Thomas Jones was released by the Jets entering free agency and he was faced with a decision to make. Go with a team that has a chance at winning a title. Go with the team that pays him the most. Go with what feels right.
He chose option three, which ended up being the Chiefs.
"It was the energy in the building," Jones told 610 Sports' Nick Wright this afternoon.
Jones cited the Chiefs coaching staff -- particularly the assistant coaches -- as part of the reason he came to Kansas City. "A couple of coaches [there] I've known for a long time," he said.
That would be Bill Muir (offensive line) and Richie Anderson (wide receivers), among others.
And it wasn't that familiarity. Jones, who jokingly said he "probably" has the biggest biceps of all the NFL running backs, was impressed with those who had bought into Todd Haley's conditioning program.
"When I came in for a visit, guys were working out before the offseason program even started," he said.
Those offseason conditioning sessions will come in handy. Jamaal Charles and Jones are expected to be number one and two heading into the season. He acknowledged the obvious that defending a speedster like Charles and a heavy hitter like himself will be difficult for defenses to defend.
So 2009 saw some players reportedly avoiding the Chiefs because of Haley's demeanor. Now 2010 has guys coming in because of that.