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In my opinion, one of the most underrated players in Chiefs' history is Tony Richardson. Fullbacks rarely get any glory, but Richardson deserved even more glory than his fellow fullbacks. Once thought to be their 1,000-yard running back of the future, Richardson became an exceptional blocker when Priest Holmes came to town. Watch tapes of Priest Holmes at his best, and you could see the enormous faith he had in Richardson. It was almost like watching a puppy following his owner. Larry Johnson also trusted Richardson immensely, though perhaps more as a mentor than lead blocker.But not only was Richardson a terrific run blocker, he was also a fantastic pass protector. While Trent Green has been blessed with an elite offensive line, his last line of defense was often Richardson and Holmes, which was kind of like having dragons at the drawbridge if you managed to cross the moat. On top of that, Richardson was a decent receiver, usually dependable as a dump-off option to gain a few yards. The fullback's role in the Chiefs' offense may have diminished over the years, but Richardson's presence was still felt.
Richardson's importance was especially noticeable this year. With the Chiefs deciding that $2.5 million over 2 years was too expensive to keep Richardson, they started the season with Ronnie Cruz at fullback. I didn't think Cruz was all that impressive, though he had limited opportunities to show off his abilities. After Cruz was lost for the season due to injury, Kris Wilson filled the role. Wilson proved to be an effective pass-catcher, but he wasn't able to pick up blitzes that effectively. In my opinion, the overall pass blocking of the offensive line slipped because neither LJ nor Cruz or Wilson were effective at picking up the blitz.
Now Adam Teicher of the Kansas City Star is speculating that Boomer Grigsby might be preparing to play fullback next year. That's right, the backup linebacker. Remember how, from 1999-2005, the Chiefs never had to worry about who was at fullback? Those were good times, weren't they? Now the Chiefs might rely on a backup linebacker to play the position. Somewhere, Daryl Johnston is cringing.
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