KC Chiefs: 2016 Running Back Competition

The KC Chiefs appear ready to head into the start of training camp in a pretty good spot at the running back position. What does the competition look like?

The 2016 Draft is complete and now it is time to start looking at the top battles that will take place at camp.  The rookie 3-day camp is underway, so that means that team camps are coming up.

Going in to camp the Chiefs will be bringing four running backs, but will they continue with four? Or will one be let go before the season begins?

Going in to the 2016 training camps and preseason, the Chiefs will have four running backs to pick and choose from. Pro-Bowl running back Jamaal Charles, who is coming off an ACL injury that he obtained early in the season against The Chicago Bears, leads the pack.

Knile Davis, who in 2014, was used as the hard-charging back that the Chiefs would use in the red-zone and short-yardage situations.

Charcandrick West, who was an undrafted free-agent from Abilene Christian University, was crucial in the success of the running game in 2015.

Finally, Spencer Ware, who was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2013 and released, only to later sign with the Chiefs in 2014.  Ware replaced Knile Davis in week eight against the Detroit Lions, and never looked back.  In 2015 Ware and West combined for 232 carries for 1037 yards and ten touchdowns.

The obvious answer would be to drop Knile Davis. He has little use in the run game, and has shown that he still has fumble trouble. Not only does he have trouble holding on to the ball, it always seems to come in the biggest moments.

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One reason to keep Davis is his big play potential in the return game. In the blow out of the Houston Texans in the Wild Card playoff game, Knile Davis ran the opening kick-off all the way to the house. This set the tone for a game where the Kansas City Chiefs imposed their will for four quarters.

While he is useful in the return game, the Chiefs drafted Tyreek Hill during the draft and there have also been rumors of a potential trade with the Bears, who lost Matt Forte in the off-season.

Letting Charcandrick west go could be another option. He has the same skill set as Jamaal Charles, though it’s not as slick. He has some issues catching out of the back-field, but has the ability to make would-be tacklers miss and look for the big play on an every down basis.

Spencer Ware could be the odd one out when it comes to the season if he does not give the Chiefs a reason to keep him. On paper he has the same skill set as Knile Davis, which is a running back that runs North to South with the goal of busting through the defensive line to the next level.

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One of the most unpopular answers, but one that may be the most beneficial to Kansas City is trading Jamaal Charles.Charles will be turning 30 this year, and is coming off of an ACL injury.

After Charles went down in 2015, the KC Chiefs did not only improve with out him, but they flourished.

It seemed that the team playbook opened up, and the team was more than just the Jamaal Charles show. The trade could be for a third-round pick in the draft or an player that would make an immediate impact.

Personally, I think that Knile Davis will be the odd man out when the cuts come around. If they choose to keep Davis it will be due to his special teams contribution, but the addition of University of Western Alabama’s Tyreek Hill, who will have a good chance to make a impact immediately in the kicking game, makes that unlikely.

Next: Has Jamaal Charles Lost a Step?

I am looking forward to the 2016 season. Alex Smith will have one of the best group of skill players in the league to include, Pro-Bowlers Jamaal Charles, Travis Kelce, and Jeremy Maclin, who will be entering his second season with the Chiefs.

KC Kingdom who do you believe will be the running backs in 2016? Please let me know.