TC's Valentines Day Mock Draft 2.0

[texaschief]

Release Tyson Jackson
Let Dorsey Walk
Let Albert Walk
Re-sign Bowe
Re-sign Pitoitua
Re-sign Colquitt

Free Agent Signings:

WR- Gregg Jennings
TE- Jared Cook
OG- Andy Levitre
LB- Phillip Wheeler

Trades:

Trade 2nd round pick to Minnesota who target the best QB available for picks 52 and 83 (3rd rd).

Trade pick 52 to the Eagles for QB Nick Foles.


Draft:

1st Round
LT Luke Joekel Texas A&M
The Chiefs replace Branden Albert with a less expensive upgrade in Luke Joekel. They get better value with this pick than if they had decided to take a QB #1 overall. Joekel fits into a line that boasts Jon Asamoah, Rodney Hudson, Andy Levitre, and Eric Winston with depth provided by in Stephenson and Allen.

3rd Round
3a.
LB Khaseem Greene Rutgers
He's a play-making, game changing LB who was also the back-to-back Big East defensive Player of the year. Greene had arguably the best junior and senior seasons of ANY Big East player. It's unknown as to which flavor of the 3-4 defense we'll be running, but it's a pretty good bet that we'll need LB help no matter what. One Derrick Johnson, one of the great values Greene offers is his versatility and ability to be extremely useful in ANY type of defensive scheme.

3rd Round
3b. (from Vikings)
RB Marcus Lattimore South Carolina
The Chiefs have decent depth behind Charles and this pick is probably superfluous, but c'mon... the best running back in this class is still on the board in the 4th round. There's very little downside to this selection. Yes, he's a risk having had 2 knee surgeries in the past 2 seasons. Gotta couple names for you though: Willis McGahee and Frank Gore. Both of those guys were in the same boat and have had pretty successful NFL careers. I wouldn't consider this player too much of an injury risk considering the circumstances that occurred to cause his injury. Lattimore is 6'0, 232 lbs and could essentially give the Chiefs a Jamaal Charles/Adrian Peterson 1-2 punch for the foreseeable future. Talk about a change of pace back. Can you imagine taking a beating from Lattimore for 6 to 8 plays and then chasing Charles 40 yards and then getting hit in the mouth from Lattimore the next play? ...wow.

3c. (compensation for Carr)
S Bacarri Rambo Georgia
The Chiefs need some stability next to Eric Berry. Rambo is a ball-hawking FS that would fit perfectly next to Berry... and let's be honest... that's a badass football name.

4th Round
QB Tyler Bray Tennessee
Tyler Bray is arguably the most talented QB in the 2013 crop. He's foregoing his senior year at Tennessee where he would probably be better served in his development. Bray is a great draft-and-develop prospect who would probably benefit greatly from sitting for a couple seasons to learn Andy Reid's system. The only problem I see with this pick is that Bray is as close to a statue in the pocket as there could possibly be and there haven't been too many of those drafted by Reid. But this is MY mock and I think Bray could be a good pick for the Chiefs if they can protect him.

5th
DB Tyrann Mathieu LSU (Sat out a year)
Off the field issues should not scare anyone away from top 5 talent in the 5th round. We need another play-maker in the secondary and you couldn't ask for a better one than the "Honey Badger" in the 5th round. (**may be worth a higher pick as we get closer to the draft)

6th Round
WR Marquise Goodwin Texas
Olympic athlete with elite speed and play-making ability. Sounds like a good WR option to throw in the mix at WR, KR, and PR.

7th Round
WR Uzoma Nwachukwu TX A&M
Good WR this late in the draft is never bad. You should always be on the lookout for playmakers in the last couple rounds of the draft. Nwachukwu and Goodwin present good upside for late round draft picks and if nothing else should endear themselves to the special teams coaches.



Assuming the players are available, I really like the first 6 picks. The Chiefs will have a gluttony of WRs if they re-sign Dwayne Bowe, so I could be persuaded to take other players in the 6th and 7th rounds. Finding play-makers should be the priority and not necessarily trying to find players to plug holes that late. I think you're looking at 5 starter coming out of this group if you include Foles. Lattimore will have the luxury of sitting as long as he needs to heal because of Jamaal Charles. Bray has arguably the most upside of any QB in this draft. Letting him sit and develop would be great for him. There's a little risk here, but when you look at Joekel, Lattimore (injury), Mathieu (immaturity), and Bray, there were absolutely scenarios that could've played out over this past season that could've seen each of these guys taken in the top 10 overall in this draft class. Talent is talent is talent and when we could take the next Adrian Peterson in the 3rd or a shut down, ball-hawking, play-making DB in the 5th, you spring at the chance... risk be damned! We're not talking about 3000 point gambles here like Geno Smith #1 overall. These picks cost less that 300 points... you can afford to take risks with these picks.

[Coach]

Release Tyson Jackson
Let Dorsey Walk
Let Albert Walk
Re-sign Bowe
Re-sign Pitoitua
Re-sign Colquitt

Free Agent Signings:

WR- Gregg Jennings
TE- Jared Cook
OG- Andy Levitre
LB- Phillip Wheeler

Trades:

Trade 2nd round pick to Minnesota who target the best QB available for picks 52 and 83 (3rd rd).

Trade pick 52 to the Eagles for QB Nick Foles.


Draft:

1st Round
LT Luke Joekel Texas A&M
The Chiefs replace Branden Albert with a less expensive upgrade in Luke Joekel. They get better value with this pick than if they had decided to take a QB #1 overall. Joekel fits into a line that boasts Jon Asamoah, Rodney Hudson, Andy Levitre, and Eric Winston with depth provided by in Stephenson and Allen.

3rd Round
3a.
LB Khaseem Greene Rutgers
He's a play-making, game changing LB who was also the back-to-back Big East defensive Player of the year. Greene had arguably the best junior and senior seasons of ANY Big East player. It's unknown as to which flavor of the 3-4 defense we'll be running, but it's a pretty good bet that we'll need LB help no matter what. One Derrick Johnson, one of the great values Greene offers is his versatility and ability to be extremely useful in ANY type of defensive scheme.

3rd Round
3b. (from Vikings)
RB Marcus Lattimore South Carolina
The Chiefs have decent depth behind Charles and this pick is probably superfluous, but c'mon... the best running back in this class is still on the board in the 4th round. There's very little downside to this selection. Yes, he's a risk having had 2 knee surgeries in the past 2 seasons. Gotta couple names for you though: Willis McGahee and Frank Gore. Both of those guys were in the same boat and have had pretty successful NFL careers. I wouldn't consider this player too much of an injury risk considering the circumstances that occurred to cause his injury. Lattimore is 6'0, 232 lbs and could essentially give the Chiefs a Jamaal Charles/Adrian Peterson 1-2 punch for the foreseeable future. Talk about a change of pace back. Can you imagine taking a beating from Lattimore for 6 to 8 plays and then chasing Charles 40 yards and then getting hit in the mouth from Lattimore the next play? ...wow.

3c. (compensation for Carr)
S Bacarri Rambo Georgia
The Chiefs need some stability next to Eric Berry. Rambo is a ball-hawking FS that would fit perfectly next to Berry... and let's be honest... that's a badass football name.

4th Round
QB Tyler Bray Tennessee
Tyler Bray is arguably the most talented QB in the 2013 crop. He's foregoing his senior year at Tennessee where he would probably be better served in his development. Bray is a great draft-and-develop prospect who would probably benefit greatly from sitting for a couple seasons to learn Andy Reid's system. The only problem I see with this pick is that Bray is as close to a statue in the pocket as there could possibly be and there haven't been too many of those drafted by Reid. But this is MY mock and I think Bray could be a good pick for the Chiefs if they can protect him.

5th
DB Tyrann Mathieu LSU (Sat out a year)
Off the field issues should not scare anyone away from top 5 talent in the 5th round. We need another play-maker in the secondary and you couldn't ask for a better one than the "Honey Badger" in the 5th round. (**may be worth a higher pick as we get closer to the draft)

6th Round
WR Marquise Goodwin Texas
Olympic athlete with elite speed and play-making ability. Sounds like a good WR option to throw in the mix at WR, KR, and PR.

7th Round
WR Uzoma Nwachukwu TX A&M
Good WR this late in the draft is never bad. You should always be on the lookout for playmakers in the last couple rounds of the draft. Nwachukwu and Goodwin present good upside for late round draft picks and if nothing else should endear themselves to the special teams coaches.



Assuming the players are available, I really like the first 6 picks. The Chiefs will have a gluttony of WRs if they re-sign Dwayne Bowe, so I could be persuaded to take other players in the 6th and 7th rounds. Finding play-makers should be the priority and not necessarily trying to find players to plug holes that late. I think you're looking at 5 starter coming out of this group if you include Foles. Lattimore will have the luxury of sitting as long as he needs to heal because of Jamaal Charles. Bray has arguably the most upside of any QB in this draft. Letting him sit and develop would be great for him. There's a little risk here, but when you look at Joekel, Lattimore (injury), Mathieu (immaturity), and Bray, there were absolutely scenarios that could've played out over this past season that could've seen each of these guys taken in the top 10 overall in this draft class. Talent is talent is talent and when we could take the next Adrian Peterson in the 3rd or a shut down, ball-hawking, play-making DB in the 5th, you spring at the chance... risk be damned! We're not talking about 3000 point gambles here like Geno Smith #1 overall. These picks cost less that 300 points... you can afford to take risks with these picks.


Parts of this draft I like, others not so much.

I understand the logic of getting a LT that can play for a smaller cap number and has less miles. But to me it's a wasted pick. We have a fairly young LT on this roster already who is proven. There is no sure thing at LT, I'd be happy to list some busts if need be. As far as getting him at a cheaper price, this team doesn't have cap problems. They are perennial cheapskates and are consistently one of the teams with the most cap space every offseason. To me you are choosing between Matt Cassel and Joekel or the best QB available plus Branden Albert. I will take the latter. I understand we could sign or trade a QB other than Cassel to play with Joekel. But we could do the same thing and have them play with Albert. Use the #1 draft pick to upgrade your team. Joekel is not a meaningful improvement, if any at all over Albert in other way other than money. You franchise tag Albert and make him prove he's healthy. If he is healthy, then sign him to a contract during the season.

Im also not a huge fan of giving up our 2nd rd pick for Nick Foles. I'd rather take a flyer on the 2nd or 3rd best QB available in this draft that will still be sitting there when we make our 2nd selection. Or packaging our 2nd and compensatory to move back up into the late 1st to grab the best QB available. Foles is not worth a 2nd rd pick in my opinion. Nothing more than a 3rd and would think you could get him for a swap of 3rd's and a 4th rd pick.

I like your other thoughts at safety and lb. I like Jared Cook but I thought we had Boss back for another year. I could be wrong though.

I just have a very hard time understanding how using a once in a couple of decade pick(#1 overall) to upgrade a position of strength helps our team more than addressing the biggest weakness on this team. Joekel with not be a better LT next year than Branden Albert IMO. Lets take a shot at a QB big he doesn't work out, then you take another shot at one next year. And you repeat that process until you have found your qbotf. Then you build around him.

Hopefully you realize that letting a good LT walk(Albert), just to spend 3000 draft points on a new LT is the equivalent of drafting a bust QB with the #1 pick. At least if we draft the best QB in the draft there is a chance he won't be a bust. Or at the very least draft a position of need. Sign Bowe, tag Albert and due your homework on the QB's.

[#58ChiefsFan]

Boss got a three year deal for 9 million through 2014, O'Connell and Maneri both had their contracts end this year according to spotrac.

[Coach]

Boss got a three year deal for 9 million through 2014, O'Connell and Maneri both had their contracts end this year according to spotrac.
Boss and Moeaki are good combination when healthy. Jared Cook is probably a better receiving TE than both, but would be a luxury pickup versus some of the more glaring holes this team has in my opinion. If you look at Andy Reid offenses from the past, TE isn't exactly a marquis position anyway. Check out this underwelming list of past Eagles' tight ends.
http://www.fantasyfootballchallenge.com/32-24-4/philadelphia-eagles-tight-ends.html

[texaschief]

Parts of this draft I like, others not so much.

I understand the logic of getting a LT that can play for a smaller cap number and has less miles. But to me it's a wasted pick. We have a fairly young LT on this roster already who is proven. There is no sure thing at LT, I'd be happy to list some busts if need be. As far as getting him at a cheaper price, this team doesn't have cap problems. They are perennial cheapskates and are consistently one of the teams with the most cap space every offseason. To me you are choosing between Matt Cassel and Joekel or the best QB available plus Branden Albert. I will take the latter. I understand we could sign or trade a QB other than Cassel to play with Joekel. But we could do the same thing and have them play with Albert. Use the #1 draft pick to upgrade your team. Joekel is not a meaningful improvement, if any at all over Albert in other way other than money. You franchise tag Albert and make him prove he's healthy. If he is healthy, then sign him to a contract during the season.

This team doesn't have the cap space we all thought they had. Getting Albert, Jackson, and Cassel off the payroll will give the team a lot more flexibility. I know it doesn't make a ton of sense, but I posted an article about a month ago explaining the Chiefs cap situation and it's not all ponies and rainbows. Because there is no clear-cut, can't miss player in this draft, it's going to be almost impossible to trade out of that #1 pick considering the cost for a team to move up. There CERTAINLY isn't a QB worth taking #1 overall considering the best QB is ranked in the high teens in relation to his draft class. That really only leaves one logical move at #1 overall... which is to pay less for a better player at a cornerstone position. Albert will cost a lot of money to keep in the fold and suddenly began developing back issues. (Kyle Turley anyone?) That leaves the franchise tag open for Bowe to keep in a pass heavy offense if it's absolutely needed. Like I've said before, even if a LT busts, he's still a serviceable player somewhere on the OL. If a QB busts, he becomes a laughing stock and just another example why you don't waste the #1 pick on anything less than a Manning or Andrew Luck type franchise QB. If these QBs are not at that elite level, they're not worth the #1 pick. I'm pretty sure we can all agree that an elite QB is not in this draft class.

Im also not a huge fan of giving up our 2nd rd pick for Nick Foles. I'd rather take a flyer on the 2nd or 3rd best QB available in this draft that will still be sitting there when we make our 2nd selection. Or packaging our 2nd and compensatory to move back up into the late 1st to grab the best QB available. Foles is not worth a 2nd rd pick in my opinion. Nothing more than a 3rd and would think you could get him for a swap of 3rd's and a 4th rd pick.

Nick Foles has everything we could possibly want in a franchise QB. He's proven to be successful in Andy Reid's offense and is ABSOLUTELY better than any QB coming out in this draft... ESPECIALLY one that would be available in the 2nd or 3rd round.

I like your other thoughts at safety and lb. I like Jared Cook but I thought we had Boss back for another year. I could be wrong though.

I just have a very hard time understanding how using a once in a couple of decade pick(#1 overall) to upgrade a position of strength helps our team more than addressing the biggest weakness on this team. Joekel with not be a better LT next year than Branden Albert IMO. Lets take a shot at a QB big he doesn't work out, then you take another shot at one next year. And you repeat that process until you have found your qbotf. Then you build around him.

This is the absolute worst approach you could implement. Ask the Raiders how 11 QBs over 6 years has worked out for them. You're not going to draft a QB #1 overall just to see if he'll work out after 1 season. A QB #1 overall requires at LEAST 4 to 5 seasons to see if he can handle the position. Investing in a QB isn't just a 1 year venture. You don't invest that heavily in a one year roll of the dice. That approach isn't what Clark Hunt wants to see from his staff and it shouldn't be what we as fans want to see from this staff. We should want them to evaluate this draft class and maximize their return on investment... not gamble an entire draft's value on a player who isn't ranked any higher than 15 overall just because he fills a need. I really am sorry, but that is such a bad approach.

Hopefully you realize that letting a good LT walk(Albert), just to spend 3000 draft points on a new LT is the equivalent of drafting a bust QB with the #1 pick. At least if we draft the best QB in the draft there is a chance he won't be a bust. Or at the very least draft a position of need. Sign Bowe, tag Albert and due your homework on the QB's.

No, it's not. Albert missed 4 games with a back injury. Those don't get better with time for LTs. A "bust" LT can still play any other position on the OL, just ask Robert Gallery. Spending big money on Albert and then drafting the best QB #1 overall is doubling your risk. There are FAR fewer LT busts than QB busts anyway... so that reduces risk as well. I would rather trade #1 overall for Nick Foles than draft ANY of the QBs in this draft class for the same reason why you don't want to let Albert walk... he's proven to be successful. The problem I have with Albert is that he'd cost twice what Joekel would cost and has recently developed injury concerns.

Cheap Joekel+proven Foles > expensive Albert+unproven #1QB

Why is this even a question? How many times are we talking about a busted LT as opposed to a busted QB? It ain't often. From '93 to '09, LT's taken in the top 16 have a 19.2% bust rate. QBs over that same time period have a 44.4% bust rate. Keep in mind, this is including "can't miss" QB's like Leaf, Carr, A. Smith, Russell, etc. There isn't even a QB in this class considered "can't miss." The hit rate for LTs is 70% compared to just under 50% for QBs. As much as I'd LOVE to see a QB worth taking #1 overall, that guy just IS NOT THERE in 2013. It's just bad luck by this franchise... again. Knee jerk drafting is not the way to improve this franchise.

For the record, I'm am also adamantly against DL's with the #1 overall pick.

The link for the above mentioned stats is here: http://walterfootball.com/nfldraftoffensivetackles.php

Y'all, we can't lose our sh!t just because our QB's suck and we have the #1 pick. A franchise QB would've been the easy pick. If that player does not exist in this draft, that's when we have to be smart and figure out the best way to help this team. Only the Colts get championship caliber QBs handed to them on silver platters whenever they need them. The rest of the franchises need to work for them.




Ask yourself this question: If the Chiefs had somehow won 2 more games and found themselves in the #4 spot instead of #1, would you be willing to trade your ENTIRE draft AND next year's 3rd rounder to draft a QB #1 overall? If you can't say yes to this question, then you don't understand the value of the pick the Chiefs have at #1 overall.


In my opinion, Nick Foles represents the highest upside of all the QBs the Chiefs could reasonably acquire this offseason.

[AussieChiefsFan]

Still don't see why people want/think a LT at #1 would be a smart choice. Although, I guess it did work out for the Browns and Dolphins.

[texaschief]

Still don't see why people want/think a LT at #1 would be a smart choice. Although, I guess it did work out for the Browns and Dolphins.

That's cute... and relevant. Ever bother to look at how many QB's the Browns have taken in the first round over the course of their franchise history? They'd take Joe Thomas over every single one of them every day of the week. If you don't understand how a LT is better than a QB in this draft, then you haven't been reading.

It's not just about drafting QB's in the first round... it's about drafting the RIGHT QB in the first round. Go ask the Browns their thoughts on THAT topic.

[AussieChiefsFan]

That's cute... and relevant. Ever bother to look at how many QB's the Browns have taken in the first round over the course of their franchise history? They'd take Joe Thomas over every single one of them every day of the week. If you don't understand how a LT is better than a QB in this draft, then you haven't been reading.

It's not just about drafting QB's in the first round... it's about drafting the RIGHT QB in the first round. Go ask the Browns their thoughts on THAT topic.That's very true. But the general idea seems to be that there is no Luck or RG3 in this draft. Last year was a once in a decade QB class. This class very bad at all, obviously not up to the standard of last years, but absolutely not a bad class. My point is that even thought they have all-pro Left Tackles, they are still at the bottom of the league. Yes the browns have swung many times and missed almost every time, but if you dont swing at all, there's no chance you'll hit. The chiefs haven't drafted a QB in the first round in 30 years. That's an awfully long time to not even try.

[AussieChiefsFan]

Also we already have a Left-tackle in Brandon Albert. There'd be no sense in moving him, letting him walk etc. He has said he wants to stay in Kansas City, and Andy Reid has a history of (re)signing players on the O-line. But say he DOES walk..... By drafting Joekel we aren't even guerenteed we are getting a player as good as Albert. Then we have a rookie LT and still have no QB for him to protect. Don't get me wrong, Im not saying he's not going to be a good player in the NFL, but there's no point having a good protector if there's nobody to protect.

And why NOT draft Geno Smith at #1? We need a quarterback, he's the best one coming out of college.

[jason1981]

What ever happened about building the team through the draft? Part of that is you have to resign amd keep the ones you draft. i.e. albert. Dont make another hole in team when u dont needto. Joeckel might be better but it wont be that much better. If albert is a great lt and joeckel will be an elite then theres not much gap to that it will improve your team. I say we resign him. I would like to get that DT star litilole??????name amd put him at end. Cuz if we let both dorsey and jackson walk then we will have two hoes to feel. I then say we take our 2nd rounder and
Package it and trade back into the 1st rnd and get a qb..
I just dont see how u can build through the draft without keeping the ones you draft when their good. Why make a hole just to feel that hole unless you want to be a cheapstake and worry about the money when we have the cap space anyways. Im not sold on geno smith either. I heard he has a gangster attitude. Wonder if hes mature enough to handle it all.

[AussieChiefsFan]

To summarise

We drafted two high level LT prospects in Round 2 and Round 3 in the 2012 draft.

We picked up a Top 3 Right Tackle in free agency in Eric Winston in 2012.

We have a top 10 LT in Brandon Albert who has expressed that he wants to come back in 2013 and be with this team.

And people think we need to spend a #1 on a guy who wasn't even the best offensive tackle on his college team?

[texaschief]

That's very true. But the general idea seems to be that there is no Luck or RG3 in this draft. Last year was a once in a decade QB class. This class very bad at all, obviously not up to the standard of last years, but absolutely not a bad class. My point is that even thought they have all-pro Left Tackles, they are still at the bottom of the league. Yes the browns have swung many times and missed almost every time, but if you dont swing at all, there's no chance you'll hit. The chiefs haven't drafted a QB in the first round in 30 years. That's an awfully long time to not even try.

This point that you're making is drawing a conclusion by looking at just one piece of the puzzle. Do you HONESTLY believe the Cleveland Browns are a bad team BECAUSE they drafted Joe Thomas? Because THAT'S you're argument... and it's a HORRIBLE one. The Cleveland Browns are at the bottom of the league because they cannot evaluate QB talent and waste first round picks on poor QB's who don't deserve the selection. If you are looking at the Browns franchise with an honest eye, you'll realize they're recent failures are based on the fact that they draft a horrible QB in the first round every 5 years or so. They are the PERFECT franchise to support my argument. Tim Couch, Brady Quinn, and now Brandon Weeden. That's not even counting the failures of Colt McCoy, Luke McCown, and Charlie Frye of recent history.

The Browns are not bad BECAUSE they have the best LT in the league... it's because they're taking the buckshot approach to the QB position that you and those who think like you endorse.


Also we already have a Left-tackle in Brandon Albert. There'd be no sense in moving him, letting him walk etc. He has said he wants to stay in Kansas City, and Andy Reid has a history of (re)signing players on the O-line. But say he DOES walk..... By drafting Joekel we aren't even guerenteed we are getting a player as good as Albert. Then we have a rookie LT and still have no QB for him to protect. Don't get me wrong, Im not saying he's not going to be a good player in the NFL, but there's no point having a good protector if there's nobody to protect.

And why NOT draft Geno Smith at #1? We need a quarterback, he's the best one coming out of college.

The reason you let Albert walk is because he's going to be expensive and missed the last 4 games with a back problem... that's not the kind of LT you invest that kind of coin in when there's NOT a sure-fire QB to be had in the draft, but there IS a franchise LT.

If we were drafting 4th instead of 1st, would you be willing to trade your ENTIRE draft to jump up to #1 overall and select Geno Smith? If you can't say yes to this, then THAT'S why we shouldn't take him #1 overall either.


To summarise

We drafted two high level LT prospects in Round 2 and Round 3 in the 2012 draft.

We picked up a Top 3 Right Tackle in free agency in Eric Winston in 2012.

We have a top 10 LT in Brandon Albert who has expressed that he wants to come back in 2013 and be with this team.

And people think we need to spend a #1 on a guy who wasn't even the best offensive tackle on his college team?




You mean like when we took Branden Albert?

[Three7s]

^Argue? It's not really an arguement when the other side doesn't listen. You've never admitted to any of the issues with drafting Joeckel, nor have you admitted to any of the qualities of drafting a QB. It's all about what TC wants, not what the positives could be if the opposite should happen.

[jason1981]

Agree with threes. Its all about what tc wants and if you disagree with him then your wrong. Either way you look at it joekel wouldnt be the best scenario non qb pick wise. Best scenerio is to keep albert since we already have him and then draft the DTstar and move him to end. Then thats two spots filled instead of making a hole and filling just ine spot that you just had a great player in.

[#58ChiefsFan]

Boss and Moeaki are good combination when healthy. Jared Cook is probably a better receiving TE than both, but would be a luxury pickup versus some of the more glaring holes this team has in my opinion. If you look at Andy Reid offenses from the past, TE isn't exactly a marquis position anyway. Check out this underwelming list of past Eagles' tight ends.
http://www.fantasyfootballchallenge.com/32-24-4/philadelphia-eagles-tight-ends.html

At this point Moeaki has been kind of disappointing to me, there's a lot of factors with the previous regime and the ACL so I'd keep him on the roster and hope he can prove me wrong but I see us with only one TE in Boss right now.

Take a read of this article I came across yesterday

@Jacobs71: Here's @HerbieTeope article on TEs in Andy Reid's system. Must Read http://t.co/YQ2kzsZp

[Coach]

Nothing wrong with Texaschief defending his opinion. Even if he is wrong, lol.

Letting Albert walk, only to replace him with the #1 pick is the equivalent of losing 3000 draft points by letting Albert walk. Not sure why I'm not able to get that point across. We have a good LT, lets keep him. If you are worried about his back, then make him play under the 1yr franchise tag. And sign Bowe to a 3 or 4 year deal.

I think we have to table who we take with the #1 overall pick until after the combine. Lots will change during that process. If after the combine there are still no qb's rated in the top 10, then I might be ok with drafting something other than QB at #1. And I fully expect us to trade for a QB as well which will likely impact our draft strategy.

[Coach]

This is another article discussing the LT conundrum.
http://arrowheadaddict.com/2013/02/11/picking-1st-the-case-against-luke-joeckel/

[Ryfo18]

Yeah I'm not a fan of not getting any better by just adding Joeckel/letting Albert walk. I'd rather just let Stephenson have a tryout at LT for a season. The importance of that position is continuing to decline.

I like some of the picks in the mock, like the Mathieu pick. I think Lattimore is a reach in the top of the 3rd round though given his injury history and question marks.

[N TX Dave]

Nothing wrong with Texaschief defending his opinion. Even if he is wrong, lol.

Letting Albert walk, only to replace him with the #1 pick is the equivalent of losing 3000 draft points by letting Albert walk. Not sure why I'm not able to get that point across. We have a good LT, lets keep him. If you are worried about his back, then make him play under the 1yr franchise tag. And sign Bowe to a 3 or 4 year deal.

I think we have to table who we take with the #1 overall pick until after the combine. Lots will change during that process. If after the combine there are still no qb's rated in the top 10, then I might be ok with drafting something other than QB at #1. And I fully expect us to trade for a QB as well which will likely impact our draft strategy.

Albert is going to want around $10 million a year and had back issues this year and missed the last 4 games. If he is the best LT in the game and misses 1/4 of the games every year, is he still the best? If we draft LT #1 he will get around $4 million so it is a savings of at least $6 million a year against the cap. Sure we do not know how good the LT is in the draft but we do not know how good Albert's back will allow him to be, if he did not have the back problem this year (a contract year by the way) I would be on the keep him band wagon but bad backs, most of the time do not heal themselves and are generally problematic, now he may go on and never miss a game again only time will tell.

So let me get this straight many want to continue to reach in the draft like the last decade and pick Geno instead of picking the best player in the draft. In spite of the fact that most of Poloi drafts people in here were complaining about him reaching in the first round? I will say at this time in the draft process we do not know who will move up and down the draft boards, after the workout days at schools and the combine, so at this time I am just going to wait and see. I also will trust the head office in who ever they draft.

I have said in the past what is the worse that can happen if we don't draft a QB this year and instead of draft BPA? We have another bad year and will get another high draft pick next year which might have better QB in it. If we do draft a QB first and he does not work out, we will not have anything to show for the first pick and it will be at least 2 more years before we can more on and start this all over again.

[Coach]

Albert is going to want around $10 million a year and had back issues this year and missed the last 4 games. If he is the best LT in the game and misses 1/4 of the games every year, is he still the best? If we draft LT #1 he will get around $4 million so it is a savings of at least $6 million a year against the cap. Sure we do not know how good the LT is in the draft but we do not know how good Albert's back will allow him to be, if he did not have the back problem this year (a contract year by the way) I would be on the keep him band wagon but bad backs, most of the time do not heal themselves and are generally problematic, now he may go on and never miss a game again only time will tell.

So let me get this straight many want to continue to reach in the draft like the last decade and pick Geno instead of picking the best player in the draft. In spite of the fact that most of Poloi drafts people in here were complaining about him reaching in the first round? I will say at this time in the draft process we do not know who will move up and down the draft boards, after the workout days at schools and the combine, so at this time I am just going to wait and see. I also will trust the head office in who ever they draft.

I have said in the past what is the worse that can happen if we don't draft a QB this year and instead of draft BPA? We have another bad year and will get another high draft pick next year which might have better QB in it. If we do draft a QB first and he does not work out, we will not have anything to show for the first pick and it will be at least 2 more years before we can more on and start this all over again.
First, if you have concern about Albert's back, the answer is simple...tag him. Using your logic, we should never pay a good LT, instead just spend a 1st rd pick every four years on a new one assuming every one we draft turns into a good one, otherwise we have to draft one even more often. Free agency isn't an option using your logic because you will have to pay $10mm/yr just like Albert is asking for.

Second, we never spend our cap money anyway so I could care less if we save another $6mm. We haven't cap problems in KC for ages, if ever.

Using the logic of letting good existing players walk after turning them into good players only to spend draft picks to restart the process sounds like a great strategy for maintaining mediocrity.

Finally, lets be honest with ourselves and admit nobody knows what the perfect draft rankings should be. Tom Brady got drafted in the 5th round, Jamarcus Russell was drafted #1 overall. So save the draft value talk. Saying one player should be ranked 7th, while another should be ranked 23rd, while another should be ranked #25 is a bunch if hocus pocus. Does the player have a first round grade? If so, use your first rd pick. If you try to get cute and get maximum value based upon what Mel Kiper or some "draft guru" sees on their crystal ball is a collosal mistake in my opinion.

[jason1981]

Well said coach!!!!!!!!

[texaschief]

^Argue? It's not really an arguement when the other side doesn't listen. You've never admitted to any of the issues with drafting Joeckel, nor have you admitted to any of the qualities of drafting a QB. It's all about what TC wants, not what the positives could be if the opposite should happen.

You think I WANT to take a LT with the #1 pick?? Nothing could be further from the truth. I WISH there were a QB to take #1 overall... that prospect does not currently exist in this draft class. Things could change, but I highly doubt it. I don't see any of these QBs vaulting up the board nearly half an entire round. (Only exception could be Wilson) G. Smith's problems aren't with his talent. It's with his reads and personality... the combine is going to prove he's a great athlete with good skill... but it won't ease the concerns about his immeasurables.

My argument about taking the BPA or Joekel is purely just to try and get y'all to think about this logically. Taking a QB to take a QB just because he's a QB in the first round does not a franchise QB make. Would I like to see the Chiefs invest in a QB this offseason? Absolutely. But there truly isn't someone who stands out from the rest of the crowd. If we can save 2600 points and get a comparable talent with the 2nd round pick be it via trade or BQBA in the 2nd, then that's the route that should be taken. Y'all act like Geno Smith is head and shoulders better than everyone else in this draft and that's simply not the case... I don't care how deep you stick your fingers in your ears or how loudly you sing to drown out the noise... Geno Smith is NOT worth the #1 pick and to spend that many draft resources on him is asinine.


Agree with threes. Its all about what tc wants and if you disagree with him then your wrong. Either way you look at it joekel wouldnt be the best scenario non qb pick wise. Best scenerio is to keep albert since we already have him and then draft the DTstar and move him to end. Then thats two spots filled instead of making a hole and filling just ine spot that you just had a great player in.

So, you're not ok with letting Albert walk and replacing him with an above replacement level player, but you're ok with letting Dorsey walk and replacing him with ANOTHER DT who's a protypical 4-3 DT and move him to 3-4 DE... yeah... that's a MUCH better idea. There's nothing about Star that would make one believe he's capable of being worth the #1 overall pick... especially since the team that holds the #1 pick runs a 3-4.


Nothing wrong with Texaschief defending his opinion. Even if he is wrong, lol.

Letting Albert walk, only to replace him with the #1 pick is the equivalent of losing 3000 draft points by letting Albert walk. Not sure why I'm not able to get that point across. We have a good LT, lets keep him. If you are worried about his back, then make him play under the 1yr franchise tag. And sign Bowe to a 3 or 4 year deal.

I think we have to table who we take with the #1 overall pick until after the combine. Lots will change during that process. If after the combine there are still no qb's rated in the top 10, then I might be ok with drafting something other than QB at #1. And I fully expect us to trade for a QB as well which will likely impact our draft strategy.

You're not losing 3000pts by letting Albert walk. You're turning 3000 points into a better player AND at least $4m in annual cap space. If he "busts," he's moved to a different position on the OL. Drafting a QB is already a 50/50 proposition at best and if a QB busts, it sets the franchise back at least 5 years AND you've wasted 3000pts because he can't be used anywhere else on the field... that's a distinct difference. If one views Albert as an injury risk (which has been one of my arguments), drafting Joekel isn't a wasted pick... it's necessary to keep the OL performing at its current level. Even if Albert and Joekel perform at the exact same level, it's ALREADY a positive because of the cap number. If Albert's back becomes a chronic problem, the value of a Joekel pick skyrockets exponentially. No matter how you slice it, a Joekel pick cannot be viewed as a waste of a pick or a lateral move.

[texaschief]

First, if you have concern about Albert's back, the answer is simple...tag him. Using your logic, we should never pay a good LT, instead just spend a 1st rd pick every four years on a new one assuming every one we draft turns into a good one, otherwise we have to draft one even more often. Free agency isn't an option using your logic because you will have to pay $10mm/yr just like Albert is asking for.

Second, we never spend our cap money anyway so I could care less if we save another $6mm. We haven't cap problems in KC for ages, if ever.

Using the logic of letting good existing players walk after turning them into good players only to spend draft picks to restart the process sounds like a great strategy for maintaining mediocrity.

Finally, lets be honest with ourselves and admit nobody knows what the perfect draft rankings should be. Tom Brady got drafted in the 5th round, Jamarcus Russell was drafted #1 overall. So save the draft value talk. Saying one player should be ranked 7th, while another should be ranked 23rd, while another should be ranked #25 is a bunch if hocus pocus. Does the player have a first round grade? If so, use your first rd pick. If you try to get cute and get maximum value based upon what Mel Kiper or some "draft guru" sees on their crystal ball is a collosal mistake in my opinion.

C'mon, Coach. What have these QBs done that makes you think they're worth the pick? Drafting a losing QB who scouts say can't read through progressions, relies on dump passes to inflate his passing % and NFL caliber WRs to stomp on small schools like James Madison the way Geno Smith did is not a good pick... "use your logic." None of the other QBs deserve the spot either. All you have to do is watch Geno's games against better opponents to realize he's not worth the pick. Of his last 8 games, Smith could only manage wins against Iowa State and Kansas... in a weak defensive, pass centric BIG 12. This player would not have gone in the 2nd round last April.

Stop the madness!!

[Three7s]

I keep teling you that he DID FACE BETTER DEFENSES and put up decent numbers, just the fact that he didn't win shouldn't discredit that. Texas, Oklahoma, ISU, and TCU all had decent defenses, and while he wasn't perfect against some of them, he didn't detriment his team at all. In some cases, he was carrying his team and his pathetic defense.

[Lord-Chiefy]

Foles= no playoffs!!!!@

[N TX Dave]

First, if you have concern about Albert's back, the answer is simple...tag him. Using your logic, we should never pay a good LT, instead just spend a 1st rd pick every four years on a new one assuming every one we draft turns into a good one, otherwise we have to draft one even more often. Free agency isn't an option using your logic because you will have to pay $10mm/yr just like Albert is asking for.

Second, we never spend our cap money anyway so I could care less if we save another $6mm. We haven't cap problems in KC for ages, if ever.

Using the logic of letting good existing players walk after turning them into good players only to spend draft picks to restart the process sounds like a great strategy for maintaining mediocrity.

Where did I say "never pay a good LT, instead just spend a 1st rd pick every four years on a new one"? No where is where, I did not say anything to lead someone to that. What I said is he had a problem this year with his back, and sometimes backs are never good again. If you take the best LT in the league, if he missed 25% of the games because of his back, and was out for the playoffs is he still the best LT? I was talking about one individual and not in general terms, please do not put words into my posts.

You might not be concerned about cap but some in here sure are, look how bad the have complained the last 4 years about Cassell's high contract and he was getting 20% or whatever of the teams cap, to me what difference did it make, we were not close to the cap then, I will agree he was not worth it but that is beside the point. We have new management and they might get us up to the cap in a year or two, what would you do if at the end of next year we had to cut Hali and/or DJ (just as examples) to make room to get under the cap? Management always have to worry about the cap, what would have happened if we would have signed Peyton Manning last year how would the cap have looked now?

Again I did not say anywhere we do not need to resign our draft picks if they turn out to be good, that is a stupid statement and makes no sense but if they have health problems or does not develop (do you think we should resign Baldwin because he was a 1st round pick) we should think about not resigning him.

If you franchise Albert and can not sign Bowe do you want the best WR we have walk? Also to franchise a LT is going to cost around $10 million also, and if his back is bad and he missed 50% of the snaps and we end up with a mid round draft pick there probably won't be a franchise LT there.

It is all a crap shoot and there is no pat answer, a lot will depend what happens between not and the draft.

[texaschief]

I keep teling you that he DID FACE BETTER DEFENSES and put up decent numbers, just the fact that he didn't win shouldn't discredit that. Texas, Oklahoma, ISU, and TCU all had decent defenses, and while he wasn't perfect against some of them, he didn't detriment his team at all. In some cases, he was carrying his team and his pathetic defense.


Texas was not a top 50 defense.
Oklahoma was not a top 50 defense.
Iowa St. was not a top 50 defense.
But hey... TCU was #16... and they beat him.

I guess "decent" is a relative term. I love how Geno advocates make excuses for him as to why he couldn't win games on one hand, then on the other, claim he's a franchise QB who can shoulder a franchise and is worthy of the #1 pick. Either he's a franchise QB who can put a team on his back and win games or he's not. You can't have it both ways. We can find talented, above average QB's later in the draft. This team does not need to waste the first pick on a player who presents little more than whoever will be available in the 2nd round.

I predict that you're going to see Geno light up the combine because he's got some pretty good physical talent. His problems are between his ears and there's nothing at the combine to expose that to the general public.

[matthewschiefs]

Texas was not a top 50 defense.
Oklahoma was not a top 50 defense.
Iowa St. was not a top 50 defense.
But hey... TCU was #16... and they beat him.

I guess "decent" is a relative term. I love how Geno advocates make excuses for him as to why he couldn't win games on one hand, then on the other, claim he's a franchise QB who can shoulder a franchise and is worthy of the #1 pick. Either he's a franchise QB who can put a team on his back and win games or he's not. You can't have it both ways. We can find talented, above average QB's later in the draft. This team does not need to waste the first pick on a player who presents little more than whoever will be available in the 2nd round.

I predict that you're going to see Geno light up the combine because he's got some pretty good physical talent. His problems are between his ears and there's nothing at the combine to expose that to the general public.

The same lovers told me I was just making excuses had a lovefest for Cassel when I talked about our poor D half the year. Now they want to use There D as an excuse as to why there guy lost I've given up the Geno fight. You won't win with them. It's one set of rules for the guys they don't want (anyone not named geno) anther for Geno. Just give up this fight you won't win with the geno lovers. Lucky for us I really don't see us taking at number 1. He's just not worth the number 1 pick and as the new brass has stated we are taking the BPA which has worked really well for the Packers.

[texaschief]

This "salary cap is no big deal" attitude some Chiefs fans have is ignorant (no offense). After the last few years of not spending any money in free agency, I'm sure most of y'all never even thought to check. I know I didn't until I accidentally read a startling article on the subject. The Chiefs salary cap number heading into 2013 is sitting right at $120m. That's mid-pack, y'all. There are 13 teams with more cap space than the Chiefs... and that's BEFORE signing Bowe, Albert, Dorsey, or Colquitt. That $120m mark only leaves the Chiefs with $12m to play with this offseason. Cut Tyson Jackson and you save $14m. Cut Cassel and you save another $6m. If you cut those two players, that could give the Chiefs $32m cap space. But if you franchise Albert, that takes $10m. Signing Bowe to a long-term deal will require at least $8-10m/yr to bring back. Bowe is looking for a monster deal and unless we tag him for $11m, it's going to require some serious coin to bring him back long-term.

So, let's just do what y'all want and re-sign Bowe at the low end of the spectrum for $8m/yr and tag Albert for $10m. So, now what? Well, now we have a rookie draft class to sign which will require another $7m or so. What are you going to accomplish with $7m remaining? Are you really going to max-out your cap space and leave yourself very little wiggle room? Salaries for your best players are only going to go up each year. If the Chiefs went with this plan, there's no way they'd have enough money to sign Albert to a long-term deal after the 2013 season. Not to mention, we still don't have a punter and we've lost our starting DE's.

Upgrading this roster is going to require a much more thought out approach than just "plug-and-play."

By the way, those of you who think cutting Geno after a quick one year failure is the fall-back plan if the kid busts, you might want to take a look at Dontari Poe's cap penalty if we cut him this offseason... (it's -$6.7m). Hell, cutting Berry would be a -$4.7m hit. You can't just draft-it and quit-it. The NFL doesn't work that way. Making a poor selection with this #1 pick, especially at QB, would do MUCH more damage than some of you are willing to acknowledge.

[N TX Dave]

This "salary cap is no big deal" attitude some Chiefs fans have is ignorant (no offense). After the last few years of not spending any money in free agency, I'm sure most of y'all never even thought to check. I know I didn't until I accidentally read a startling article on the subject. The Chiefs salary cap number heading into 2013 is sitting right at $120m. That's mid-pack, y'all. There are 13 teams with more cap space than the Chiefs... and that's BEFORE signing Bowe, Albert, Dorsey, or Colquitt. That $120m mark only leaves the Chiefs with $12m to play with this offseason. Cut Tyson Jackson and you save $14m. Cut Cassel and you save another $6m. If you cut those two players, that could give the Chiefs $32m cap space. But if you franchise Albert, that takes $10m. Signing Bowe to a long-term deal will require at least $8-10m/yr to bring back. Bowe is looking for a monster deal and unless we tag him for $11m, it's going to require some serious coin to bring him back long-term.

So, let's just do what y'all want and re-sign Bowe at the low end of the spectrum for $8m/yr and tag Albert for $10m. So, now what? Well, now we have a rookie draft class to sign which will require another $7m or so. What are you going to accomplish with $7m remaining? Are you really going to max-out your cap space and leave yourself very little wiggle room? Salaries for your best players are only going to go up each year. If the Chiefs went with this plan, there's no way they'd have enough money to sign Albert to a long-term deal after the 2013 season. Not to mention, we still don't have a punter and we've lost our starting DE's.

Upgrading this roster is going to require a much more thought out approach than just "plug-and-play."

By the way, those of you who think cutting Geno after a quick one year failure is the fall-back plan if the kid busts, you might want to take a look at Dontari Poe's cap penalty if we cut him this offseason... (it's -$6.7m). Hell, cutting Berry would be a -$4.7m hit. You can't just draft-it and quit-it. The NFL doesn't work that way. Making a poor selection with this #1 pick, especially at QB, would do MUCH more damage than some of you are willing to acknowledge.

But I am going to bury my head in the sand and say draft Geno with the first pick no matter what, end of discussion. I will worry about the year after that, the year after that. I WANT A QB WITH THE FIRST PICK!!!!! Nothing else will do, I will ignore what anyone else is saying because I want a QB 1st and only what I want matters to me.

[Three7s]

I want an LT with the first pick of draft, no matter how stupid and pointless it is! Despite the fact that Albert is a proven player who has had absolutely no long-term health issues and has been a stable block since he was drafted, the fact is that you can't have too many LTs on a team because LTs win SUPER BOWLS! WRITE IT DOWN BABY! Who needs a QB? We can just hand it off to the RB every play!

WE ARE GOING TO BE THE GREATEST TEAM WITH A CRAPPY QB EVER!

[Coach]

For the record, I'm in the Tyler Wilson camp, not Geno Smith. I want to draft a smart young QB that has upside potential and a strong arm. I want to have a qb that has a strong enough arm to run a 2 minute drill. Hate me for that. I do not like the idea of replacing a position of strength with a draft pick that nearly never comes around just to save $6 million in cap room. I have not heard a logical argument for letting Brandon walk just to draft his replacement other than saving cap money. To new that is not enough of a reason. And it didn't improve our team at all unless we take the $6mm we saved and spend it on better players. That has not been my experience with this franchise. They are perennially one if the cheapest teams in football.

Let me summarize, replacing a good player with the first pick for no other reason other than to save $6mm does not make this team better. They finished the season at 2-14. I want my team to get better. Therefore I don't like the LT strategy.

[texaschief]

So, any QB acquired with our 2nd round pick would be deemed a "crappy QB" in your opinion?

What if Geno Smith falls to the 2nd round? Would you pass on him because he wasn't taken in the 1st round and thus deemed "crappy" according to your standards?

[matthewschiefs]

I want an LT with the first pick of draft, no matter how stupid and pointless it is! Despite the fact that Albert is a proven player who has had absolutely no long-term health issues and has been a stable block since he was drafted, the fact is that you can't have too many LTs on a team because LTs win SUPER BOWLS! WRITE IT DOWN BABY! Who needs a QB? We can just hand it off to the RB every play!

WE ARE GOING TO BE THE GREATEST TEAM WITH A CRAPPY QB EVER!

The problem with this argument is that you ignore even the slight chance of getting a qb elsewhere. Who's to say that they can't take whoever they have as BPA with the first pick and then trade back up into the first round when they see a chance to get a QB. I don't really want a LT either with the first pick but if they feel he's the best player it's the way to go. I would still love to see Jarvis Jones be the pick myself but I don't make the choice. But there are Many other ways we can get a QB Stop acting like if we don't take a QB 1st overall we will be stuck with a crappy QB it's just not the truth

[texaschief]

For the record, I'm in the Tyler Wilson camp, not Geno Smith. I want to draft a smart young QB that has upside potential and a strong arm. I want to have a qb that has a strong enough arm to run a 2 minute drill. Hate me for that. I do not like the idea of replacing a position of strength with a draft pick that nearly never comes around just to save $6 million in cap room. I have not heard a logical argument for letting Brandon walk just to draft his replacement other than saving cap money. To new that is not enough of a reason. And it didn't improve our team at all unless we take the $6mm we saved and spend it on better players. That has not been my experience with this franchise. They are perennially one if the cheapest teams in football.

Let me summarize, replacing a good player with the first pick for no other reason other than to save $6mm does not make this team better. They finished the season at 2-14. I want my team to get better. Therefore I don't like the LT strategy.

Branden Albert is no longer a "proven" commodity as you claim him to be. He missed the last 4 games of 2012 with back issues. You don't know what his future will be anymore than what Joekel's would be.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2013/02/12/chiefs-branden-albert/1914723/

... and of course as I'm typing, this is posted on USA today. The article said Albert and about a dozen other Chiefs with injury concerns just passed physicals conducted by the team. Of course Albert isn't going to admit his back hurts as he heads into free agency, but it's good to hear there wasn't anything structurally wrong with Albert. I have always liked him at LT and thought he always represented great value for where they got him in the 1st round. I don't think they can sign both Albert and Bowe, however and I think I would've rather had Bowe in this pass-heavy offense. The bottom of the article mentions that the Chiefs could still take Joekel #1 overall and move Albert to guard... can we please kill this before it gets legs? You don't give Albert LT money to move him to OG.

I agree that Tyler Wilson is probably #1 or #1a when it comes to QBs in this draft, however. The other QB who I think could be the first at his position off the board is Matt Barkley. For all the hype that he didn't live up to, he still ran the most pro-like offense in the NCAA and even did it Peyton Manning style by calling plenty of his own plays at the line of scrimmage. The talent was there and so were the smarts... which is vital in Reid's system.

The positions that worry me at #1 overall is QB, DT, and CB. We've seen plenty of flame-out top 5 DT's to last a while. I've seen Milliner's name thrown around a bit at the top of the board and I don't thing he'd be a great pick #1 overall either.

[AussieChiefsFan]

This point that you're making is drawing a conclusion by looking at just one piece of the puzzle. Do you HONESTLY believe the Cleveland Browns are a bad team BECAUSE they drafted Joe Thomas? Because THAT'S you're argument... and it's a HORRIBLE one. The Cleveland Browns are at the bottom of the league because they cannot evaluate QB talent and waste first round picks on poor QB's who don't deserve the selection. If you are looking at the Browns franchise with an honest eye, you'll realize they're recent failures are based on the fact that they draft a horrible QB in the first round every 5 years or so. They are the PERFECT franchise to support my argument. Tim Couch, Brady Quinn, and now Brandon Weeden. That's not even counting the failures of Colt McCoy, Luke McCown, and Charlie Frye of recent history.

The Browns are not bad BECAUSE they have the best LT in the league... it's because they're taking the buckshot approach to the QB position that you and those who think like you endorse.
The browns drafted QB after QB and then went LT, yes. But they also gave up on QBs like they do coaches, very quickly. We have the opposite problem as far as QB goes. We havent drafted a QB in the first round in 30 YEARS!



The reason you let Albert walk is because he's going to be expensive and missed the last 4 games with a back problem... that's not the kind of LT you invest that kind of coin in when there's NOT a sure-fire QB to be had in the draft, but there IS a franchise LT.He has stated that his back is fine. Im not saying it's not a risk, but he is a franchise left-tackle none-the-less. Why would you want to "waste" all that coinage on a rookie LT that isn't proven, instead of re-sign Albert, and draft a QB, a position we have NOTHING at.


If we were drafting 4th instead of 1st, would you be willing to trade your ENTIRE draft to jump up to #1 overall and select Geno Smith? If you can't say yes to this, then THAT'S why we shouldn't take him #1 overall either.If we were drafting #4 would you trade your entire draft for Joekel?




You mean like when we took Branden Albert?We took him at 15 overall. Not 1.

[AussieChiefsFan]

I want an LT with the first pick of draft, no matter how stupid and pointless it is! Despite the fact that Albert is a proven player who has had absolutely no long-term health issues and has been a stable block since he was drafted, the fact is that you can't have too many LTs on a team because LTs win SUPER BOWLS! WRITE IT DOWN BABY! Who needs a QB? We can just hand it off to the RB every play!

WE ARE GOING TO BE THE GREATEST TEAM WITH A CRAPPY QB EVER!It really does sound like this.

[jason1981]

Im not on genos band wagon at all. His character is a big concern from what iv heard but i dont know much about him. When i stated we draft DT Star and put him at end was because i heard that he is the prototype 3-4end and would excel in it. I dont think its the same as dorsey situation. Im not any bandwagon but i dont want to draft a player just cuz it will save us money. We need to resign our players.i want the bpa with that feels a need to a point. I say we rank the top 8 plqyers and take the position of need. I dont mind reaching to an small extent. The debate we need and its just a crap shoot is who is the best overall player and rank the top 8 to choose from. I open to anything but i beleive we need to resign albert and maybe bowe but cuz we have no one besides him but he needs to be more consistant but better qb play will help himat the same time.

[AussieChiefsFan]

Im not on genos band wagon at all. His character is a big concern from what iv heard but i dont know much about him. When i stated we draft DT Star and put him at end was because i heard that he is the prototype 3-4end and would excel in it. I dont think its the same as dorsey situation. Im not any bandwagon but i dont want to draft a player just cuz it will save us money. We need to resign our players.i want the bpa with that feels a need to a point. I say we rank the top 8 plqyers and take the position of need. I dont mind reaching to an small extent. The debate we need and its just a crap shoot is who is the best overall player and rank the top 8 to choose from. I open to anything but i beleive we need to resign albert and maybe bowe but cuz we have no one besides him but he needs to be more consistant but better qb play will help himat the same time.
Where'd you hear that?

[AussieChiefsFan]

Also, if a QB is worth a top 10 pick in today's draft structure and he's the #1 QB available then he is absolutely worth the #1 overall pick

[Three7s]

Where'd you hear that?
Gang signs.

[AussieChiefsFan]

Gang signs.
Must be.

[N TX Dave]

Here is one -
Strengths:
Mobility: Smith will not tear you apart at the seams with his running ability, but he will be able to scramble out of the pocket and create plays with his feet. He is not a run-first quarterback, but he is capable of driving an offense down the field and into the end zone by making plays outside the box.
Arm Strength: Geno Smith possesses elite-caliber arm strength. He can throw a ball 60 yards down the field with the flick of a wrist, his fast action throwing motion reminds me a lot of Michael Vick (http://edraft.com/nfl/player/michael-vick/statistics/47/). He can heave the ball without much hang to it, right into the chest of his receivers.
Size: Geno Smith has protoypical NFL size for a quarterback, if that means anything in today's league, as Russell Wilson (http://edraft.com/nfl/player/russell-wilson/statistics/36238/) showed everyone that size really doesn't matter in the NFL. However, Smith's 6'3'' 215 lb frame works into his favor. He could look to add five to ten pounds, as he may be utilized more outside of the pocker in the NFL than he was in college.

Weaknesses:
Accurary: Geno Smith can thread the ball through three defenders, right into his receiver's arms at times. It's when he's under pressure that he loses confidence in his throw placement. When being faced with more than a base four defender pass rush, Smith panics and chuck the ball to the first teammate he can find, often causing near chaos by havin it bounce off or out of a defender's hands.
Decision Making: As previously mentoined, Geno Smith becomes oblivious to the pass rush. Instead of stepping up into the pocket to avoid the edge rush, Smith instead back pedals, often times causing a horrific throwing decision or even worse, a turnover. In order for Smith to succeed consistently in the NFL, he's going to need to remain patient under pressure, and progress through his reads before deciding to chuck and pray.
Character: Smith is not on record as being a trouble maker, but has shown at times to blow a fuse with not much regard to those around him. Most recently in West Virginia's Bowl game vs. Syracuse, Smith absolutely exploded on the sidelines. Smith will most likely be asked to start from day one, and will need to garner the respect of the huddle in order to be effective. No fan base or franchise is going to tolerate a whiner, ask the Chicago Bears.

Bottom Line:
Geno Smith has been mocked in so many different places, by so many different people. I have never mocked Geno Smith to the Chiefs at first overall, simply because I don't feel he is worth that. I do think Smith could go in the top 10, but if teams around the league who are quarterback needy decide to use a band aid free agent quarterback to hold them over until the 2014 NFL Draft, Smith could see himself fall well into the late first round. When you think of Geno Smith at the next level, and who he compares to, think Jay Cutler (http://edraft.com/nfl/player/jay-cutler/statistics/2686/). He will look great at times, but he will also look absolutely clueless. He's not a 'Franchise' quarteraback, but he'll quarterback a franchise.

Another one -
Geno Smith may be super efficient, racking up completions and lighting up scoreboards, but nothing screams ‘franchise quarterback’ when watching his tape. Smith’s contests against Kansas State and Texas Tech make you wonder whether this player is even worth a first round draft pick. He seems like he could be a solid stopgap type of player whose floor and ceiling are very close. While he’ll likely be a high pick (and could go first overall, depending how desperate the Chiefs/Jaguars are), don’t be surprised if he doesn’t pan out.

Another one -
At this point, Geno Smith is the favorite to be drafted #1 overall by the Kansas City Chiefs. Now there is still plenty of time for things to change from now until the draft. Me personally, I don’t see it. He started out hot and his play seems to have gotten worse over the course of the season. I think that is blinding some people in their judgement. He’s a project. I don’t think he’s ready to start from day 1 and that seems to be the norm for quarterbacks in recent years. People see that he has all the tools but he’s got a lot of work to do to maximize his potential. Even when he does, I don’t see Geno Smith ever being a top tier quarterback but more of a serviceable starter at best. The quarterback position is at a premium more than ever in the NFL and as a result more and more college prospects are being overrated.

Another one Weaknesses: Smith has a tendency to stare down his receiver and stay locked on him too often. He sometimes relies too much on his strong arm and will force passes into tight windows. His ball placement on down field throws can be off at times when he does not get his feet set or gets pressure in his face. He plays in a shotgun spread offense attack, so not sure if he has the mechanics to play under center. He has a tendency to throw to the receiver instead of leading him sometimes. He sometimes gives defender the chance to make plays on his passes when he does not use proper mechanics or technique. He has good height, but his lean build is a concern and needs to add some bulk to his upper and lower body.

[AussieChiefsFan]

Decent post, but Geno doesn't stare down receivers as much as people say he does. If the first read is open, why wouldn't he throw to him?

[70 chiefsfan70]

HMMMMM. The Chiefs went 2 and 14, and send 6 players to probowl. There has to be an obvious problem here. We have a top 5 running back, which always makes a qb look better then they really are and we go 2 and 14. The league has changed, you cant win a super bowl without a very good or great QB. Its painfully easy to see, the biggest problem the chiefs have is the lack of qb. We could draft an LT, and still not likely to improve the team.(maybe by a win or two) WOW! maybe we could go 4 and 12 next year, BUT have 7 probowlers, how cool is that!!! And make and break even more embarrassing records.

Drafting anyone but a qb with our first would be like, Having a big hole in the fence on a big cattle farm, you buy a new fence and put it across the good part of the fence, leaving the hole unpatched hoping the cows dont find the same hole they walked through last time.

I'm not sold on any single one of the top 4 qbs but one of these will surely stand out and rise above the others in the combines.
Right now however, Geno tops that list in my book.

[Coach]

HMMMMM. The Chiefs went 2 and 14, and send 6 players to probowl. There has to be an obvious problem here. We have a top 5 running back, which always makes a qb look better then they really are and we go 2 and 14. The league has changed, you cant win a super bowl without a very good or great QB. Its painfully easy to see, the biggest problem the chiefs have is the lack of qb. We could draft an LT, and still not likely to improve the team.(maybe by a win or two) WOW! maybe we could go 4 and 12 next year, BUT have 7 probowlers, how cool is that!!! And make and break even more embarrassing records.

Drafting anyone but a qb with our first would be like, Having a big hole in the fence on a big cattle farm, you buy a new fence and put it across the good part of the fence, leaving the hole unpatched hoping the cows dont find the same hole they walked through last time.

I'm not sold on any single one of the top 4 qbs but one of these will surely stand out and rise above the others in the combines.
Right now however, Geno tops that list in my book.
I love analogies!

[jason1981]

Im not sure where i heard it cuz it was a while back. But yeah it something to do with gang signs or gangster attitude. Im not sure but i dont want a qb who offiliates with any gangs. If that is true or not i dont know. Just what i heard. It might have been on the radio but not sure. So im open to smith but lil cautious. Plus not sold in him as a franchise qb. He didnt do that well against good defenses but nfl is diferent so im just cautious is all to get my hopes up on any qb in this draft really.

[Chiefster]

I wonder if the Raven's LT had anything to do with protecting Flacco in their SB win?

[matthewschiefs]

HMMMMM. The Chiefs went 2 and 14, and send 6 players to probowl. There has to be an obvious problem here. We have a top 5 running back, which always makes a qb look better then they really are and we go 2 and 14. The league has changed, you cant win a super bowl without a very good or great QB. Its painfully easy to see, the biggest problem the chiefs have is the lack of qb. We could draft an LT, and still not likely to improve the team.(maybe by a win or two) WOW! maybe we could go 4 and 12 next year, BUT have 7 probowlers, how cool is that!!! And make and break even more embarrassing records.

Drafting anyone but a qb with our first would be like, Having a big hole in the fence on a big cattle farm, you buy a new fence and put it across the good part of the fence, leaving the hole unpatched hoping the cows dont find the same hole they walked through last time.

I'm not sold on any single one of the top 4 qbs but one of these will surely stand out and rise above the others in the combines.
Right now however, Geno tops that list in my book.

Lets say while going to the fence you see that the stuff they have at the store just isn't as good as what you can get from the farmer down the street which would you go for?

I will keep saying that this talk that we can't draft anyone but a QB at 1 is just WRONG. Sorry but it is. Are the Faiders looking great taking Russel at 1 or would you rather have Calvin Johnson? Or AP? A big part of the reason they are in the boat that they are is that they chose the WRONG QB to build around and passed on some pretty damn good players. Is that something any of us really want? Just go look at the 1999 nfl draft and the 1st round qbs there. It's a whos who of BUST. Do we really want Tim Couch,Akili Smith,Cade Mcnown? It's just not true to say we HAVE to get a QB in this draft to get better. We can get better while getting A qb elsewhere if it's not there.

There's a chance that one of the QBs in this draft will really show something in the combine if that happens I will fully support drafting that QB. But until that happens I will keep saying we can't just look at QB we have to look to get the best player. When you have 1st pick you're taking the biggest risk on that player. You have to be willing to take that risk. But you also have to make that an educated risk. If you just draft a QB because you happen to need a QB and ignore taking any other player at 1 you're setting yourself up to take a bust and passing up on some REALLY good players. That just won't get you anywhere. If a QB steps it up and moves up the rankings in the combine then it's a no brainer TAKE THAT GUY. But if no QB does then it's a no brainer take someone else that did step up.

[N TX Dave]

HMMMMM. The Chiefs went 2 and 14, and send 6 players to probowl. There has to be an obvious problem here. We have a top 5 running back, which always makes a qb look better then they really are and we go 2 and 14. The league has changed, you cant win a super bowl without a very good or great QB. Its painfully easy to see, the biggest problem the chiefs have is the lack of qb. We could draft an LT, and still not likely to improve the team.(maybe by a win or two) WOW! maybe we could go 4 and 12 next year, BUT have 7 probowlers, how cool is that!!! And make and break even more embarrassing records.

Drafting anyone but a qb with our first would be like, Having a big hole in the fence on a big cattle farm, you buy a new fence and put it across the good part of the fence, leaving the hole unpatched hoping the cows dont find the same hole they walked through last time.

I'm not sold on any single one of the top 4 qbs but one of these will surely stand out and rise above the others in the combines.
Right now however, Geno tops that list in my book.

I don't think anyone in here does not want a QB we all know we need a QB but you can not will a franchise QB to appear out of thin air, if there is not one there, there is not one there, move on.

Drafting a QB 1st this year is like having that hole in the fence and you go to town to buy the fence and the hardware store only has chicken wire on hand and you know that won't hold the cattle in are you going to waste you money buying it anyhow?

[Three7s]

I wonder if the Raven's LT had anything to do with protecting Flacco in their SB win?
I also wonder if Flacco actually throwing the ball accurately to the point where his receivers can make a play after the catch had something to do with that SB win, as well.

[nigeriannightmare]

I also wonder if Flacco actually throwing the ball accurately to the point where his receivers can make a play after the catch had something to do with that SB win, as well.

Yeah it had nothing to do with boldin making catches none of our receivers would have. To me boldin was the MVP of that game. Did you see some of those catches. When all you have to do is throw a ball in to a 12x12 area and know your receiver is gonna win the battle who gets the credit?????!

[nigeriannightmare]

I wonder if the Raven's LT had anything to do with protecting Flacco in their SB win?

How many times was he knocked down or sacked by arguably one of the best defenses is in the league. I think aldon smith got their once....maybe. You are right thought it had nothin to do with the receivers making plays at all, or the offensive line giving him 5 and six seconds to throw the ball that obviously had nothing to do with flaccos success. He was facing constant pressure and stood tallwith four guys around his ankles throwing it into windows the size of pennies.

[nigeriannightmare]

I want an LT with the first pick of draft, no matter how stupid and pointless it is! Despite the fact that Albert is a proven player who has had absolutely no long-term health issues and has been a stable block since he was drafted, the fact is that you can't have too many LTs on a team because LTs win SUPER BOWLS! WRITE IT DOWN BABY! Who needs a QB? We can just hand it off to the RB every play!

WE ARE GOING TO BE THE GREATEST TEAM WITH A CRAPPY QB EVER!

No one is saying what you are claiming and you are being an absolute arse by doing so. We are saying that there are other options than reaching for a QB that may not be up to the task of leading a franchise vs trading for one that our current head coach drafted and likes in nick Foles. So how is TC being arrogant about a topic when you in turn won't move off your Geno effing smith pedestal. This sit is full of effing hypocrites.

[70 chiefsfan70]

Lets say while going to the fence you see that the stuff they have at the store just isn't as good as what you can get from the farmer down the street which would you go for?

I will keep saying that this talk that we can't draft anyone but a QB at 1 is just WRONG. Sorry but it is. Are the Faiders looking great taking Russel at 1 or would you rather have Calvin Johnson? Or AP? A big part of the reason they are in the boat that they are is that they chose the WRONG QB to build around and passed on some pretty damn good players. Is that something any of us really want? Just go look at the 1999 nfl draft and the 1st round qbs there. It's a whos who of BUST. Do we really want Tim Couch,Akili Smith,Cade Mcnown? It's just not true to say we HAVE to get a QB in this draft to get better. We can get better while getting A qb elsewhere if it's not there.

There's a chance that one of the QBs in this draft will really show something in the combine if that happens I will fully support drafting that QB. But until that happens I will keep saying we can't just look at QB we have to look to get the best player. When you have 1st pick you're taking the biggest risk on that player. You have to be willing to take that risk. But you also have to make that an educated risk. If you just draft a QB because you happen to need a QB and ignore taking any other player at 1 you're setting yourself up to take a bust and passing up on some REALLY good players. That just won't get you anywhere. If a QB steps it up and moves up the rankings in the combine then it's a no brainer TAKE THAT GUY. But if no QB does then it's a no brainer take someone else that did step up.

You are correct, we dont have to take a chance on drafting a qb in the first, we can do business as usual and pick up some one elses washed up qb's and go 2 and 14 again. Certainly we have choices. Or we could draft a qb in the fifth round and keep him on the team for a couple of years and then release him. We all see how that stratagy has worked. Of course we take a risk on taking a qb in the first, but its a risk we have to take if we want to win the big one. We have a lot of talent on this team, and they wont stick around if they see no chance of winning and no qb gives us no chance of winning. 6 probowlers with our record? And people are still blind to the fact that teams cant win, without a very good or great qb. You wont find a qb in that catagory in fa very often. They have to be drafted. Theres a much better chance of scoring in the first round, and thats a fact.

[70 chiefsfan70]

I don't think anyone in here does not want a QB we all know we need a QB but you can not will a franchise QB to appear out of thin air, if there is not one there, there is not one there, move on.

Drafting a QB 1st this year is like having that hole in the fence and you go to town to buy the fence and the hardware store only has chicken wire on hand and you know that won't hold the cattle in are you going to waste you money buying it anyhow?

Couldn't agree with you more, thats exactly my point! And the absolute best way to do that is drafting one in the first round. Its by FAR the best way to get a true Franchise QB. Its always a risk, but one that will pay off sooner then the old way the chiefs did it.

[matthewschiefs]

You are correct, we dont have to take a chance on drafting a qb in the first, we can do business as usual and pick up some one elses washed up qb's and go 2 and 14 again. Certainly we have choices. Or we could draft a qb in the fifth round and keep him on the team for a couple of years and then release him. We all see how that stratagy has worked. Of course we take a risk on taking a qb in the first, but its a risk we have to take if we want to win the big one. We have a lot of talent on this team, and they wont stick around if they see no chance of winning and no qb gives us no chance of winning. 6 probowlers with our record? And people are still blind to the fact that teams cant win, without a very good or great qb. You wont find a qb in that catagory in fa very often. They have to be drafted. Theres a much better chance of scoring in the first round, and thats a fact.

So just because we don't draft a qb means we are going to go 2-14 now? That's funny I don't recall Trent Green being bad for us and going 2-14 with him. Like it or not a number of teams have done will not drafting a QB. The Rams won a superbowl with a guy who was bagging groceries for crying out loud. There's MORE THEN 1 WAY to get a QB. You can deny it. And Getting a QB outside of the draft doesn't mean you're going to be a bad team. Unless you think the Saints have been horrible with Drew Brees. The Texans with Matt Schaub The Jets are far ahead of them because they drafted Mark Sanchez? Like I said this whole talk that "we have to take a QB at 1" Just isn't true. There are FACTS that go against it.

A QB at number 1 would be nice but only if one of the Qbs out there in the draft step up in the combine.

[Chiefster]

I also wonder if Flacco actually throwing the ball accurately to the point where his receivers can make a play after the catch had something to do with that SB win, as well.

I don't, his OL gave him the time he needed to survey the field and make such a throw. I keep hearing about how a LT doesn't win Super Bowls. Well I agree, a LT by himself wins nothing the same as a QB. Many here, myself included, for years in seasons past lamented the fact that the team seemed to be ignoring the OL and drafted other positions. I don't discount at all in any way, shape, or form the need for a solid QB but also believe it all starts up front.

[70 chiefsfan70]

I don't, his OL gave him the time he needed to survey the field and make such a throw. I keep hearing about how a LT doesn't win Super Bowls. Well I agree, a LT by himself wins nothing the same as a QB. Many here, myself included, for years in seasons past lamented the fact that the team seemed to be ignoring the OL and drafted other positions. I don't discount at all in any way, shape, or form the need for a solid QB but also believe it all starts up front.



In other words we can draft or sign a line equal to to the OL that the Ravens have any Cassel or any other qb on the chiefs team would and could be comparable to Flacco?????????

It takes the entire team, not just the line. You could hand pick the best 5 front in the entire league and chances are he would not come up with more then 6 wins. The reason our OL looks weak, the every D knows he cant throw and all you have to do is blitz 2 3 or more guys and he will throw interception or sack or incomplete pass. The chiefs are and have been a 1 dementional football team and will remain so till the qb gets addressed.

[Chiefster]

In other words we can draft or sign a line equal to to the OL that the Ravens have any Cassel or any other qb on the chiefs team would and could be comparable to Flacco?????????

It takes the entire team, not just the line. You could hand pick the best 5 front in the entire league and chances are he would not come up with more then 6 wins. The reason our OL looks weak, the every D knows he cant throw and all you have to do is blitz 2 3 or more guys and he will throw interception or sack or incomplete pass. The chiefs are and have been a 1 dementional football team and will remain so till the qb gets addressed.

Nope, absolutely NOT what I was saying at all. You're right, it does take the entire team, but offensively it all STARTS up front. It doesn't matter how good the QB is if he spends most of the time on his back looking up at the sky. As stated above: I DON'T discount the need for a solid QB. A good team is greater than the sum of its parts: the O-line has to block, running backs have to be able to utilize those blocks, QBs have to be able to make sound decisions in four seconds or less and deliver the ball, WRs have to get open and make the catch. Unfortunately a team doesn't get unlimited picks within the time allotted each round of the draft, so we're stuck with either taking the best player available or filling team holes and addressing the rest of team needs through FA.

[Three7s]

Nope, absolutely NOT what I was saying at all. You're right, it does take the entire team, but offensively it all STARTS up front. It doesn't matter how good the QB is if he spends most of the time on his back looking up at the sky. As stated above: I DON'T discount the need for a solid QB. A good team is greater than the sum of its parts: the O-line has to block, running backs have to be able to utilize those blocks, QBs have to be able to make sound decisions in four seconds or less and deliver the ball, WRs have to get open and make the catch. Unfortunately a team doesn't get unlimited picks within the time allotted each round of the draft, so we're stuck with either taking the best player available or filling team holes and addressing the rest of team needs through FA.
What I'm saying is that Albert is already good enough. There are questions at the other positions, especially C, but Albert is not the problem, and drafting Joeckell is silly.

[Chiefster]

What I'm saying is that Albert is already good enough. There are questions at the other positions, especially C, but Albert is not the problem, and drafting Joeckell is silly.

That's a valid point, and understand that the door swings both ways; it doesn't matter how good your OL line is if your QB is crap. I simply believe that given this years QB class that our need at the QB position can just as easily be addressed in FA. Dorsey has made it clear that his philosophy is to draft the best player available, which doesn't appear to be a QB at this point.

[texaschief]

This article (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1065278-nfl-draft-2012-should-top-quarterbacks-throw-at-the-nfl-combine) is a good read. It talks about top rated QB's not participating in the throwing drills at the combine. Recently, Smith, Nassib, and Barkley have all stated that they will be participating this year in the combine. Why is this relevant to the conversation? Because over the last 8 years, only 1 QB (Newton) who had a chance to go in the top 5 overall, participated in the throwing drills. The article states that the reason for this is because nothing good can from participating in the combine drill for a QB who is projected to go in the top 5 or perhaps #1 overall and if they're already slotted to go high in the draft, why give the teams a chance to break you down, tear you apart, and damage your draft position? The only reason for a QB to participate in the throwing drills is to improve his draft stock... but it's a pretty big gamble on their part. Evaluations could go either way.

In 2005, Aaron Rogers and Alex Smith sat out. In '06, it was Russell and Quinn. '07 saw Young and Leinart sit out. In '08 Matt Ryan decided against participating. In '09, Stafford sat out. Bradford sat out in '10. Newton was the lone, brave soul who decided to participate in 2011 and his throwing motion was ripped to shreds during the 3 month gap between the combine and the draft. Luckily, Carolina desperately needed a QB and he was already the #1 player on 6 teams' boards before the combine and heading into the draft. Last year we saw RGIII and Luck both sit out during the throwing portion of the draft. This should put the 2013 QB draft class in perspective for you. When you say ANY one of these QBs is worth a top 5 pick, you might want to see what the players and their management team actually think about their own draft prospects. If they believed themselves that they were already worth a top 5 selection, they wouldn't risk that draft position by participating in the throwing drills. Not ONE of these QB's are in a position to protect their draft position and must earn their spot in the draft by participating in this drill.

To me, the fact that all these guys will probably be participating this year speaks VOLUMES.

[AussieChiefsFan]

This article (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1065278-nfl-draft-2012-should-top-quarterbacks-throw-at-the-nfl-combine) is a good read. It talks about top rated QB's not participating in the throwing drills at the combine. Recently, Smith, Nassib, and Barkley have all stated that they will be participating this year in the combine. Why is this relevant to the conversation? Because over the last 8 years, only 1 QB (Newton) who had a chance to go in the top 5 overall, participated in the throwing drills. The article states that the reason for this is because nothing good can from participating in the combine drill for a QB who is projected to go in the top 5 or perhaps #1 overall and if they're already slotted to go high in the draft, why give the teams a chance to break you down, tear you apart, and damage your draft position? The only reason for a QB to participate in the throwing drills is to improve his draft stock... but it's a pretty big gamble on their part. Evaluations could go either way.

In 2005, Aaron Rogers and Alex Smith sat out. In '06, it was Russell and Quinn. '07 saw Young and Leinart sit out. In '08 Matt Ryan decided against participating. In '09, Stafford sat out. Bradford sat out in '10. Newton was the lone, brave soul who decided to participate in 2011 and his throwing motion was ripped to shreds during the 3 month gap between the combine and the draft. Luckily, Carolina desperately needed a QB and he was already the #1 player on 6 teams' boards before the combine and heading into the draft. Last year we saw RGIII and Luck both sit out during the throwing portion of the draft. This should put the 2013 QB draft class in perspective for you. When you say ANY one of these QBs is worth a top 5 pick, you might want to see what the players and their management team actually think about their own draft prospects. If they believed themselves that they were already worth a top 5 selection, they wouldn't risk that draft position by participating in the throwing drills. Not ONE of these QB's are in a position to protect their draft position and must earn their spot in the draft by participating in this drill.

To me, the fact that all these guys will probably be participating this year speaks VOLUMES.
Geno didnt participate in the Senior Bowl and people went on about how he was "scared" and this and that..... He wants to silence the doubters at this point, establish himself as the #1. Also it's not a good argument for not taking a QB. "They're all participating in throwing drills at the combine"

[nigeriannightmare]

Geno didnt participate in the Senior Bowl and people went on about how he was "scared" and this and that..... He wants to silence the doubters at this point, establish himself as the #1. Also it's not a good argument for not taking a QB. "They're all participating in throwing drills at the combine"

Right because none of them are good enought to be number one so they have to prove it, which could backfire. but at the same time could elevate any one of them if they stand out. Where as years prior the sure fire number one didn't have to throw. It's a calculated risk. It's not about silencing doubters. He HAS to throw to elevate his stock. He's not throwing to silence he could get crushed by the scouts.

[AussieChiefsFan]

Why he decided to throw at the combine:

“Honestly just a matter of me going out and competing, being able to show scouts and coaches what I can do. Obviously it’s in shorts and just a little bit of who I am as a player, but still good to allow them to see me throw in live action against other quarterbacks, and they will be able to kind of compare me based on them and vice versa. It’s good to be out there and compete and showcase my talents.”

[jap1]

I am a little late to the conversation, but I will put in my 2 cents.

Generally, I wouldnt be too upset with the outcome of this mock offseason. Im not sure if we would be able to afford Bowe and what G. Jennings probably wants. The other FA pickups would provide good competition and would probably see the field. I like the resign/release list. Im ok with Dorsey going because I think he is wasted in our system and would get a nice payday. Im on the fence about B. Albert. I think we would be able to restructure T. Jax's contract, and if so, I would like to keep him, but if he gets greedy, Im willing to show him the door.

Basically getting Foles and another 3rd rounder for our 2nd round pick would "fix" the QB situation in my opinion, and really free up our options for the #1 pick. If Reid likes him that much, then In Reid I Trust. He knows him better than any other coach in the league. With the way the Philly is posturing, I think they want to trade Foles, but want at least our 2nd, if not swapping firsts. Either one I would be ok with, but I would hope we got more than just swapping our firsts. If I were a Philly fan, I would be very happy with a combination of Vick/G. Smith/Dennis Dixon at QB.

Anyways, I dont have a problem with letting Albert walk IF we got Foles. I personally am not blown away by any of the QBs this year. If we fixed the QB problem, where else is there a BIG need? DL? I personally dont like picking a 3-4 DE in the top 10. Maybe in the middle of the round. CB? The top CB is barely considered a top 10 talent. LB? In this league, the 2nd ILB is only on the field on 1st/2nd down anyway, so why spend a top 10 pick on him. FS? OG? RB? WR? There arent any expected to break the top 10 or 15 even in some cases. OLB? We already have 2 really good ones.

Getting Foles would open up a lot of opportunities, the best of which would be to trade down.

Back to Albert, I think he is good, but I am concerned about his back. I would want to tag him so that if his back is healthy, he would get a new contract midway through the season, but only if we have enough cap space (I have read conflicting arguments that we have a lot of cap space and that we have very little, both from equally reputable sources). Worst case scenario, Stephenson has done pretty decently in a backup role.

[nigeriannightmare]

Why he decided to throw at the combine:

“Honestly just a matter of me going out and competing, being able to show scouts and coaches what I can do. Obviously it’s in shorts and just a little bit of who I am as a player, but still good to allow them to see me throw in live action against other quarterbacks, and they will be able to kind of compare me based on them and vice versa. It’s good to be out there and compete and showcase my talents.”

Because he IS NOT the sure fre number one he has to showcase his talents which very well could backfire.

[jason1981]

We need to keep albert,bowe amd restructure jackson and draft DT star and trade for foles. And if some how we can get piercy harvin as well then i would say this offseason was perty damn good.

[slc chief]

Because he IS NOT the sure fre number one he has to showcase his talents which very well could backfire.

jemarcus russell was a sure fire #1 so was ryan leaf. bottom line is yeah the draft experts got last years sure fire#1's right(luck,rg3). .but they bad mouthed rodgers,flacco,ryan,brees,projecting them later in the draft. just the same as they are this draft class. hell russell wilson had to be embarrased live on espn when he was drafted. with the announcer saying he was to short and didn't have the potential to be a starter in the nfl. so did brady quinn when the so called experts claimed him as a golden star yet the nfl teams knew more than they did. and a bunch of teams passed on him. i can remember going into last years combine they had ryan tannenhill projected as a 3rd rounder to begin with then he started climbing after the combine. but kiper jr and the other clowns said he was a risky pick and again couldn't be an immediate starter. if you watched hard knocks last year half way through the dolphins camp it was clear tannenhill was the best qb on the team. was his rookie year as good as luck or rg3 no. but he did pretty damn good for a rookie on a team with absolutley no wr's.

[texaschief]

jemarcus russell was a sure fire #1 so was ryan leaf. bottom line is yeah the draft experts got last years sure fire#1's right(luck,rg3). .but they bad mouthed rodgers,flacco,ryan,brees,projecting them later in the draft. just the same as they are this draft class. hell russell wilson had to be embarrased live on espn when he was drafted. with the announcer saying he was to short and didn't have the potential to be a starter in the nfl. so did brady quinn when the so called experts claimed him as a golden star yet the nfl teams knew more than they did. and a bunch of teams passed on him. i can remember going into last years combine they had ryan tannenhill projected as a 3rd rounder to begin with then he started climbing after the combine. but kiper jr and the other clowns said he was a risky pick and again couldn't be an immediate starter. if you watched hard knocks last year half way through the dolphins camp it was clear tannenhill was the best qb on the team. was his rookie year as good as luck or rg3 no. but he did pretty damn good for a rookie on a team with absolutley no wr's.

If Tannehill were in this draft, he'd be far and away the top QB in this class.

[jason1981]

Just think if we drafted ryan tanahill last year we would be stuck with pioli and crennel still.

[texaschief]

Just think if we drafted ryan tanahill last year we would be stuck with pioli and crennel still.

The best QB draft in the last 20 years and we got nothin.