A lot of things have changed this offseason for the Kansas City Chiefs. To be more precise, things in Kansas City began changing even before the end of the season when long-time President, CEO, and General Manager Carl Peterson announced in mid-December he would resign at the end of the year. This brought about the hiring of Scott Pioli as the Chiefs new General Manager. That was then followed by the dismissal of Head Coach Herm Edwards, who was replaced with Todd Haley. The Chiefs also acquired quarterback Matt Cassel in a trade with the Patriots this offseason and dealt Tony Gonzalez to the Atlanta Falcons in a separate deal.

Haley joins the Chiefs having spent the last two seasons as Ken Whisenhunt’s offensive coordinator in Arizona. The Cardinals offense placed among the top scoring units in the league during that span. In 2007 they ranked seventh in that category by averaging 25.3 points per game. They also finished fifth in the league in passing yards per game (254.1) and twelfth in total offense (344.1). The following year they would improve in all three of those categories, averaging 26.7 points per game (3rd), 292.1 passing yards per game (2nd), and 365.8 total yards per game (4th). Their offensive prowess would eventually earn them a berth in Super Bowl XLIII. The Steelers went on to beat the Cardinals 27-23 however in that meeting.

Prior to his time in Arizona, Haley spent three years (2004-2006) as a member of Bill Parcells’ staff with the Dallas Cowboys working as their Wide Receivers Coach and Passing Game Coordinator. He also worked under Parcells during his tenure with the New York Jets. In 1999 he was Parcells’ Wide Receivers Coach and from 1997-1998 he was an Offensive Assistant and Quality Control coach. Haley remained with the Jets for one more season before becoming a member of Dick Jauron’s staff in Chicago for three years (2001-2003) and later reuniting with Parcells in Dallas. He first began working among the NFL ranks as a Scouting Assistant with the Jets in 1995. Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli is familiar with Haley from his time as the Jets Director of Pro Personnel during the 1997-1999 seasons.

Serving as Haley’s Offensive Coordinator will be Chan Gailey. Gailey spent last season with the Chiefs under that same title and has 15 years worth of coaching experience at the NFL level – seven of which have been spent as an offensive coordinator. He also has an extensive coaching background at the collegiate level, most recently coming as Head Coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from 2002-2007.

Quarterbacks: Matt Cassel; Tyler Thigpen; Brodie Croyle

Tyler Thigpen performed admirably in his eleven starts for the Chiefs last season, but the acquisition of Matt Cassel will again relegate him to back-up duties with the Chiefs in 2009. Cassel meanwhile had a terrific outing of his own last year. He took over as the starting quarterback in New England once Tom Brady went down with a serious knee injury during the Patriots season opener. In sixteen games (fifteen started) Cassel threw for 3693 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also completed 63.3% of his pass attempts. A former seventh round pick in the 2005 draft, that outing was enough for the Chiefs to trade the 34th overall pick in this years draft to New England in order to acquire him.

While Cassel won’t have the likes of Randy Moss and Wes Welker to throw to in Kansas City, he does have reliable targets in third-year wide out Dwayne Bowe and thirteen-year veteran Bobby Engram. If Mark Bradley can contribute like he had during the latter half of the 2008 season then the Chiefs passing game has worthwhile potential. The main issues here may be the health status of both Engram and Bradley throughout the season. Bradley has been hampered by injuries throughout most of his four-year career and Engram has battled through a few of his own in recent years.

All things considered, Cassel should be able to throw for 3350-3500 yards barring injury to his top receivers. Without the presence of Tony Gonzalez however, I wouldn’t expect his touchdown total to climb higher than somewhere in the 17-20 range. His interception total is also likely to climb a higher then the 11 he threw with Patriots last season.

Running Backs: Larry Johnson; Jamaal Charles; Kolby Smith; Dantrell Savage; Javarris Williams (R)

Larry Johnson’s best days are clearly behind him, but if he can make it through a full sixteen games this year he should produce better than he had in either of his last two campaigns. After a miserable 2007 season in which he played just half a season and averaged 3.5 yards per carry on 158 attempts (559 yards rushing), Johnson rebounded in 2008 with a 4.5 yards per carry mark on 193 carries (874 yards) and 5 touchdowns. He only played in 12 games however due to being sat by the Chiefs for having violated team rules and eventually being suspended for another game by commissioner, Roger Goodell.

It was rumored the Chiefs considered cutting Johnson this offseason, but since that has not happened one must assume he remains the starter in Kansas City. The wear and tear on his body, along with his age, and questionable status within the organization make him a risky fantasy selection however. At this point he should be considered a mid-level number two option at running back that comes with as much downside as he does upside. Both Jamaal Charles and Kolby Smith could eat into Johnson’s touches should he struggle as the season progresses.

Wide Receivers: Dwayne Bowe; Mark Bradley; Bobby Engram; Devard Darling; Jeff Webb; Terrance Copper; Quinten Lawrence (R); Jake O’Connell (R)

Dwayne Bowe without any doubt will be the primary target in Kansas City’s offense this year. While the loss of Tony Gonzalez means opposing defenses will be able to focus more on Bowe, the addition of Bobby Engram may be able to offset that loss. Especially when considering Todd Haley has worked with wide receivers throughout his coaching career and made little use of the tight end position during his two-year run as offensive coordinator with the Cardinals. Coming off an 86 catch, 1022 yard, 7 touchdown performance in 2008 one can expect similar results from Bowe in the year ahead with a possible increase to his receiving yardage.

Mark Bradley might be a worthwhile third or fourth option in fantasy leagues this year, but the smarter play may be grabbing Engram if he falls to the later rounds of your draft. While he’s likely to line up in the slot, he could prove to be a more reliable target than Bradley for quarterback Matt Cassel. Engram would also start opposite Bowe should Bradley’s past ankle injuries become an issue again.

Tight Ends: Brad Cottam; Tony Curtis; Sean Ryan

With Tony Gonzalez no longer on the team there is little reason for fantasy owners to pursue the starting tight end on the Chiefs roster. Brad Cottam, a third round pick in the 2008 draft, appears to be the incumbent starter at the position. Some mentioned last year he has the potential to be the most complete tight end to come out of the ’08 draft. For that reason he is worth keeping an eye on, but he’ll likely be available off the waiver wire throughout the season in most leagues.