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Chiefs' Jamaal Charles is Andy Reid's latest chess piece

The Kansas City Chiefs got a scare Friday when Jamaal Charles limped off the field after having his toe stepped on. Fortunately, X-rays came back negative.

Schein: The good kind of divorce

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After a difficult parting of ways, Andy Reid and the Eagles are both in position to succeed in 2013, Adam Schein writes. **More ...**

If there's one skill-position player the Chiefs can ill-afford to lose this year, it's Charles at running back. He finished second and fourth in the NFL in rushing in his last two healthy seasons. New coach Andy Reid has even bigger plans for him this year.

Previous coaching staffs have never fully exploited Charles' pass-catching skills like Reid has with versatile backs such as Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy.

The NFL buzzword for 2013 is "multiple." Reid and offensive coordinator Doug Pederson are using Charles as a versatile chess piece, lining him up as a traditional tailback, as the deep back in the pistol and split out wide at receiver in the Chiefs' multiple formations.

"Really, I think the sky is the limit with him with what we're trying to do," Pederson said, via Fox Sports Kansas City. "You've seen him sprint out of the single receiver, and he'll come out of the backfield. He's a guy that needs to move around, and (one) you can put in different positions, motion out the back, shift him from the backfield. He catches the ball so well that you have to take advantage of that offensively."

Reid's primary tailbacks with the Philadelphia Eagles averaged 65 receptions per season from 2004 to 2011. Fantasy football owners should note that Charles' receiving production is sure to rise after averaging only 40 catches per in his three seasons as a starter.

Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.

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