The Kansas City Chiefs rely on two things to succeed; an excellent defense and the versatility out of the backfield provided by Jamaal Charles, who needs a better offensive line blocking for him.

General manager John Dorsey has already started working on that angle through free agency, signing former Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Paul Fanaika to provide some depth. He also traded a fifth round pick to the New Orleans Saints for former Pro Bowl offensive guard Ben Grubbs.

Are these the additions Charles is hoping for when he speaks about improving the offensive line? It obviously helps, but he probably expects to see a draft pick or two going to address that need. The Chiefs have the 18th overall pick.

I definitely want them to address that. I’m not a GM, so I can’t do that job. But it was challenging last year playing with guys — some got hurt, some got suspended. So it was hard playing. I never knew how crucial it was to my career that I needed linemen. I saw DeMarco Murray had a great line in Dallas. Running backs, we’re more important than wide receivers on the team. We might be looking for the best wide receiver, but you need a good running back. At the end of the day, a good running back touches the ball more.

Charles saw a significant drop off in his production last season, rushing for 1033 yards on 53 less touches than in 2013. He also caught just 40 passes (30 less than in 2013) for 291 yards and a total of 1324 yards from scrimmage. It didn’t stop him from making his fourth Pro Bowl selection, and finishing with 14 touchdowns overall, five less than in 2013.