Replacing Thomas Jones: Kansas City Chiefs Need a More Efficient 2nd RB

Having been tossed around between five teams, Thomas Jones has been underappreciated throughout his NFL career.

Posting back-to-back solid seasons in New York and Chicago ended with him earning not a contract extension, but rather tickets to another team.

Jones may work exceptionally hard and possess great leadership ability, but in my book if you’re getting on average 15 carries, you better be gaining more than 3.7 yards a carry, which he just has not done.

However, he has had years like this one where he then bounced back the next and was more efficient.

We instead should believe that this was not because of a weak offensive line or ineffective passing game, but because of the toll that 2,000-plus carries has taken, age and lack of vision. It’s why the Chiefs only signed him to a two-year contract.

Shy of only the NT and WR positions, this is the most important position to fill for the Chiefs next year and needs to be filled either with a pick in the draft or through free agency.

If this spot is filled, if the Chiefs offense wants to end 2012 with a top 10 offense, if they can fill that second wide receiver spot in the draft or with who we are all praying for, Larry Fitzgerald—and pending we have a 2012 season.

When the Chiefs picked Jones up in free agency, it was heralded as one of the best offseason moves in the NFL by man. But his performance just has not been up to par with the expectations set for him. We need to find someone else that can cut it with at least four yards per carry. 

The Chiefs organization may be very high on veteran RB Thomas Jones, but if the Chiefs want to win, this spot will not be ignored and will be filled with, say Michael Bush or Leon Washington—or say Derrick Locke, Da’Rel Scott or Noel Devine from the draft (I love speed backs).

In any case, if Todd Haley and Scott Pioli really care about winning, they will fill the second RB spot with someone who is effective, gets the job done and doesn’t allow opposing defenses to relax when Jamaal Charles comes off the field—someone who can keep them on their toes.