Fullback fully covered in Kansas City

By Adam Best  |   Tuesday, May 15, 2007  |  Comments( 9 )

Kansas City Chiefs
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Running back committees are currently hot commodities in the NFL. Just take a look at some of the league's dynamic duos: Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush in New Orleans; Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew for the Jaguars; Julius Jones and Marion Barber in Dallas; and Washington's Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts.

But how many talented fullback committees are there? Not many.

Nonetheless, the Kansas City Chiefs have a talented trio of players, none of them typical fullbacks, who will try to become just that in 2007 -- a FB committee to be reckoned with.

Here's a look at what all three of these distinctively different players could bring to the Chiefs' offense:

FB Boomer Grigsby

Grigsby will be used as more of a battering ram than a ball carrier, and he has the nasty temperament required for that role. He may touch the ball a few times throughout the season to keep defenses honest, few being the operative word. Grigsby will feel right at home as a blocking fullback, as he is accustomed to stalking and hitting opponents from his time spent at the linebacker position and as a special teams standout. He definitely has the size -- he's 5-foot-11, 250 pounds -- and strength needed to be a lead blocker. Also, his athletic ability is underrated, as he was an exceptional gymnast in high school and possesses surprisingly good speed.

Grigsby will see the field plenty in '07, mostly in short-yardage situations. Star running back Larry Johnson will likely be thrilled to have a hard-nosed fullback taking on defenders for him, which is something the Chiefs' roster lacked last season after Tony Richardson signed with the Minnesota Vikings.

FB/RB Kolby Smith

Smith was possibly the star of this past weekend's rookie minicamp. He has great hands and always knows where to be on the field. Perhaps that is why he excelled as both a fullback and a featured back during his college career at Louisville. As a runner Smith's not a homerun hitter, but he's shifty, powerful, elusive and he holds onto the football. As a blocker he's not Lorenzo Neal yet, but he's not exactly, well, Larry Johnson either. Still, he is an adequate blocker, and could likely become even better if he added additional bulk.

Off the field, Smith is just as impressive. Don't expect him to get into off-field trouble or campaign for playing time, he's not that kind of kid.

Overall, Smith's game is reminiscent of Kimble Anders, who was a pretty good hybrid back for the Chiefs. He's also been compared to Todd McNair, and those comparisons also aren't far off the mark. Expect the Chiefs to employ Smith primarily on third down, both to block and to catch passes. He could see lots of time in that role if Michael Bennett is either hurt, which he often is, or ineffective. No matter what his role is Smith won't complain, evidenced by his recent comment, "I will play the role on the team that benefits to the success of the team."

TE/H-Back/FB Kris Wilson

Wilson might remind folks of Washington Redskins H-Back Chris Cooley quite a bit, which is definitely a good thing. Wilson, who was used almost entirely as a blocking fullback last season, really came into his own in the Chiefs' playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts. When both the Chiefs' running backs and wide receivers were rendered ineffective, Wilson and fellow tight end Tony Gonzalez took turns making plays all the way down the field and to the endzone. Wilson is a pretty good blocker, but he's been underutilized as a receiver thus far.

Wilson's height and athleticism give the Chiefs a different look than the other two fullbacks, but it isn't really his natural position. Given that the Chiefs are also stacked at tight end, the best way to use Wilson might be to move him all over the place -- FB, H-Back, TE and even WR. If the Chiefs use him that way, Wilson will undoubtedly enjoy his best pro season yet.

The Outlook

While there isn't a proven NFL starting fullback on the roster, few teams have the versatility that the Chiefs have at the position. Expect Grigsby, Smith and Wilson all to play pivotal roles in head coach Herm Edwards' ball-control offense. Who plays the most will vary depending on the situation, but all three will see plenty of playing time in '07. Chiefs fans can take solace in the fact that the roster now boosts three capable fullbacks, when just last year there wasn't even one following Richardson's departure.

Adam Best, a regular RealFootball365.com contributor for the Kansas City Chiefs , also covers the Chiefs for ArrowheadAddict.com, where he serves as the site's lead writer.

Got an idea or a topic that you would like to see explored? Tell us all about it by e-mailing us at feedback@realfootball365.com. Keep track of the Kansas City Chiefs and the rest of the NFL at RealFootball365.com
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