2. Jamaal Charles, running back, Kansas City Chiefs
Consider this: Kansas City averaged nearly 110 rushing yards per game this past season. That’s a solid overall performance from the team’s underrated plethora of running backs. Now add in the fact that Charles attempted a total of 12 rushes in three games while dealing with injuries, and that’s an even more amazing accomplishment.
We already know that the Chiefs rely on a short passing game and a solid rushing attack. We also know that their scheme makes it an almost certainty they don’t need to pay an injury-plagued Charles the $6.2 million he’s owed next season. That’s only magnified by the fact that Spencer Ware — earning all of $1.2 million next season — tallied nearly 1,400 total yards in 2016.
As with Marshall, there’s a scenario in play here that suggests Charles will be released outright. The problem with this is that Kansas City has a $5 million dead cap hit if it were to release him. This leads us to believe the team will put him on the trade block.
While the market for a 30-year-old back that has played a total of eight games over the past two seasons isn’t tremendous, there’s still some value here. When healthy, Charles has proven himself to be dynamic dual threat out of the backfield.
There’s surely going to be a team show interest, especially with his relatively low cap hit and the likelihood that acquiring him wouldn’t be terribly expensive.
It looks like the Chiefs want Charles to return. As a veteran of that club, it would be hard for the team to move on. But as we already know, the NFL is a business. If Kansas City can get something in return here, it most likely will look into it.