Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles Runs With Second String

As important as Jamaal Charles is to this year’s offense, Kansas City does have an insurance policy. The Chiefs signed free-agent running back Thomas Jones during the offseason, and he worked this weekend with the first-team offense. Charles, meanwhile, ran with the backups. Todd Haley wouldn’t admit that it’s a psychological ploy to keep Charles hungry, to prod him to rediscover the inferiority complex he carried into last year’s training camp. But Haley has said often that he’s not above mind games if it helps motivate a player, particularly a youngster with as much upside as Charles. “That’s coaching,†Haley said. “I’m not real interested in any of these guys being real comfortable. Maybe down the road when we’re a real good team and some real good things are happening.â€

Source: Kansas City Star

 

While this may be part of it, the main reason that I heard is that they're trying to ease him back in from his injury last year.

 

Jamaal Charles is the 2nd best RB in the league behind CJ2K, they are very very similar in speed and running style. i know AD is a beast but fumbles can make any player horrible. Until AD fixes that he should be ranked #4 behind CJ2K, J Charles, and Ray Rice.

 

the fail list rears it's ugly head again.

 

I think I just puked in my mouth a little.

 

Jamaal Charles sick as hell, but no way he #2 lol. tough for him to be running with the second string, but Thomas Jones is a man.

 

Haley's mind games are stupid and don't work all that great. As for Charles being #2, that's laughable. He is very talented, but half a season of production against below average competition is hardly enough to warrant that kind of talk.

 

I think the Chiefs are going to have a much better season than the past few have been! I'm looking forward to the season starting!! :icon_cool:

 

agree with (most) here ............... we need to see way more of J.C. before annointing him a top 5 back ...........

as far as making him run with the 2nd string, it may be a mind game or the chiefs may legitimately be planning on giving Jones as many carries as J.C.

Jones is extremely durable and is used to carrying the ball 20+ times a game during his career ............ the chiefs may question J.C.'s ability to carry the ball 20+ times a week and stay healthy ........... they may be wanting a 15/15 split between the 2 backs in order to keep them both healthy .................

and, i think the chiefs are planning on running the ball more this season. last year, they weren't running the ball very much early in the season because they were still trying to find their identity but i think haley and weis want to become a running team and that's why they brought in Jones, to help keep J.C. healthy and have a good rotation ...........

 

Mind games or no. JC will have his attempts.

im guessing he will have about 220+ attempts.

 

Because it needs to be posted again because people are thinking it's mind games!

 

yep, i think the chiefs would feel very comfortable with 220 ........ not 320. jones can fill out the rest of the carries and they may end up running the ball 450-500 times this season so i can see jones and JC both getting 200+ carries this year if they both stay healthy.

eh, there may or may not be mind games involved ....... haley is a weird dude and likes the mental aspect of coaching so who knows what he's thinking .........