NFL Free Agency 2020: 5 Teams that should tender an offer for Austin Ekeler

1. Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs seem like a prime landing spot for Austin Ekeler given they are set at every offensive skill position except running back. While Damien Williams had an incredible playoff run, he was missing in action for much of the regular season. Williams only played 11 regular-season games and failed to surpass three yards per carry in five of them. He only managed four games above 80 total yards and never surpassed 50 receiving yards in any contest.

Apart from Williams, the Chiefs don’t have much backfield depth. LeSean McCoy was inactive during the latter half of the season and will likely not be retained, Darrel Williams only managed 3.4 yards per carry and Darwin Thompson is coming off a rookie campaign where he managed just 46 touches on the season. The Chiefs need a dynamic running back in the backfield and Ekeler would fit the bill.

Ekeler is a speedy receiving weapon out of the backfield and presents a running style that suits Andy Reid’s versatile offensive scheme. He also has the capability to create chunk plays in the receiving game, as he caught the most 20-yard and 40-yard passes among running backs in 2019.

With Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman and Travis Kelce all forcing opposing defenses to play two-high safety coverage, Ekeler could shine versus light boxes and take advantage of the open space in the middle of the field.

The Chiefs only have $16 million in cap space, but they could easily clear some room by cutting underperforming players like Sammy Watkins and Dustin Colquitt; those moves would save Kansas City an additional $16 million in cap space. The Chiefs would see massive improvement in their 23rd ranked rushing attack and be borderline unstoppable if they can acquire Ekeler.