Where We Stand: The Kansas City Chiefs Running Backs

by Chris Thorman on Jan 10, 2008 9:23 AM CST in 2008 Off Season Comment 23 comments

NFL.com

Examining the current state of the roster, one position at a time.

Larry Johnson

Larry Johnson will be the Chiefs starter next season. Larry Johnson will not be traded this off-season. If you have not accepted that yet, do it now.

Impact in 2008: With even a slight improvement to the KC offensive line, Larry Johnson should easily be able to top 1,200 yards rushing next season, if not more. He will be instrumental in the development of Brodie Croyle, both as a blocker and as a diversion to opposing defenses. With a healthy LJ starting next year, teams will again have to overcompensate on the line of scrimmage and put fewer defenders downfield.

Jackie Battle

If was I giving out formal grades this season, Jackie Battle would get an incomplete. Only fourteen carries this season for the 6'2" rookie out of Houston. A RB/FB type runner, Battle isn't big enough yet to be a true NFL fullback and is currently best suited for short-yardage situations.

Impact in 2008: Jackie Battle may not even be on this team by the summer. His '08 status is uknown at this point. The best he can probably hope for is a spot on the practice squad or as the Chiefs no. 3 running back. Kolby Smith has locked up the no. 2 position, leaving Battle to either make his name at the fullback position or stay on as the no. 3 running back.

Gilbert Harris

Harris sat on the Chiefs practice squad until the Thanksgiving week Oakland Raider game, when he was activated after Priest Holmes suddenly retired. He had nine carries for nine total yards in four games. On his first NFL carry, Harris fumbled the ball out of bounds. Like Battle, Harris would get an incomplete for 2007. He is more of a true fullback than Jackie Battle is but with such a small sample of plays to go by, his future with the Chiefs is unclear.

Impact in 2008: Will be as a fullback, if he's on the team at all.

Kolby Smith

Kolby Smith shone this past season after he replaced Priest Holmes in Week 12 as the Chiefs primary ball carrier. In his first NFL start, Smith rushed the ball thirty-one times for 150 yards. He ended the season with 112 rushes for 407 yards, which is a 3.6 yard per carry average. Not too shabby. Especially when you consider the state of the Chiefs offensive line.

Smith was the Chiefs most effective running back this season, mostly due to his scat backing ability. The porous o-line forced the quicker Kolby Smith to cut back and forth multiple times, something Larry Johnsonwasn't able to do as well. LJ is great at that first cut but doesn't pull out many juke moves with multiple cuts.

Impact in 2008: The Chiefs have their backup running back for the time being. Smith will definitely be on the active roster to start 2008 but will see minimal time with LJ starting. He'll be great insurance to have if Larry gets injured again and also as a nice change of pace back for when LJ is tired/overworked.

Outlook for 2008

The Chiefs are lucky to have one of the truly great running backs in the NFL today coming back next year, hopefully 100% healthy (cross your fingers). We discovered we have a great backup in Kolby Smith. All in all, as long as the Chiefs avoid more injuries, the running back position is looking just great for 2008.

It would be great if either Harris or Battle could become a true fullback. Boomer Grigsby can't cut it. I've always felt that losing Tony Richardson and not finding a replacement hurt more than the Chiefs realized. The fullback position has all but disappeared in the NFL but that doesn't mean it still can't be used effectively. Look at Lorenzo Neal in San Diego. He is one the remaining true fullbacks in the league and has blocked for a 1,000 yard rusher in each of the last eleven seasons. He was blocking for some great backs but that doesn't mean it's their success is a coincidence.

Our personnel in the running game won't be a problem -- our line will be though.

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Comments

Now is

this with or without LJ playing like he gives a crap? Because I vaguely remember that...

Not criticising Herm Edwards for anything since December '07.

by Ridiculous Matt on Jan 10, 2008 10:38 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Ha!

I knew you hadn't gone far MAWK. Let's say next year he plays like he gives a crap. That's the angle I'm taking during the off season.

by Chris Thorman on Jan 10, 2008 10:39 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Good Point

Maybe smith did look better behind the awful OLine because he is quicker, there was more than one time when Kolby was running this year (behind the same line as LJ) that I thought he looked alot better.

Steven

by Steven on Jan 10, 2008 11:49 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Mr. Schmitt?

What if, say, the Chiefs were to spen a 3rd or 4th round pick on Owen Schmitt to gain back that road grader that LJ and Kol-B need. In addition to addressing the o-line as the main draft priority that is.

by Halfbreed5050 on Jan 10, 2008 1:27 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

That ridiculous TD run

in the Bowl Game may have raised his draft stock a bit, but I can't see anyone taking a fullback in the 2nd. We could conceivably grab him with our 3rd pick, but I don't see that happening. 3rd round is prime offensive guard territory. The 4th is a possibility, if he is still around (Chris or somebody else, can you help me out? I swear that when we traded Bennett to the Bucs, that I read somewhere that we got a 4th for him, because I remember thinking that was a steal, since it replaced the 4th round pick we gave the Saints for him in the 2007 draft. Am I crazy? (that is entirely likely)

by PVChiefsfan on Jan 10, 2008 2:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Pretty sure

its a 6th round pick. We have ten total picks this year.

by Chris Thorman on Jan 10, 2008 2:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

2 in each of the last three rounds right?

we got the 5th for Green, the 6th for Bennett, and the 7th for Tynes, right? Was the conditional pick for Sims in 2009, or did we not even get anything for him (not that I would be upset just to get rid of him, he wasn't even worth a locker)

by PVChiefsfan on Jan 10, 2008 3:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

Two in each of the last three rounds. I'm pretty sure at least. One of those picks may fluctuate between a 6th or a 7th .

by Chris Thorman on Jan 10, 2008 3:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Bucs acquire Bennett from Chiefs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have acquired seventh-year veteran tailback Michael Bennett from the Kansas City Chiefs.The Chiefs received undisclosed draft picks in 2008 and 2009 based on performance criteria.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3065715

by Lanier63 on Jan 10, 2008 3:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for that

so in 2009 we will probably have an extra pick in Round 7

by PVChiefsfan on Jan 10, 2008 4:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

What if

T-Rich were to come back for a season then retire a Chief? That would allow us to feel secure at that position, that way we did not use a draft pick there so we had it to use on other positions of need. Then look to 09 for a young fullback.

by Eric on Jan 10, 2008 4:36 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Totally

agree!

by Lanier63 on Jan 10, 2008 5:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Is that unrealistic?

Isn't he a free agent? Why not?

by Joel Thorman on Jan 10, 2008 5:30 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

According to 810 sports

that is what T-Rich wants to do. He said in an interview that he wanted to play 1-2 more seasons in KC and then move to a position in the front office...he has always said that he wanted to work for the organization after playing.

by PVChiefsfan on Jan 10, 2008 5:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

And yes

he is a free agent.

by PVChiefsfan on Jan 10, 2008 5:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Fullback

I don't know his contract status, but I rather expect Boomer Grigsby to be back in '08. Two reasons:

He's not expensive, and he plays coverage pretty well. I don't know about you all, but early on he wasn't active, and coverage was rather poor. Things improved when they activated Grigsby.

How effective can he be? a lot will depend on the off-season, of course, but I'm not gonna say "He just can't play the position" on the basis of this year - He showed some signs of improvement, and is still learning the position. In short, he's got a bigger upside than Wilson does, at this point.

All things considered, I expect him to at least compete with a rookie FB, come training camp. I don't expect the Chiefs to try and patch in a FA fullback, unless they can land a very good, young one - on the cheap.

And howdy, from a newbie! Woulda been here sooner, but the filters shunted my reg to the spambucket for some reason, and it took me a while to find it, & get things sorted out.

by Bleedingredandgold on Jan 10, 2008 5:34 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

T-Rich

as a mentor to Booomer, Boomer is not afraid of contact and has the take your head mentallity of a linebacker.

by Eric on Jan 10, 2008 8:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Problem is

They'll never take up roster spots for 2 fullbacks. Fullback only plays on 25% of the plays anyway.

by DJ on Jan 10, 2008 10:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

in our old offense

what if the new offense features the fullback more heavily? Then it might be good to have 2, especially if one was young (Boomer or a draftee) and the other was T-Rich.

by PVChiefsfan on Jan 10, 2008 10:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That would be the only excuse to have 2 fullbacks

would be for T-rich to train one. But wouldn't it be easier to just draft one? That West Virginia guy looks aweful good.

by DJ on Jan 10, 2008 10:50 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Kolby was never a defensive focus

I was also very surprised and happy with the performance of Kolby Smith when he was brought in, and am thrilled that we might finally have a suitable backup and change of pace back.

I am curious why something is never brought up though. Over and over again I hear that Kolby was the most effective back we had this year. And while it does have some to do with his scatting ability, do you think that it might be more because once LJ was out, the defenses shifted their focus to stopping the QB?

Think about those games LJ was in, everyone brought that house to stop him. Teams built their entire game plans around stopping LJ. Once he was out, they shifted the focus away from the run.

Just curious on what other's thoughts on that matter are?

by akgrenier on Jan 10, 2008 5:49 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Running Backs

I think LJ got kind of a raw deal last year. The fact that he isn't exactly Mr. Personality and just got a big contract, everyone was just waiting for him to start cashing it in.

But its the same thing, in my opinion, that made us think Brodie wasn't ready to start in preseason... First guy out there with an O-line we had no clue how bad it was. With Croyle, we learned that it was just as bad with Huard out there. We were beginning to have an inkling before LJ got hurt that it wasn't all his fault.

I like Kolby-wan alot. I think it will be some time before he could ever play in a starting position (has only been a backup his entire career, likely doesn't have the stamina to start a whole season) but I like him alot as a change of pace or, cross your fingers, a Jones-Drew to LJs Fred Taylor in a Jacksonville style 2-back system.

I don't see Battle or Harris being back next year unless they come in as a fullback.

As for a fullback, yeah we need one, but we played 2007 without one and LJ still got 1700 yards. So I don't think a fullback is going to magically turn this thing around. The O-line is the key.

by DJ on Jan 10, 2008 6:12 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Boomer

is pretty much gone next year. I like his attitude and approach to the game. He could even be a leader on special teams but we will see some names cut this year because this is Herm's put up or shut up year. Thats it. No more talk about you play to win the game, just do it!!! Been a while since the Boo Birds were out at Arrowhead and you know the Hunt family heard them this year for sure. Even with 2 picks in the 5th, 6th, and 7th rounds, its going to be tough to make this team next year. I expect to see at least 15-20 new faces on this team by the season opener.

by KC Fan in LA on Jan 14, 2008 1:20 PM CST reply actions 0 recs