ChiefsPlanet - Chiefs Who will be the Chiefs starting quarterback in 2013?

Who will be the Chiefs starting quarterback in 2013?

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After making the decision to name Brady Quinn as the starting quarterback for the rest of the season I believe there's a much better chance the Chiefs draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. I know that it's just October and we have 10 games left in the season but it's where we're at right now in regards to the position.

As we sit here today I believe there are five possibilities as to who will be under center for the Chiefs when we take the field in 2013. It's not to assume the team will continue to lose and get a top pick, but even winning a handful of games I would still think doing whatever is needed to grab one of the top quarterbacks in the draft would be a priority.

#1. Matt Cassel

I just riled up 1,276 people just 141 words into this article. In full disclosure I did support Matt Cassel from the beginning and I even thought he would have a great season this year with all of the moves the Chiefs made in the off-season. Even those who weren't fans of Cassel could not have seen this kind of season coming and if you say you did see this coming, well then, I just don't believe you. To expect his worst season in a Chiefs uniform after the team made upgrades doesn't make sense to me. But here we are and a change was needed, and made.

#2. Brady Quinn

What are the chances that Quinn just comes out and earns a new contract and takes over as the starting quarterback for the Chiefs for the next few seasons? Probably not very likely although I know there are some Kool-Aid drinkers out there that believe this might happen. Calm down and don't operate a vehicle when you're hopped up on that stuff because it's got to be strong. (Sorry Joel)

Now we're getting into what I would call the 'more likely territory'. Considering I am not someone who follows college football as closely as others I brought in SB Nation's draft expert Dan Kadar (@MockingTheDraft) to help break down the top three quarterbacks in the 2013 draft as we sit here today. Here's what he had to say about each of these quarterbacks.

#3 Tyler Wilson - 6'3 - 220lbs - Arkansas

Strengths: The first thing that should be note about Wilson is his toughness. He's the kind of quarterback who will play through an injury. He stands tall in the pocket when there's pressure surrounding him. Possesses a strong arm. Looks to have good pocket presence to feel blind side pressure.

Weaknesses: Wilson's toughness is admirable, but it can get him in trouble. He seems to always have a small injury. Sometimes he needs to just get rid of the ball instead of staying in the pocket, throwing and being hit hard. Will sometimes put the ball in bad spots. Likes to move around in the pocket, but it leads to him throwing off balance a lot. Doesn't put a lot of touch on short throws. Full-time starter for just two seasons.

#4 Matt Barkley - 6'2 - 230lbs - USC

Strengths: By in large, Barkley is an excellent intangibles quarterback. He's often credited for his leadership. He stuck around at a previously sanctioned USC when he could have been a first-round pick this year. His numbers aren't at last season's pace, but he's still having a good year and completing almost 66 percent of his throws. He's coming out of a pro-style offense that would make him well-suited for a West Coast scheme. He's a four-year starter. I have him so highly rated because he gets excellent ball placement. He really improved there this season compared to last. He can work the whole field.

Weaknesses: Size has always been a key issue with Barkley. He's listed at 6-foot-2, but most expect him to officially measure shorter. There are also issues with his arm strength, though that may be more of a product of the USC scheme. But most of Barkley's throws are 15 yards or less, with his wide receivers getting a lot of yards after catch. He also benefits from having maybe the best wide receiver group in the nation.

#5 - Geno Smith - 6'3 - 214 lbs - West Virginia

Strengths: Smith is completing an extremely high percentage of his passes this season because he figured out how to hit deep out passes. His precision on those throws has been impressive. He's said he doesn't like to use it, but Smith is a good athlete to elude pressure. He has the arm strength to hit everywhere on the field. Seems to always hit receivers in stride so they can make a play after the catch.

Weaknesses: Evaluators will have to determine how much the fast-paced offense is benefiting Smith and whether or not it will translate to the NFL. The Patriots have taken some of the WVU principles and used them in their two-minute offense, so maybe it can work well in the pros. Until Brandon Weeden, most quarterbacks from the Dana Holgorsen scheme haven't translated well, and it's even early to be optimistic about Weeden. Plays in a shotgun, so there will be questions about his footwork on drop backs. Doesn't have to go through a lot of route reads. Smith has a slight frame as well, so he may not have the body like Barkley to take hits.

Dan summed up his thoughts on the three quarterbacks.

Right now, I have Barkley and Smith as first-round picks.Wilson probably late second. Obviously that's a fluid thing and will be throughout the season and during the Senior Bowl process. None of these players is an Andrew Luck. Barkley and Smith are probably closer to Sam Bradford – possibly a very good player but with questions. Wilson may need more development time to get rid of his bad tendencies.

Although all of these players still have question marks the good news is that each of them still have big games ahead of them this season. Matt Barkley still has to play Oregon and Notre Dame, Tyler Wilson has South Carolina, Mississippi State and LSU left to play, and Geno Smith still has a huge game against Oklahoma. Those games will tell us a lot about how these guys will separate themselves.

What do you say AP?