Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

The Jackie Battle era is officially over in Kansas City as the former backup running back has signed with the San Diego Chargers.

Battle was allowed to test the free agent waters this offseason and despite being fairly productive in 2011, the season in which he saw his first significant playing time, the Chiefs never showed much interest (publicly anyway) of re-signing Battle.

Battle spend most of his time in KC as a backup and it looks like he didn’t do enough last season to convince any NFL team that he was starting material. He’ll join incumbent starter Ryan Matthews and an aging Ronnie Brown in San Diego.

Battle should be a solid pickup for the Chargers. Brown is old and Matthews has injury issues. Battle sports good size and he is deceptively fast. He can block and also contribute on special teams.

The Chiefs gave Battle the rock 149 times last season and he produced 597 yards (4-ypc) and two TDs. He also added nine receptions for 68 yards. He is 28 and will turn 29 in October.

What do you think Addicts? Are you sorry to see Battle go to the Bolts? The signing of Peyton Hillis kind of made Battle the odd man out in the KC backfield. Charles is coming back. McCluster likely isn’t going anywhere and the team drafted Cyrus Gray. Still. it will be hard to see Jackie on the other side.

Last week the Chiefs announced that they had re-signed back up tight end Jake O’Connell. When I heard this news my exact thoughts were “I’m not upset that they re-signed him, but he certainly wouldn’t make my list of Top 10 Free Agents that I’d like the Chiefs to re-sign.” Which then got me to thinking, who exactly would be on my list? Obviously, we all can agree that Dwayne Bowe and Brandon Carr are the top priority, but on a team that lacked quality depth last year, what other players should we be hoping the Chiefs bring back? I gave it some thought and came up with the following list.

Let’s get started:

10. Amon Gordon

Nov 21, 2011; Foxboro, MA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Amon Gordon (99) lines up against the New England Patriots during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots defeated to Chiefs 34-3. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-US PRESSWIRE

Gordon was a pleasant surprise last year. He basically walked in off the street last year and locked down the backup nose tackle spot. He even managed to rack up a couple of sacks, which is something that KC’s other “big boys” haven’t been able to do. The down side is that his play kept Jerrell Powe off the field. Speculation is that Kelly Gregg won’t be back and Gordon would be cheap depth for whomever KC brings in to be the new starting NT.

The other two players I considered for this number 10 spot were Barry Richardson and Leonard Pope, both of whom were starters last season. Richardson would provide quality depth if he was brought back as the backup swing tackle, but ultimately I’m so afraid of the Chiefs trying to start him again that I decided to leave him off the list altogether. With Moeaki coming back from injury I’d like to see KC sign someone with more offensive upside then Pope for the number 2 TE spot.

The Kansas City Chiefs have placed running back Jackie Battle on IR with a foot injury and have signed RB Shaun Draughn from their practice squad.

I suggested this move earlier this week when it became clear that Battle might miss the last game of the season. Since the Chiefs aren’t going to the playoffs, it makes sense to go ahead and end Battle’s season early and get Draughn up to the active roster for today’s game.

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RB Jackie Battle will not play with a foot injury.

Safety Jon McGraw is doubtful with a high ankle sprain.

I would imagine Battle has done enough to be brought back next season, however, we may have seen the last of McGraw. Jon is getting up there in the age department, however he was still KC’s best SS this season with Eric Berry out. He continued to play the run like a linebacker and was certainly better than Reshard Langford, Shabby Sabby Piscitelli and Donnie Washington.

For depth alone, I think McGraw should be brought back. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Scott Pioli go after safety depth aggressively this offseason. If that happens, the return of Eric Berry may mean there is no longer room for McGraw.

As for Sunday, the Chiefs will likely roll with Langford and a RB combo of Thom Jones and Dex. Looks like Jones could be going out with a bang.

That or two yards and a cloud of dust.

The Kansas City Chiefs have had their fair share of injuries this season, and it looks like they’ve got another one to add to the list.

RB Jackie Battle is apparently in a walking boot, according to interim head coach Romeo Crennel.

“As far as our roster is concerned, Jackie Battle got banged up in the game,” Crennel said on Monday. “He is in a boot. We’re doing X-rays, MRIs and second opinions to try to figure out what his situation is.”

“Right now, he’s not practicing today so right now if I had to list him I’d list him as doubtful. Until we can get a determination from the doctors, I’ll make a determination at that time what we need to do, if anything, as it relates to the roster.”

This is bad news for the Chiefs because no Jackie Battle means MORE Thomas Jones. Jones has had a moment or two this season but he isn’t the kind of guy you want shouldering the burden of your running game any more. If Battle sits, we’ll likely see a lot McCluster and Jones.

If Battle is likely to be out, the Chiefs might want to consider placing him on IR so they can promote RB Shaun Draughn to the active roster to give him a look. KC will need some extra RB help next season and they have a pretty good idea of what they have in Battle. It might not hurt to get a look at Draughn before the season is out.

(h/t Arrowhead Pride for the Crennel quote)

The Kansas City Chiefs scored a huge victory over the Chargers last night, thanks in large part to a big effort by RB Jackie Battle late in the game.

Have a look at this shot of Battle’s TD. A thing of beauty.

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courtesy yardbarker.com

Now that we’ve discussed the five keys to a Kansas City Chiefs victory over the San Diego Chargers, it is time to single out five players we think can help put the hammer down on the Lightening Dolts.

Here are five players to watch this Monday night.

Jackie Battle

Can the Battle-Axe make it a hat trick? Battle will look to produce his third strong outing against the Chargers. San Diego has had difficulty stopping the run and KC currently ranks 7^th in the league in that category. If the Chiefs can pound away at the Chargers defense with Battle, they could find themselves tied for first place in the AFC West.

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WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! That was fun, wasn’t it? It’s been a while since we last got to watch a one-sided win where the Chiefs came out on top. Obviously, today is a good day to be a Chiefs fan. I’m going to jump right into the reasons why.

10. Jackie Battle is a legit NFL running back.
In my opinion, the Chiefs could have and should have used Battle more against the Raiders. Dexter is a nice change of pace and Thomas Jones should MAYBE get 5 carries/game in relief, but it was clear Sunday that the Indy game was not a fluke. Battle was by FAR the best looking running back on the field for KC and looks like he will give the Chiefs a solid option at RB the rest of the season.

9. Jon Baldwin got on the field.
So he didn’t do anything amazing, but at least he has taken the first step to being a contributing member of the team. It took Cassel about a month to get on the same page with Breaston. If that same time table holds true for Baldwin, they should be clicking just in time for the Chiefs most difficult stretch of the schedule.

8. Carson Palmer got on the field and the Chiefs ate him alive.
I’m not saying that the Chiefs picking off Palmer three times is a sign that we have the best pass defense in the universe. Clearly Palmer was rusty. This is more about the national exposure that it gives the Chiefs. Everybody who covers the NFL will now be talking about Palmer getting into the game and throwing three interceptions. Flowers’ pick six will play on highlight and talk shows continuously for the next few days. For once this season it will be nice to see KC on the winning side on those replays.

Reasons 1-7 after the break.

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Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Bill Muir confirmed Friday that Jackie Battle is the new lead back of the Kansas City Chiefs.

“We basically have a plan in terms of not equally distributing the carries,” Muir said, “but certain plays we maybe like with a certain player. Obviously you get in a situation where a guy is running tough and he’s running for extra yards — the kind of game sometimes dictates who that back is.”

Battle had a breakout performance two weeks ago against the Indianapolis Colts. It was the first time Battle had ever really been given significant carries in the regular season behind a starting offensive line.

Battle did not disappoint.

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The Kansas City Chiefs came back to beat the Indianapolis Colts 28-24 after at one point trailing 17-0.

This was a game that had multiple heroes. Let’s take a look at the guys who showed up big for the Chiefs on Sunday.

Matt Cassel

Has to start with Cassel. The offense got off to a bit of a slow start but Cassel began rallying the troops midway through the second quarter. On the team’s third drive in the second quarter, Cassel hit Dwayne Bowe on a 41-yard TD pass. From then on, Cassel was nearly flawless. He finished the game 21 of 29 afor 257 yards and four TDs. He was excellent.

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In a game that looked to be a blowout, the Kansas City Chiefs came back after being down 17-0 to defeat the Indianapolis Colts 28-24.

There were a lot of stars in this game but Matt Cassel, Dwayne Bowe, Steve Breaston and Jackie Battle led the way. Bowe put on a WR clinic. Breaston was as clutch as they come and scored two TDs. Matt Cassel threw four TD passes and Jackie Battle rushed for 121 yards on 19 carries.

We’ll have more later but for now, let’s celebrate. Who is your player of the game?

The Kansas City Chiefs were the #1 running team in the league a season ago but in 2011, without Jamaal Charles, they are nothing more than average.

The Chiefs currently rank 14th in the league in rushing. The team is averaging 110.8 yards per-game.

Currently the team’s leading rusher is Dexter McCluster with 164 yards on 28 carries. He is followed by Thomas Jones with 111 yards on 39 carries.

With Jones only averaging 2.8 yards per carry, the Chiefs may look to pair Dexter McCluster with Jackie Battle moving forward. Battle only has 10 carries thus far this season for 37 yards.

Chiefs coach Todd Haley seemed to indicate in one of his press conferences this week that Battle would see an increased role in the offense. He did not, however, say how much of an increased role.

I don’t blame Haley for wanting to give Battle more looks. As much as he might love Thomas Jones, 2.8 yards per carry just isn’t going to get it done. Battle may not be spectacular but he probably can’t be any less productive than Jones as been this season.

It will be intriguing to see what Battle can do if given extended playing time. We’ve seen him play a lot in the preseason between 2nd and 3rd string offensive lines but other than a spare short-yardage carry here and there, Battle has never really gotten extended playing time behind a starting line.

What do you think, Addicts? Will Battle get significant carries today or will we still get a heavy dose of Thomas Jones?

The Kansas City Chiefs running game is still struggling to find its way after the loss of Jamaal Charles and it sounds like Todd Haley may be ready to deploy the Battle Axe.

That’s right, Addicts. It’s Jackie Battle time.

Battle, mainly a special teams player the last few years, stepped in late in the game last week to help the Chiefs put things on ice.

Haley was asked about Battle today and said that Battle could be getting more opportunities to carry the football.

“He’s a guy that wants to play, wants to contribute,” said Haley.”He’s been one of our best special teamers up to this point. That’s kind of been his calling card, but I know that he wants to be a running back and wants to contribute and he’s a guy I’m excited about.”

Battle hasn’t carried the ball a whole lot for the Chiefs during regular season games, other than a few short-yardage situations.

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To say the Kansas City Chiefs’ fullback position is full would be an understatement.  It is not unusual for any NFL team to carry just one fullback (or even no fullback a la Detroit Lions/Barry Sanders).  Last year the Chiefs carried two; Mike Cox and Tim Castille.  (It could be argued they carried three (3) if you count big Jackie Battle who has played fullback in the past).  

Since last year, The Kansas City Chiefs have drafted another fullback: 7^th round pick Shane Bannon.  As it stands now (presumably) we have 3 fullbacks on the roster (four (4) if you count Mr. Battle).  There’s not much room on the roster for these boys.

More after the jump…

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I am a born and bred Chiefs fan out of Topeka, Kan. who had the great honor of playing tight end in high school wearing number 88 through the Tony Gonzales years – I actually have no idea how I was able to keep that number considering I was a perennial JV guy.

Recently, I have had to watch the Chiefs from afar as I have spent three of the last five years living in the former Soviet Union (Russia and now Georgia), but during that time my obsession with team has only deepened, as it’s basically one of the few things keeping me feeling American over here. I suppose that counts as a crazy idea in itself – choosing to move to the Republic of Georgia 10 months after their war with Russia, three weeks out of college and six days before my 22^nd birthday.

Anyways, I hope to use this space now and in the future to play GM and apply my occasional insanity to the Chiefs with an idea you probably haven’t thought of in terms of roster moves, organizational changes, etc. every Saturday at 3 p.m. (midnight my time).

So here it goes.

Crazy Idea #1 – Pick up Reggie Bush

Source: Yardbarker.com

Today we continue our series “Position Battles,” where we will be setting out very own Arrowhead Addict depth chart. It is a chance for Addict Nation to weigh in on who we think the starters should be heading in to training camp.

Last week we tackled the running back position.

Here are the results:

1. Jamaal Charles

2. Thomas Jones

3. Dexter McCluster

4. Kolby Smith/Kestahn Moore

5. Jackie Battle

6.  Javaris Williams

Obviously, the Chiefs won’t be going in to the season with 7 halfbacks. Most of the votes went to Charles and Jones, with Charles being the overwhelming favorite. After the Charles, Jones 1, 2 punch, Addict Nation wants Dexter McCluster to get the call.

Chances are McCluster will be listed as a receiver but he is likely to get a handful of carries each game. That means whoever ends up behind Charles and Jones on the real depth chart won’t see much action unless there is an injury.

Today we move on to the fullback position. The Chiefs haven’t had a Pro Bowl caliber FB since the great Tony Richardson left. Mike Cox has been doing a workman like job for the Chiefs the last couple of years.

Currently, Cox is the only player listed as a FB on the roster. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jackie Battle got a look given his size. Battle is 6-2, 238. Tim Castille may also get a look at FB coming in at 5-11, 238. Rookie Tervaris Johnson is an option at 6-2, 248. Cox is the biggest of the group, weighing in at 6-0, 252.

By comparison, Tony Richardson is 6-1, 238.

Time to pick your starter:

I trust that some of you are die hard Madden Football fans.  I also am sure that of those who claim to be, most of you are of the “”Franchise Mode” type.  So, some of you will remember the “position battles” list of the Franchise Modes’ of recent past.  You recall the part of the game where prior to camp you are given a list of certain positions where players are competing for a starting position.  The game would compare two or three sometimes four closely rated players and usually give slight favoritism to the younger rated player. Well, as you know Madden’s Franchise Mode no longer has that aspect of the game, but it got me to thinking.  What would your position battle list look like?  Here is mine:

 More after the jump:

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Most agree that the Chiefs need another back to help shoulder the load of carries and keep Charles fresh. I maintain, and have for some time, that the running backs the Chiefs have on the roster will do just fine.

I am a firm believer that 9 times out of 10, it is the blocking that makes a running back. Special cases, guys like Barry Sanders, can run behind any line. They are elusive and don’t need giant holes to break lose. Jamaal Charles appears to be that type of back. The Chiefs blocking didn’t magically get better during the second half of last season. Charles only needs a crease where most backs need a hole.

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With all to respect to Adam, my employer, I’m going to have to disagree that Tomlinson can be the Chiefs next Marcus Allen.

LaDanian Tomlinson is not worth his contract. He is at most, worth the league minimum as a veteran presence and mentor. That is it. Even behind a good line, Tomlinson probably isn’t going to perform very well. He has a ton of mileage on his legs, more than a guy like LJ who rode the pine for a while. He is also an unnecessary injury risk.

In the NFL, if you have good blocking, you can plug almost any talented back into your offense and he will get yards. If a guy is fast and he isn’t blind, he can run through a gigantic hole, untouched, for 5 yards. Mike Shanahan proved this by plugging any dirt bag he wanted into the Broncos lineup. They were all fairly successful, however, none of them were Terrel Davis. They weren’t special, but they got the job done.

If you have crappy blocking, you need a special back who can make things happen on his own or who can squeeze through the smallest of creases. Like Jamaal Charles does for the Chiefs. Like Barry Sanders did for the Lions.

If you have both of those things, well, then you have Ladanian Tomlinson of old. You have Chris Johnson.

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