Why the Chiefs added Damien Williams to a seemingly strong running backs group

When Chiefs general manager Brett Veach evaluated his roster after the 2017 season, he recognized the Chiefs needed another running back.

Badly.

Sure, they were bringing back the league’s leading rusher in Kareem Hunt, but behind him the depth was murky.

Before his catastrophic knee injury, Spencer Ware was a solid back. But his recovery is an ongoing process. Through the first week and a half of training camp, Ware hasn’t participated in contact drills.

There was also Charcandrick West, a steady situational back. But he, too, was injured in the final stretch of the season. And backup Akeem Hunt ended the season on injured reserve when he hurt his ankle in Week 17.

With depth depleted, cap space limited and no first-round pick, Veach and his staff went bargain hunting in search of a running back who had potential as a situational starter at a backup’s price.

When they turned on Damien Williams’ tape, Veach was instantly intrigued.

“He was in our (backup) stack, and I’m like, this guy isn’t (a backup), he’s a borderline (situational starter),” Veach said. “This guy is pretty good.”

But before the Chiefs could sign Damien Williams the football player, they needed to get to know Damien Williams the man.

There were issues in his past. A junior college transfer to Oklahoma, Williams was suspended twice and ultimately dismissed from the Sooners midway through his senior season in 2013 for a violation of team rules.

He signed with Miami as an undrafted free agent in 2014, but some of his bad habits followed him to the NFL. Following a career-best 181 rushing yards in 2017, Williams was released by the Dolphins after a four-year stint with the organization.

To get to know him better, the Chiefs brought Williams to Kansas City for a visit in the spring. After he was interviewed by Veach, he met up with new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

What Williams initially thought might be a short get-to-know-you conversation turned into a five-hour marathon come-to-Jesus talk.

“They kind of locked me in a room with him, gave me a heads up, like, he’s going to get after you a little bit,” Williams said. “He let you know the type of person he is and what he’s looking for. He made that clear.”

The offensive coordinator didn’t hold back in the wide-ranging discussion. This was his chance to fully vet Williams, to make sure that he was a good fit for the culture Veach and the Chiefs’ brass were trying to attain in the organization.

“We wanted to sit down and get to know each other,” Bieniemy said, “because what you see on tape is a tremendous football player. Obviously Damien has had a few things that have taken place in his past, but I just wanted to make sure that he understood how we do things around here.

“The culture here is great from the top down. One thing we just wanted to make sure is, ‘Hey, we understand that you’re a great football player, but are you willing to buy in to how we do it, our lifestyle and the way we do things in this building?’ That’s the most important thing.”

By the time the two finished talking late in the afternoon, Bieniemy was convinced that Williams was worth the gamble. He had the football ability, and he was accountable for his previous actions.

Fired up by Bieniemy’s talk, Williams also came away from the meeting with the realization that Kansas City was the best fit for him. He needed a clean slate, and the Chiefs were offering him one.

“Maybe for some guys it might be scary, it might be intimidating,” Williams said, “but the type of person I am, that’s the type of thing that feeds me. It interests me. I wanted to find out more.”

Soon after, the Chiefs offered Williams a low-risk, one-year contract. The running back signed a $1.2 million deal with a $60,000 signing bonus, and $60,000 of the deal was guaranteed.

While a shoulder injury kept him out of OTAs, Williams has been a full participant in training camp, even running with the first team earlier in the week with Hunt (hamstring) and Ware (knee) both limited.

“He’s been doing a good job,” Bieniemy said. “Knock on wood. He’s been doing a good job. Every now and then, you’ve got to put a hand on him, you know what I mean? Just remind him where he is. I will say this, he’s accepted the challenge. He comes out here and competes every day and he works his tail off.”

Since joining the Chiefs, Williams has dropped 15 pounds for a playing weight of 215. His lighter frame is making it easier to handle all of the conditioning in Missouri’s heat.

“We do a lot more running here,” Williams said with a laugh. “If I was at 230, I don’t think I would’ve made it.”

Williams is also adjusting to life in a dorm. In Miami, training camp was held at the Dolphins’ facility and the players stayed in hotels. That’s not the case with the Chiefs.

But living in the dorms at Missouri Western State is a benefit to Williams. He shares an adjoining bathroom with fellow Chiefs newcomer Kerwynn Williams. Every morning, Kerwynn, who’s entering his sixth year in the league, knocks on Williams’ door to make sure he’s up.

Nearly two weeks into camp, Williams is showing the coaching staff that he’s up to their challenge. He’s matching his intensity on the field with professionalism off of it.

If he maintains that recipe, there’s a good chance he’ll not only land a roster spot, but also coveted playing time on the field.

“Damien is a guy that we felt like, just off of tape, that he could make some noise,” Veach said. “And I feel like he’s made some noise already. He looks like a dude. He can play. He’s just got to stay focused.”

This story was originally published August 3, 2018 at 2:31 PM.