Following the retirement of teary-eyed Dick Vermeil, the Kansas City Chiefs called the New York Jets to see about the possibility of acquiring the services of Herm Edwards. A few weeks later a deal was struck, and Edwards became the Chiefs head coach in exchange for a fourth round pick. Upon his hiring, Edwards promoted Mike Solari, the team's offensive line coach the past nine years, to the position of offensive coordinator. Since Edwards' coaching background is mostly on the defensive side of the ball, it's expected Solari will have more influence the Kansas City offense than if he were working with a coach with an offensive background.

While in New York, Edwards worked with offensive coordinators Mike Heimerdinger (2005) and Paul Hackett (2001-2004). Hackett resigned following the 2004 season after he faced criticism for running an overly conservative offense. Heimerdinger, Hackett's replacement, saw his new offense quickly deteriorate following early-season injuries to quarterbacks Chad Pennington and Jay Fiedler. Free agent signee Vinny Testaverde filled in for a few games before the Jets made the switch to third-string quarterback, Brooks Bollinger for the remainder of the season.

Knowing the run-oriented offenses Edwards' coordinators ran with the Jets, and Solari's background as an offensive line coach, expect the Chiefs to base their strategy off the run this season. Edwards is willing to throw the ball deep on occasion, but it's something that needs to be set up by the run in order to work consistently. Solari--having worked with Dick Vermeil for the past five seasons--may mix a few wrinkles of his former coach's offense into the game plan. But one should remember Solari came to the Chiefs in 1997 and worked under Marty Schottenheimer, another coach that liked the running game.

Edwards' Impact On the Offense:

Quarterbacks: Trent Green; Damon Huard; Brodie Croyle

While playing in Vermeil's system, Green has thrown the ball over 500 times in four of the past five seasons. During that same span, he's also thrown for over 4000 yards three times, and never less than 3,690 yards. In contrast, during the five years Edwards spent in New York, there wasn't a single season where his offense threw the ball more than 500 times. The team never compiled more than 3619 total passing yards at any point in Edwards' tenure. While that may be due in part to the Jets' quarterback troubles over the past few seasons, there's no denying it had a lot to do with Edwards' approach to the game.

Green will get to take his shots down the field every now and then, but he'll no longer be playing in Vermeil's wide-open attack. With the added emphasis on the run this year, it is likely there will be a decrease in Green's production. Expect his yardage totals for 2006 to fall to the 3500-3650 range and touchdown totals at 21-24.

Running Backs: Larry Johnson; Dee Brown; Quentin Griffin; (Priest Holmes)

This will be the first time Larry Johnson enters a season as the Chiefs lead back. It will also be the first year he's playing in a system other than Dick Vermeil's. While Edwards' run-first approach will benefit Johnson throughout the season, expecting him to match his totals of a year ago may be asking too much. After taking over for an injured Priest Holmes much of the season, Johnson went on to carry the ball 3336 times for 1750 yards and 21 touchdowns. That is 5.2 yards per carry, and an average of 21 rushes per game. Considering he accomplished the better part of those statistics in just the final nine games of the year, it's easy to see why Johnson's 2005 season was amazing.

While Johnson is likely to see as many as 350-400 carries this season, his YPC and touchdown totals are likely to drop. With that said, he is still likely to finish as one of the Top 5 backs in '06. Expect Johnson to rush for 1500-1700 yards and score double digit touchdowns. He could also contribute 40-60 receptions to the passing game for another 300-500 yards.

Wide Receivers: Eddie Kennison; Samie Parker; Dante' Hall; Jeff Webb; Craphonso Thorpe

See whether or not Samie Parker can nudge Eddie Kennison out of the team's number one receiver position. With Tony Gonzalez at tight end, it will be hard for both receivers to be solid fantasy contributors, but with the shots the team will take downfield, there's reason to believe one of them will remain a reliable option this season.

Kennison has been a deep threat throughout his career and for that reason I'd expect him to remain the teams top wideout this year. He could produce 1000 yards for the third straight season. Projecting Kennison for yardage within the 900-1050 range seems accurate. If he could crack the 70-reception mark for the first time in his career, he could be a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening for Kennison this year. If Parker again takes a back seat to Kennison, I wouldn't expect much of an improvement from last year's totals.

Tight Ends: Tony Gonzalez; Jason Dunn; Kris Wilson

While Edwards' offenses have never produced game-breaking performances from their tight ends, he's never had one as talented as Gonzalez on his roster. The added emphasis the Chiefs will place on the run this season may actually help Gonzalez find an easier time getting open. Look for him to hit pay dirt more than he did last season. He's likely to have another 70 to 80-catch year for 800-950 yards and 6 or more touchdowns.