Way back at the beginning of March this year, rumors began circulating that once free agency started, the Kansas City Chiefs would target RB Darren Sproles, who was set to become a free agent. This got many in Kansas City excited but, to make a long story short, GM A.J. Smith decided not to let Sproles walk and kept him.
And now Sproles is returning to Kansas City.
I don't know about you all but I found the Chiefs initial interest in Sproles strange -- interesting, but strange. The Chiefs already had Jamaal Charles, who was a similar back to Sproles. Considering all of the needs, Sproles wasn't high on my priority list.
Ultimately, the Chiefs did select a Sproles-like player in Dexter McCluster. They technically play different positions but they're in the same type of mold of small, quick offensive players.
One of the early question marks surrounding McCluster, who is just 5'7" and 170 pounds, was whether he could take a hit and get back up.
For his part, McCluster says to look at Sproles. "He's still out there, and he's played what, five or six years? I always had confidence in myself, but he's a guy you can point to and say, 'Look at what he's done.'"
Chiefs coach Todd Haley says he's not in the business of comparing those two....yet.
"To ever put (McCluster) in the same category as Darren would be unfair to Darren," Haley said on a conference call this afternoon, according to Dan McLellan of CBSSports.com. "(Sproles) has proved that he can do it. I think Dexter has a lot to prove."
Taking a look at Sproles' stats makes me think he's a good target. 300-400 yards rushing and 300-500 receiving seems to be the Sproles' range and if that's what McCluster could do, it'd be fantastic for the Chiefs.