Chiefs NFL Besties
By Laddie Morse
When you hear the word “besties” you think about best friends or friends for life. However, the Kansas City Chiefs have a a couple of best crews in the NFL and those two position groups should help lead the team to new heights in 2016.
The Chiefs NFL besties are their running back crew and their linebackers. I’m sure some will argue that there may be a better trio than Justin Houston, Tamba Hali, and Derrick Johnson but I’d like to know who they may be. On the other side of the ball, I doubt there are many teams who will squabble about calling Jamaal Charles, Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware the masters of their NFL domain.
What can not be doubted is that both these groups have been nicked up in the past year and their success in 2016… as well as the success of the team… is dependent upon their full recovery.
What is curious about the Kansas City Chiefs is that those two position groups have had a history of quality players. Not always… but a goodly portion if the franchise history.
Look at the list of linebackers who have starred for the Chiefs:
Mike Maslowski, Demorrio Williams, Scott Fujita, Gary Stills, Justin Houston, Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali, Sherrill Headrick, Gary Spani, Donnie Edwards, Jim Lynch, E.J. Holub, Willie Lanier, Bobby Bell and Derrick Thomas.
I place them in this order because if I was forced to rank them (which is popular these days… and btw, I believe the Showtime Lakers were head & shoulders better than these Golden State Warriors) them it would come out just about like that. But, compare that list to other teams and it holds up well. There might be a few teams better, but not many.
The running backs for K.C. haven’t been too shabby either. Donnell Bennett, Abner Haynes, Bam Morris, Kimble Anders, Barry Word, Ed Podolak, Christian Okoye, Marcus Allen, Tony Richardson, Joe Delaney, Mike Garrett, Priest Holmes, Larry Johnson and Jamaal Charles.
What is at the very least intriguing is that while the team has drafted linebackers and running backs well over the decades with different coaches and general managers, the same can not be said for other position groups most notably the quarterback position. Sure, it’s a much more difficult proposition to draft a high quality QB… including a bit of luck with timing… but the Chiefs have virtually never drafted a high quality QB, who has gone on to be their starter, in the history of the organization. In the cards? In the stats? True of other franchises? No… no… and yes.
Intriguing.
It may be interesting to note that both Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware would rank in my top ten of Chiefs all-time running backs based upon the eye-test. In layman’s terms, it means I think they’re both going to have terrific careers. I just hope those two stick with the Chiefs for the duration.
In terms of the collection of running backs on the Chiefs roster now, J.C., West & Ware (yes, they sound like some kind of belts, boots and cowboy hat store in Texas — J.C.’s Western Wear)… and if you add Anthony Sherman in there… the four comprise the best set of running backs in Chiefs history.
Except for the combo of Jim Lynch, Willie Lanier and Bobby Bell… the current group of linebackers, Justin Houston, Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali… would list as the best group in Chiefs history as well.
I hope fans can appreciate these two groups we have now, because this may be Hali’s swan song and we can’t say how long Jamaal Charles will be around until he hangs up his cleats too. One more injury to the knees for either of them and it’s likely… so long farewell auf wiedersehen goodnight.
Is it possible to predict the kinds of year that Jamaal Charles, Justin Houston and Tamba Hali will have? Let’s take them one at a time.
Next: Will Jamaal Charles return to form?