Chiefs to sign former Buccaneers RB Ronald Jones to one-year deal worth up to $5 million, per report

Jones fell out of favor with the coaches in Tampa Bay

The makeover of the Kansas City Chiefs offense continues apace. According to a report from NFL Media, the Chiefs will sign former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones to a one-year contract that pays him up to $5 million. 

Jones, a former second-round pick, was supplanted in the Bucs' backfield by Leonard Fournette. After recording only 23 carries in his rookie season, Jones got more of a chance in Year 2 but was only middlingly effective. Upon Tom Brady's arrival in 2020, the team brought in several additional backs to compete with Jones, and he was eventually phased out in favor of Fournette. During his four years in Tampa, he carried 488 times for 2,174 yards (4.5 per carry), adding 76 receptions for 571 yards and one score through the air.

After trading Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins earlier this week, the Chiefs continue to remake their offense in a different image. They've added two wide receivers this offseason who are strong blockers in JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, perhaps indicating that they plan to run the ball a bit more often than they have in the recent past. 

Jones has a downhill style that could be a good fit behind Kansas City's remade offensive line, but his weaknesses in pass protection and propensity for drops kept him from earning the trust to play on passing downs in Tampa. That could end up being an issue on an Andy Reid- and Patrick Mahomes-led team as well, but the Chiefs do still have Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Darrel Williams, and Jerick McKinnon on board, and they each have facility as pass-catchers out of the backfield. 

The one-year term makes this a relatively low-risk signing for the Chiefs, and if Jones succeeds in a power rushing role, they can always go out and find a similar back on a similarly-cheap deal next offseason.