Who is Kolby Smith?..the Chiefs new starting RB
If the name Kolby Smith doesn’t mean much to you, don’t beat yourself up too much. Until today, Smith was a little used rookie backup running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. But, as of today, Smith is now the STARTING TAILBACK for the Chiefs; following Priest Holmes’ Week 11 injury:
Running back Priest Holmes re-injured his neck in Sunday’s 13-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts and his career is in doubt, FOXSports.com has learned. Holmes returned from a nearly two-year hiatus earlier this season, an absence that was also a result of a neck injury.According to sources, Holmes was dinged two or three times on Sunday. The last time came in the fourth quarter, which saw him leave the field in a wobbly state after his 20th touch of the game.
As a result, Holmes saw a specialist early this week and will see a series of specialists who can help him better determine his future. In light of the fact Holmes is already returning from a neck injury, this latest scare certainly has to raise questions, not only about this year, but about the future of his career.
Enter Kolby Smith. College fans and draft aficionados may remember Smith as the guy who took over for the injured Michael Bush as Louisville’s main runner last season. Smith was effective in Bush’s stead, but graded out as a backup prospect. He was selected in the 5th round by the Chiefs, and was thought to be a special teamer this year with Larry Johnson and Michael Bennett on the active roster. But with LJ’s injury, Priest’s injury (who was a surprise contributor) and Michael Bennett’s trade to Tampa Bay; Smith has a chance to prove his skeptics wrong.
Our Sigmund Bloom ranked Smith as the 13th best RB prospect last season, and had this to say:
Michael Bush’s injury was Kolby Smith’s opportunity, and Smith made the most of it. He’s another back whose main asset is his versatility, especially if he can add the weight and adopt the attitude to play some fullback. He’ll make for a competent backup RB even if he doesn’t.
The bad news for Smith is that the Chiefs have really struggled offensively even when Larry Johnson has been in the game. The offensive line is a shell of the unit that mauled people for much of the last decade. The good news is he faces an Oakland Raiders run defense that has allowed the most fantasy points in the league.
If Smith can surprise this week with a strong game, he could be in line for a string of them. According to Clayton Gray’s ultimate strength of schedule, the Chiefs have the 2nd easiest fantasy schedule remaining against the run.
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