The Kansas City Chiefs recently added running back Samaje Perine to the roster ahead of Week 1’s showdown against the Baltimore Ravens. After spending the offseason with the Denver Broncos, Perine couldn’t land on the final roster but quickly found a home with the reigning Super Bowl champions. While former seventh-round pick Isiah Pacheco has the starting job locked down, Perine should earn targets on passing downs and as a change-of-pace option. However, will he be ready to take the field in Week 1? While we can never know until the game actually starts, head coach Andy Reid seems to believe in his latest signing.
“Yes, absolutely I think [Samaje Perine can play]. I’ve just gotta see with Perine on where he’s at and picking everything up,” said Reid during a recent interview. “I’m not gonna put him in a bad position, obviously, but I think he’s gonna be fine. He’s been in here cranking away, so we’ll see how everything goes.”
Andy Reid Thinks Samaje Perine Can “Absolutely” Contribute In Week 1 For Chiefs
Brett Veach is the General Manager, but it’s clear that Reid is a big fan of what Samaje Perine brings to the Kansas City Chiefs. He might not see a full workload in Week 1 as he learns the playbooks, but Reid’s comments heavily imply he will be a featured part of the passing game once he gets up to speed.
“We all know what he did to us when he was at Cincinnati with that screen play, but Samaje, he’s done this over his career, where he’s been a phenomenal third-down back, but he’s also a good runner. I think that you know that he’s really a good person. That word has traveled around the National Football League on what kind of guy he is, a locker room guy, and so on. We welcome that, but the opportunity to have a guy in here that can do the run game and the passing game, I just think he’s a good, well-rounded football players that’s extremely intelligent, that is a great addition that Brett [Veach] added to the team.”
Expected Usage
Reid has every right to be excited about Samaje Perine on the Chiefs, but it’s hard to envision any player seeing a large workload after such a limited time in the offense. The veteran running back will likely have a small set of plays in the offense, but look for former first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire to see most of the looks in the passing game. As far as the ground game goes, Isiah Pacheco is a superior runner and the team seems to believe in what undrafted free agent Carson Steele brings to the table. Maybe Perine sees a small handful of snaps, but he probably won’t play a large role in the gameplan.
This should change as the season develops. Edwards-Helaire has tried to prove he belongs in the NFL, but the LSU product simply doesn’t have what it takes to be a key piece of the offense. Samaje Perine will fully inherit the Jerick McKinnon role once he gets caught up with the Chiefs playbook, leaving Edwards-Helaire as nothing more than a depth piece.
Main Photo: Isaiah J. Downing – USA Today Sports
