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In April, Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles said that he “definitely” wanted the Chiefs to address their offensive line in the draft because of how “crucial” blockers are to his ability to succeed.

The Chiefs drafted center Mitch Morse in the second round, but didn’t otherwise load up on offensive linemen during the process. That left them with largely the same line as they had when Charles said he was looking for upgrades, but the running back is singing a different tune after practicing with them in the offseason program.

He said that his frustration with last year’s performance was focused on being banged up physically throughout the season and that he’s confident in the line’s ability to open holes this year.

“I just feel comfortable because I feel like I have a Pro Bowl guard [Ben Grubbs] in front of me and I’ve got Jeff [Allen] back and we went to the playoffs with him,” Charles said, via the Kansas City Star. “We’ve got Fish [Eric Fisher] who is developing more in his third year, we’ve got Donald [Stephenson] and he played a whole season and did a great job when Branden [Albert] and Fish were going at it and battling for depth at the position. I feel like we’ve got some guys that have been playing for a while. We’ve got vet guys up there that can help the young guys. I feel so comfortable with that line now. Not saying I didn’t last year, but I feel a lot more comfortable than I did last year.”

Allen missed all but one game with an elbow injury while Stephenson was suspended for four games at the start of last season, so having both for 16 games should provide Kansas City with better production up front. It could also keep Charles healthier as he heads down a path he hopes will last for six more seasons, which would make for a lot less frustration than Charles and the Chiefs experienced last season.