM, dksww said:

I doubt Hyde gets cut so close to signing a 2 year deal this off-season.  Unless Thompson or one of the Williams' just completely blow up I expect Hyde to be the 2nd or 3rd RB.

No idea why everyone talks about him like he is some kind of scrub. He's had problems with injuries, but this guy isnt just a camp body. This is a very capable backup who will likely play an important role for us this year.

[Mloe68 1,521]

9 hours ago, kkuenn said:

https://lastwordonprofootball.com/2019/05/31/darwin-thompson-kansas-city-chiefs-ota-takeaways/

 

The Kansas City Chiefs off-season activities are underway, and already some young players are beginning to stand out. While it’s important to note that all coaches lie at this point in the season, rookie running back Darwin Thompson is getting a significant amount of praise from the coaching staff. While Damien Williams currently sits atop the depth chart, Thompson could earn a role if he continues to progress.

Kansas City Chiefs OTA Takeaways: Darwin Thompson Making Impressions

Darwin Thompson has barely had more than a cup of coffee with the Kansas City Chiefs organization, yet he’s already impressing offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. When asked about the sixth-round rookie, Bieniemy called Thompson “incredible” and a person “you fall in love with”. The offensive coordinator continued to say 123 words about Thompson’s talent, which “speaks for itself” and his “tremendous” work ethic.

This is the time for hyperbole, but Thompson easily received the most praise from Bieniemy out of any player. Seeing as he’s the offensive coordinator, this bodes well for Thompson’s career. Even though he’s currently buried on the depth chart, there’s reason to believe he can quickly climb the ranks in Kansas City.

Why Thompson Can Climb the Depth Chart

Anyone who watched the 2018 Chiefs knows that Damien Williams came on strong to finish the season. Stepping in for Kareem Hunt, the former Miami Dolphin recorded 256 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 50 carries, good for 5.1 yards-per-attempt. Additionally, he added 23 receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season. On paper, this was a fantastic production which should ensure job security.

However, the film tells a dramatically different story. Williams entered 2018 as a journeyman backup who never impressed during four years with the Dolphins. During his time in Miami, Williams recorded just 3.6 yards-per-carry on 133 attempts. This average is truly atrocious and made him one of the least efficient running backs in the league. His 2018 season truly came out of nowhere, and there are two explanations for his success. Either Andy Reid found a way to eliminate his flaws, or Williams was simply placed in the perfect situation.

A deeper dive in the numbers suggests the later. Teams were afraid of Patrick Mahomes’ ability to throw the ball and basically allowed Kansas City to run the ball at will. Williams faced just 6.4 men in the box per carry, which is well below the league average. Additionally, Williams ranked just 112^th in yards created per carry, which obviously isn’t good. He simply couldn’t pick up any yardage aside from what the blocking provided.

If Damien Williams had a breakout season in 2018, then Carlos Hyde had a broken season. The former second-round pick averaged just 3.3 yards-per-carry in 14 games with the Cleveland Browns and the Jacksonville Jaguars. While his subpar performance was partially due to atrocious situations, there’s no denying that Hyde simply didn’t perform well when given the ball. Additionally, he offers next-to-nothing as a pass-catcher, which is a problem in this offense.

Darwin Thompson Primed for Breakout

Damien Williams isn’t a good running back and Carlos Hyde is too one-dimensional to play all three downs. This leaves opportunity for others, and Thompson is in position to capitalize on said opportunity. Damien Williams can adequately start, but Kansas City shouldn’t be afraid to let Darwin Thompson take over if he proves to be the better player.

The coaching staff loves him, and it’s easy to see why. The Utah State product has good vision and showed promise as a pass-catcher, averaging 15.3 yards-per-reception in 2018. Additionally, he’s a good athlete who would have tested in the top-five at his position in a few drills if he were invited to the NFL Combine.

It won’t be easy for Thompson, as Williams played well last year and received a contract extension for his efforts. However, the rookie has already impressed the coaches and could continue his rise over the off-season. Most sixth-round picks don’t turn into instant-impact players, but most sixth-round picks aren’t Darwin Thompson.

Hard not to get excited about him if it weren’t for guys like Jesse Haynes and Brian Shay who were OTA superstars who never smelled the 53.  That said for whatever reason I love the fact this kid can squat 500 plus.  A strong core makes his really good yards after contact number seem tangible. 

Also the 6.3 average people in the box for Damien Williams is a really unreal number and probably is why the Chiefs were all over basically every running back in the draft. I do think it’s odd they say Hyde brings no threat as a receiver when he had 53 receptions two years ago which was 6th in the league although his yardage per catch was really low. 

[kkuenn 3,614]

8 hours ago, Mloe68 said:

Hard not to get excited about him if it weren’t for guys like Jesse Haynes and Brian Shay who were OTA superstars who never smelled the 53.  That said for whatever reason I love the fact this kid can squat 500 plus.  A strong core makes his really good yards after contact number seem tangible. 

Also the 6.3 average people in the box for Damien Williams is a really unreal number and probably is why the Chiefs were all over basically every running back in the draft. I do think it’s odd they say Hyde brings no threat as a receiver when he had 53 receptions two years ago which was 6th in the league although his yardage per catch was really low. 

I agree. I too feel like the kid could be special, a diamond in the rough that was over looked because of the way he got to where he was for play time and the competition level. I compare him to Barry Sanders when it comes to stature and strength. Sanders was just strong as hell too. Pulled this from a Sanders squat google search.
Sanders bench presses 360 pounds and his squat is 557 pounds. ... Schmidt said Sanders has a vertical jump of 40 inches.

A strong runner with good hands, upside to boot. Now you stated 500 pounds for Thompson, there is a correction on this. The 500 he did was a front squat with no belt etc and did it with ease. There is a video of him doing 515 for a set of 7 reps. He is that strong. His 39 inch vert and 28 reps on benching was outstanding. A 10'6" broad jump with a 4.5 40. Now the 40 we all know is not game speed and this guy being 5'9 and 200 pounds is all muscle. Some things need work of course but we will see. For a 6th round QB I like his upside a lot. His strengths and weakness as some see it are below. Also of note is Hunt's combine numbers and how people thought WTF when we drafted him in the 3rd round too.

 

http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/kareem-hunt?id=2557917

 

Strengths

• a chiseled, compact frame with above average strength for his size;
• exhibits good vision in detecting seams when running between the tackles;
• relentless leg churn to keep plays alive;
• a patient runner who can wiggle his way through tight gaps;
• plays with impressive contact balance;
• clearly hit his Pro Day out of the park;
• received high marks in virtually all of Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics;
• shows some value as a pass-catcher as he averaged 15.3 yards per catch on 23 receptions in 2018.

Weaknesses

• clearly on the low end of NFL-caliber from a size standpoint;
• not particularly laterally athletic;
• lacks the quickness necessary to beat elite speed on perimeter runs;
• shows extremely little in terms of pass-blocking ability;
• inconsistent react and adjust skills when running lanes close on him;
• inexperience is a concern as he played just one year at FBS level.

[moons314 2,463]

RB is clearly the most lacking position on the offense.  Personally, I view Williams as a solid backup, but as "the guy" I just don't see him as dynamic.  Our passing game production out of the backfield fell off a cliff after the Hunt incident.  I get that Reid couldn't care less about running the ball, so we really need a guy that can hit the wheel routes and underneath stuff the way Hunt did.  Without that threat, there is going to be a lot of pressure on the outside receivers to perform. 

[Iluvhouse24 1,808]

4 hours ago, moons314 said:

RB is clearly the most lacking position on the offense.  Personally, I view Williams as a solid backup, but as "the guy" I just don't see him as dynamic.  Our passing game production out of the backfield fell off a cliff after the Hunt incident.  I get that Reid couldn't care less about running the ball, so we really need a guy that can hit the wheel routes and underneath stuff the way Hunt did.  Without that threat, there is going to be a lot of pressure on the outside receivers to perform. 

Williams spent most of his career as a 3rd down back because of his ability as a receiver out of the backfield. By this logic he just be perfect in this offense.

[moons314 2,463]

12 hours ago, Iluvhouse24 said:

Williams spent most of his career as a 3rd down back because of his ability as a receiver out of the backfield. By this logic he just be perfect in this offense.

I won’t dispute that, but you can’t tell me he was impressive catching the ball last year.  

[Mloe68 1,521]

19 hours ago, moons314 said:

RB is clearly the most lacking position on the offense.  Personally, I view Williams as a solid backup, but as "the guy" I just don't see him as dynamic.  Our passing game production out of the backfield fell off a cliff after the Hunt incident.  I get that Reid couldn't care less about running the ball, so we really need a guy that can hit the wheel routes and underneath stuff the way Hunt did.  Without that threat, there is going to be a lot of pressure on the outside receivers to perform. 

Agree that Andy's offenses really take off when he finds that dynamic versatile back that can do it all. He's had four of those in his career so odds are he will find one again. But Williams very likely isn't that guy. As such I see more of a committee approach we used after Jamaal got hurt. 

I do disagree about Big Red not caring about the running game though. We had the leading rusher in the NFL in 2018! I actually think the critical running plays is where we missed Hunt the most as Andy is as good as it gets at scheming his WRs and RBs open in passing game. The Chargers blown lead was a perfect example. Williams three yard loss on first down trying to milk the lead was a dagger that likely never happens with Hunt. Also if it weren't for a bad overthrow from MVPat in the first half of the AFC Title game (no he's not perfect LOL), Williams would have had 100 yards and 3 TDs receiving in that game. 

[the Warparty 69]

History has shown us that Andy like the one back gets the lionshare . . . we'll see