Chiefs offense: Who is the top weapon?

Who is going to be the epicenter of the Kansas City Chiefs offense in 2016?

Over at NFL.com, Elliot Harrison posed an interesting question about Kansas City heading into training camp. After his second torn ACL, is Jamaal Charles still the center of the offense?

While the initial reaction is to say yes, the answer is probably closer to no in reality. Charles is a phenomenal player but at 29 years old and coming off ACL surgery, he’s not going to be the bell cow any longer. The Chiefs signed Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware to long-term deals for a reason, hoping to take the burden off Charles’ shoulders.

At this juncture, the offense is more about the trio of Alex Smith, Travis Kelce and Jeremy Maclin. Last year, Kelce and Maclin combined for 13 touchdowns while Maclin caught a career-best 87 passes. Smith and his $55 million receiver had great chemistry and even started stretching the field come December.

Kelce is also a huge part of this unit. After recording more than 850 receiving yards for the second straight year, look for the fourth-year tight end to approach the 1,000-yard barrier. Outside of Rob Gronkowski, there is not another player at his position with the elite combination of size and speed that Kelce possesses.

In essence, Kelce and Maclin play off each other in Andy Reid’s offense. The backfield will be crowded with Ware, West and Charles all seeing snaps. It should be interesting to see how everything shakes out in 2016.