The 2012 off-season is going to feature several new faces arriving in Kansas City, and one of those should be in the offensive backfield. The Chiefs are likely to look for some running back help at some point, although most of that talk has come through mock drafts. Miami's Lamar Miller or Temple's Bernard Pierce are a couple of names appearing in the later rounds linked to the Chiefs. However, free agency offers a few possibilities, and the strongest is likely Patriots free agent BenJarvus Green-Ellis.
Evan Silva believes the Chiefs are a good fit for Green-Ellis:
#Chiefs have tons of cap room, will likely sign at least one RB. BenJarvus Green-Ellis logical fit. History with Pioli. Battle & Jones FAs.
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) February 14, 2012
Certainly Jamaal Charles is going to be the feature back for the Chiefs if all goes well with the rehab to his injured ACL, and the All-Pro insists he's feeling great and ahead of schedule. That said, the Chiefs could still use a hard runner between the tackles with a nose for the goal line. Green-Ellis is just that with 11 touchdowns this season and 10 in 2010.
Thomas Jones and Jackie Battle are free agents and both are likely to leave Kansas City. Todd Haley seemed to really like both players and what they brought to the locker room, and perhaps Crennel feels the same. Hard working players are nice to have around, so if one or both can offer something further on the field, then they might remain. Still it's hard to ignore Green-Ellis as an option if the price is right.