Chiefs Focus @ChiefsFocus
Keaton Huff @KeatonTheKicker
Early reports out of training camp have been all about how good Isiah Pacheco looks. Maybe it’s the number 10 jersey but from what I saw at training camp he looked to be the most explosive running back on the roster. This is not a hot take either, Pacheco ran a 4.37 40 yard dash at the combine which would make him our fastest running back.
It’s easy to make generalizations about players coming out of camp especially before they play a down of NFL football, but it is clear that coaches have seen the same things as he has been seen working with the first team offense.
This isn’t abnormal because Andy usually gives everyone an opportunity to play with the starters, but he has gotten most of the second team work as well.
This leads to the very important question of if he will see a larger than expected role in the offense this year.
For me the answer is yes, Ronald Jones on a short term deal and CEH not living up to expectations makes me want to see what a young athletic running back would look like on this offense. We all know what it looked like when we had Kareem Hunt, and although short lived, he brought a different dynamic to the offense we had not seen before.
The last time we had a running back that had breakaway speed was Damien Williams and even then he wasn’t considered to be anything but an average running back. With that being said, his big play ability helped the team win a Superbowl in which many thought he deserved to be Superbowl MVP.
Early reports out of camp have also stated that Ronald Jones has struggled with fumbling early on. This isn’t a new problem for him and is the main reason he isn’t still playing with the Buccaneers.
He was benched multiple times over the past few years due to him not being able to catch, and fumbling the ball too often. Add that to the fact that Clyde hasn’t looked the part since being drafted in the 1st round, it’s not that crazy to think that a 7th round running back with serious upside could have a large role in this offense.
I think it will come down to what we see from him in the preseason. You have to think the first two games will see him and Gore get the bulk of the snaps, and although Gore is a fan favorite veteran,
I think Pacheco will get most of the carries due to him being a draft pick unlike Gore. There is still plenty of time left in camp for Isiah to earn his role but if you plan on watching the preseason games, you should pay extra attention to the running game.
The last thing I will bring up is the injury history of Clyde. We have seen him go down with an injury every year since he has been a Chief. As unfortunate as that is, we may see a clear path for Isiah to be a RB1 if this trend continues. If that does happen and Ronald Jones doesn’t look the part, we may see Isiah Pacheco take over this spot for years to come.
