Chan Gailey Pushed For Jamaal Charles

Kansas City Star reporter Adam Teicher talked with former offensive coordinator Chan Gailey at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and found out some interesting information about how the Chiefs came to acquire RB Jamaal Charles.

According to Teicher’s article, Gailey was a “driving force” in convincing the KC brass to take Charles. He apparently thought the Chiefs needed a speedy and versatile threat coming out of the backfield. At the time the Chiefs were saddled with Larry Johnson who went on to have a terrible 2008 and 2009 season and is currently a man without a team.

Charles didn’t play much the year he was drafted, mainly because the team was concerned about his tendency to fumble. Charles has gotten better at protecting the football although he has not conquered the problem and lost a key fumble in KC’s playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens. Then again, these days Charles is going to win you the game far more often than he is going to lose it for you with a fumble.

Check out Teicher’s full article at the Red Zone blog for some direct quotes from Gailey.