The Kansas City Chiefs signed Ronald Jones and brought back Jerick McKinnon this offseason to pair in the backfield with Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Jones inked his one-year deal with K.C. in late March. The club re-signed McKinnon earlier this week after the 30-year-old played a big role in the postseason.
Jones noted Wednesday that, during the grind of the season, the Chiefs will need all three backs.
"It's a long season," Jones said, via the team's official transcript. "Preseason included, it could go 24 games. It's going to take more than just one guy. That's what I've been looking forward to a 1-2-3 punch, if you will. It's all good."
Without an obvious Derrick Henry-style workhorse, having multiple options out of the backfield is good team-building. Last season, three backs in K.C. took at least 50 carries in the regular season (Darrel Williams, 144; CEH, 119; Derrick Gore, 51) before McKinnon saw his touches boosted in the postseason.
Unless you're a fantasy football participant with a load of CEH capital, it's a positive trio.
Edwards-Helaire is in line for most of the work, but adding an early-down rusher like Jones and a potential third-down back in McKinnon creates a stable backfield. Of course, it helps that Jones and McKinnon can play all three downs if needed.
Given the injuries running backs inevitably sustain, it's good to start the season with a 1-2-3 punch. At some point, you'll need all three swings.
