Jamaal Charles needs to be the focus in 2015

Dec 21, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) rushes the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 20-12. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Addicts. Are you already as tired of the offseason as I am?  Sure the franchise tag deadline, the free-agency period, and the NFL Draft are all interesting and exciting events. But once all those have come and gone, I tend to end up just wanting to see actual football again, and hoping that all of the Kansas City Chiefs’ key payers make it through the training camp and offseason workouts without injury.

So let’s talk about something more interesting – the 2015 regular season.

A lot has been going around lately about what to expect and what is needed from various parts of the Chiefs offense.  From worries about the offensive line, the roles of Jeremy Maclin and  De’Anthony Thomas, and even my own piece last week on the future of Alex Smith. But as I surveyed the landscape of Chiefs coverage, I noticed that there is a definite absence. And it is a pretty big one – Jamaal Charles.

Charles may not be newsworthy in the fact that he is a known quantity and is (thankfully) not coming off of an injury. But the All-Pro running back is going to need to be a big part of the offense in the 2015 season.

There are still a lot of unknowns about what this team is really going to end up looking like. And the passing game is the most uncertain area for the Chiefs. Is Smith good enough? Will Maclin be able to produce like he did with the Eagles? Will the rest of the receivers step up? Will any of it matter if the line does not gel together?

The run game, however, is pretty much locked down to be reliable by the presence of Charles. His backup, Knile Davis, also proved that he is serviceable option to keep the ground game a viable option should his number be called.  But the main attraction here is Charles, who just so happens to be the leading rusher in Chiefs history.

Last year, even though he sat out with injury for two games, Charles still managed to rush for over 1,000 yards, and ranked in the top 10 in the league in both yards per attempt and touchdowns. That is impressive no matter how you look at it.

Next: Why Charles is so important...