I'm almost with you.

I still feel like RBs are a ticking time bomb. It's about getting young backs. I'm very much looking forward to watching Jamaal over the next 4 years. But after that, I fully expect him to be a different kind of runner when that time comes from the use he's going to get.

So next 4 or so years? Sure. After that? I'd cut bait and get another guy.

I just don't want to see us pull another LJ with him when you hold onto a RB too long when they're clearly not the player they used to be.

I'm not ignoring it at all.

People, yourself included, keep saying he had a fumbling problem early in the year.

He didn't.

True. True.

I'll go back and re-read some of the training camp reports. Those are what are fueling my opinion on this, as well as the fumble in the Minny game. There's a video clip of Haley saying to him at a pre-season practice something along the lines of "You can't play if you can't hold on to my football."

If I'm wrong, I'll come back and say it.

This is true. He's such a fricken fair weather fan. I hate those types.


Yup. I agree completely.



Hey someone had to say it.

Please. Repeat after me ... "I am not a knucklehead. I am not a knucklehead."

I'm trying to help you here. If you read the post I referred to, you'll see where the "myth" began. In no way is it a comparison of college ball and the NFL (I actually feel stupid having to type that out).

You keep saying that Charles' reputation as a fumbler is unfounded.

Here's what happened ... NFL scouts pay attention to all kinds of things when evaluating a college player ... including his propensity (or lack, thereof) to fumble. Charles got his reputation as a fumbler because he fumbled in college ... he even publicly admitted that he had a problem that needed work.

Jeez.

FAX

OTW58: For what it's worth, Josh Looney of the Chiefs' own Web site acknowledges the rep that was out there in this blog post.

***

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2009/12...isk_vs_reward/
RISK VS. REWARD
December 1st – 6:05 AM

Jamaal Charles carries the label of “fumbler” around with him. He’s fought that tag for quite some time now. Regardless of how many big plays he makes, touchdowns he scores or ankles he breaks, as soon as that football hits the ground the dreaded “f word” gets dropped along with it.

Is the characterization unfair, or is it fitting? Better yet, does the reward of Charles’ game outweigh the risk of him fumbling?

Charles has put the football on the ground four times to date over his two-year NFL career, twice this season and twice a season ago. Four fumbles certainly isn’t very many considering that six NFL running backs have coughed up the football four or more times this season alone (Steve Slaton leads the league with seven). But, on the other hand, Charles has also seen limited touches throughout his career until about three weeks ago.

Maybe the classification comes from his time at Texas when Charles coughed up the football twice against Oklahoma in 2007. That version of the Red River Rivalry was the closest matchup between the two schools in over a decade (a 28-21 OU victory) and Charles’ fumble inside the Oklahoma five-yard line was disastrous. Mack Brown even called in legendary Longhorn rusher Earl Campbell to talk ball protection with J.C.

Or maybe the tag comes from this past preseason where Charles struggled to hold on to the football and an exchange between the runner and a wired Todd Haley was broadcast on national television via the NFL Network.

Haley: “Did you fumble yesterday?”

Charles: “Yeah.”

Haley: “What, he just slapped it.”

Charles: “That was my fault. I didn’t cover the ball enough.”

Haley: “You better take care of my football, or you cannot play.”

Regardless of how the perception got legs, it’s running. Charles has already been labeled a “fumbler” and it will likely stick with him until he goes on some ungodly streak of carries without a fumble. He carries the title, but is it completely accurate at this point in his career? Let’s take a look.

Below is a table of 32 NFL running backs. Each running back is currently the leading rusher on their respective team. The table breaks down each of the runners’ total touches (rushes, receptions and returns) and fumbles, ultimately being sorted by fumbles per touch from best to worst. Also, keep in mind that these are not fumbles lost, just fumbles in general.


As you can see, Charles has the eighth-highest fumble percentage of any leading rusher. As a football coach, you definitely don’t want your runner to rank in the league’s top-10 in that category, but is the risk worth the reward?

For instance, Vikings RB Adrian Peterson has put the football on the ground the third-most times per carry, yet you hardly hear anyone characterize Peterson as a “fumbler.” Why? Because he’s among the league’s elite and the reward for Peterson carrying the football far outweighs the risk of the ball bouncing on the turf 2.33% of the time. With that, the next question is where Charles’ reward ranks in relation to his fumble risk?

No, FAX, I'm not.

I'm simply saying that he DID NOT have a early season fumbling problem, as so many people here have claimed.

He fumbled ONCE in the first 11 weeks of the season.

ONCE.

I didnt know his chunky butt could backpedal that fast. Its like reading Woody Paige. Christ, Whitlock, pick a stance and stay with it. "I love them, I hate them, I love Herm, Todd sucks, Egoli, yay Chiefs." Go to hell, Whitlock the Hutt.