As he enters year three of his career, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is still looking to break out. The former first-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs has dealt with varied results, inconsistent usage and injuries during his first two seasons. Surely, CEH has had some inspirable moments. His ability to break tackles and make defenders whiff in space are two of his top traits. There is one area that has been severely lacking, however.
That would revolve around the receiving aspect of this running back’s game. Truthfully speaking, no one is expecting Edwards-Helaire to lead the league in receiving among running backs. There are other worthy competitors that have continually been a pest in the receiving game at the running back position. But for Clyde, it is challenging to see why he has yet to reach that potential that he displayed as a receiver before entering the NFL.
As part of the national championship winning LSU team in 2019, Edwards-Helaire totaled 453 receiving yards on 55 receptions. That was good for a yards per reception average of 8.2. While those stats are nice for any college running back, it was more than just numbers for Edwards-Helaire. He ran a deep and fluid route tree. He had success lining up from any and all places in the offensive formation. To boot, CEH looked natural and comfortable as a pass catcher, utilizing his hands at the catch point.
The receiving aspect will not define Edwards-Helaire’s 2022 season. Nonetheless, he may need to become more of a focal point for Kansas City in that area. If not, how will that affect his role and impact moving forward?
More Balanced Offense Could Help Edwards-Helaire
Kansas City made a point with their transactions this offseason. Most of the new pieces have something to prove or have a noticeable chip on their shoulder. That could very well be dangerous for opposing defenses to have to deal with, especially when you have a quarterback that attacks like Patrick Mahomes does.
How does that impact Clyde Edwards-Helaire as a receiving threat? First off, he may see a more regimented set of touches through the air. Instead of having the top names to lean on, the Chiefs offense could look to attack based on specific matchups more often. For CEH, his short area burst and catch comfort with his hands could help him separate from opponents. Edwards-Helaire may also have an advantage with his route running. By spreading the ball around and remaining balanced, Kansas City could finally see more comfort and confidence from the running back when it comes to being a pass catcher.
Running Back Room Low On Receiving Options?
Over the course of the last two years, Clyde Edwards-Helaire has been surrounded by similar skill sets in the Chiefs running back room. Names like LeSean McCoy, Darrel Williams and Jerick McKinnon have largely been congruent molds to the game of Edwards-Helaire. That has made Kansas City’s running backs interchangeable, to a degree. It has also slightly kept CEH from being able to lean on his top traits. Thus, the limited and varied production has occurred for the LSU product.
Those same skill sets are not present any longer for the Chiefs offense. There is no question that Edwards-Helaire has the highest ceiling as a receiver out of any of the other running backs. There are a couple of unproven commodities in Isiah Pacheco and Derrick Gore, from a receiving standpoint. Whereas with newcomer Ronald Jones, his inconsistencies with drops and ball security have been well documented from his time in Tampa Bay.
Perhaps, this is also something that could ease Edwards-Helaire into a more constant receiving role. He could finally stabilize a spot on third downs. At the same time, his pass protection and chips against defenders before beginning the route has improved steadily. With those continued developments, along with the somewhat narrow skill sets of the competing running backs, Clyde Edwards-Helaire could be force fed more touches as a pass catcher.
Will Coach Reid Find CEH’s Groove?
The offensive play design genius of head coach Andy Reid is something that could also unlock the pass catching prowess of Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Certainly, nothing is guaranteed just because of that factor. It is the way in which Reid utilizes his running backs in the passing game that makes a difference, nonetheless.
With his numerous designs in the screen game, Edwards-Helaire could see plenty of space in the open field after the catch. That not only allows him to lean on his top traits, but it also gives Edwards-Helaire a boost when not possessing tremendous long speed. On top of that, the screen designs may help CEH, when it comes to remaining under control at the catch point.
Can Reid truly find this running back’s groove as a pass catcher? It remains to be seen if Clyde Edwards-Helaire can replicate any sort of receiving production that he had in college. But if there is any coach that can help him get it done, it would be the one in Kansas City. If Reid can subscribe a firm base of touches for Edwards-Helaire through the air, it may finally give the Chiefs an all-around trustworthy player at the top of the running back depth chart.
Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.
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