Chiefs Case for Croyle

LaChapelle · 01-10-2010, 05:21 PM

Josh Looney:Insider's blog

January 8th – 6:30 AM

Brodie Croyle is likely on cloud nine this morning after ‘Bama’s 37-21 thrashing of Texas in last night’s national title game. As sweet as that win was for Croyle, his NFL future has to make him feel pretty good as well.

Don’t misconstrue the title of this blog. Matt Cassel is, without a doubt, the quarterback for 2010 and is very much a part of the Chiefs nucleus of talent going forward. Offensive success in the years ahead will likely come and go with Cassel’s performance. The Chiefs need Matt Cassel to be “the man.”

With that said, Cassel’s backup made quite a name for himself with the new coaching staff this season and he fought improbable odds to do so.

“Brodie Croyle you can’t overlook,” Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said. “I perceive him playing a critical role for us as we go forward.”

What a wild ride it’s been in Kansas City the man from Rainbow City, Alabama. Drafted in 2006 as the Chiefs “quarterback of the future,” Croyle’s career with the Chiefs has resembled a blueprint for The Mamba at World’s of Fun or the stock chart for Bank of America more than anything else.

In 2007, Kansas City traded away its franchise leader in virtually every passing category to make room for Croyle to guide the offensive reigns. Trent Green was at the twilight of his career and the Chiefs had a 24-year old with a rifle-arm ready to take his place, or so it was thought.

The job was essentially Croyle’s to lose as training camp began in 2007. Sure enough, he lost it. A 42.5% completion percentage, three INTs and a 34.5 quarterback rating wasn’t going to get it done. Veteran Damon Huard, who sparked the Chiefs playoff run in 2006 when Green was out with a major head injury, would be the starter over the youngster from ‘Bama.

Take it up one more year and Croyle found himself in a nearly identical situation. He did start six games instead of the anticipated 16 the year before, but he still had some work to do in order to quiet the doubters and officially earn the starting role. He did. Then he fell again.

Not 20 pass attempts into the 2008 season Huard was back in as the Chiefs primary signal caller. Croyle had suffered a right shoulder injury when he was sacked by Patriots LB Adalius Thomas in the third quarter of the season opener. He’d miss the next five games.

Croyle returned to the field vs. Tennessee, and we all know what happened from there. Croyle started out his return by completing nine of his first 10 passes before DT Albert Haynesworth broke through the line and sent his 350-pound frame (that’s roughly 7/40 of a ton if my math skills are up to par) directly into Croyle’s lower-half. Another setback, Croyle’s left knee was shredded.

So there Croyle was, sitting on the sidelines, rehabbing a knee injury while his teammates worked to impress their new head coach during a demanding 2009 offseason. A head coach with an emphasis on accountability and players being available walked into a program to see a player who had been touted by the previous administration as the up-and-coming quarterback of the future. When that up-and-comer carries a lengthy report of injury history on his resume and spends the entire offseason off the field, it’s not exactly an ideal first impression.

The scenario that evolved created a seemingly impossible situation for Croyle in Kansas City, but Croyle found a way to make the impossible possible.

The chance that Brodie Croyle would be released before the season probably outweighed the chance that he would start the season opener at Baltimore. His first day of workouts came on the first day of training camp. The Chiefs other three QBs competing with Croyle – Matt Cassel, Tyler Thigpen and Ingle Martin – all had a couple-hundred-hours head start. The new administration had all but announced their “quarterback of the future” and Croyle was left on the outside looking in.

Slowly, snap-by-snap, Croyle began to win over his new head coach. He’d get ridden hard at camp for an error, only to take the next snap and deliver a perfectly thrown football. Croyle was starting to show some mental fortitude. Mental fortitude is something that Haley likes. Slowly, that non-existent start Croyle produced during Haley’s first few months on the job became an afterthought.

Croyle kept going and going. His camp grew more impressive by the day and word of mouth was beginning to spread. Those that covered the team began to write about Croyle’s performance and those that visited River Falls went home to tell about it to their friends.

“Brodie Croyle looks good. I mean, Brodie Croyle looks really good.”

Croyle’s critics in the media and fan base began to turn into supporters, at least in Croyle serving as the primary backup to Cassel. That’s exactly what Croyle did. His camp earned him the job ahead of Tyler Thigpen, the player who ignited a lot of exciting plays for the Chiefs a year before and who had Haley talking positively throughout the spring.

Croyle simply beat him out.

When Croyle spot-started the season opener for an injured Cassel, and turned in the team’s first 100+ QB rating (over 20 attempts) since 2006, he cemented himself as the primary backup for 2009. He did everything Haley had asked and more. Thigpen then became dispensable and was traded to Miami for a draft pick.

Over a period of just six weeks in 2009, Croyle’s career had taken yet another turn. He earned the respect of his new head coach and re-established himself as a leader among his teammates.

This week, Croyle’s career in Kansas City came back full-circle. Once again he’s been tabbed as an important part of the organization’s future; an improbable feat not six months ago.

“I’m trying to touch on guys that I see as core guys for us in one role or another,” Haley said earlier this week. “That’s a critical spot and he developed as the year went on and gained confidence in what we were doing.

“That role is pretty critical that there is cohesiveness in the [quarterback meeting] room and it’s not always the case,” Haley continued. “Everybody wants to play and everybody can’t play.”

Croyle has embraced his new role and Haley has embraced Croyle. There seems to be a mutual appreciation for each other based off nothing more than respect for one another and the things that each must do to be successful. By the end of the year, Haley’s confidence in Croyle had grown so much that his once overlooked QB was suggesting third-down play calls in the red zone (If you haven’t read ANATOMY OF A PLAY, go check it out).

Now, Croyle is part of the “core” that we’ve discussed and identified over the latter half of this week. His role my carry a heavy off-the-field impact, but his progress this offseason is just as important as any other player the Chiefs are planning to go forward with in 2010.

Not to say that Haley didn’t like Croyle six months ago, but it certainly doesn’t take a psychologist to see that Haley likes Croyle today. The two carry very different personas that feed off each other in a positive way.

Croyle signed a four-year contract as a rookie in 2006 and would have been in line to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Instead, without a new collective bargaining deal in place, it looks like Croyle will become a restricted free agent instead. This means that the Chiefs have the right to match any offer and receive compensation via draft picks if they don’t.

More than likely, it looks like Croyle will be back in 2010. How can you not like this guy

LaChapelle · 01-10-2010, 05:22 PM

This reads like a column on Todd Collins in VD's first or second year

RustShack · 01-10-2010, 05:26 PM

I'm just going to assume this is a REPOST

LaChapelle · 01-10-2010, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustShack

I'm just going to assume this is a REPOST

If you're feeling anal enough
you can search further
I didn't

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/searc...earchid=347771

**Easy 6** · 01-10-2010, 05:58 PM

For me, Croyle is like that old girlfriend that still inspires a flame... the long, flowing arm is a real Live Wire, more earnest, more likeable & friendly than Forrest Gump... Rainbow City, Alabama > Greenbow, Alabama... c'mon!1?

You know Haley secretly covets the idea of that arm, i know i do.

**BigRedChief** · 01-10-2010, 05:27 PM

No thanks. Too brittle.

Reerun_KC · 01-10-2010, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

No thanks. Too brittle.

Nah, he has proved to this organization that he isnt brittle anymore.

TRR · 01-10-2010, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

No thanks. Too brittle.

This. His whole life story is injury. High school, college, and now the NFL.

He has found the perfect role in KC. A very good backup to assist in a new offense.

Nothing more.
Posted via Mobile Device

Hammock Parties · 01-10-2010, 05:27 PM

Seeing Croyle beat out Thigpen was one of the best parts of 2009. It totally killed the notion that Thiggy had any value as a starting quarterback whatsoever....just totally deflated all the Thigpals.

Epic win.

**BigMeatballDave** · 01-10-2010, 05:33 PM

I still maintain he had the best performance of a Chiefs QB this season. Against a tough D no less...

ILChief · 01-10-2010, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BCD

I still maintain he had the best performance of a Chiefs QB this season. Against a tough D no less...

no, Cassel had several games better than that. Especially vs. Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland.

Croyle managed the game decently vs. BAL but it was a very conservative game plan and if not for the punt block we'd have been in no position to win that game.

TheGuardian · 01-10-2010, 05:35 PM

I think Croyle could have easily won 4 games and maybe more. Esp once Charles got established. Cassel got worse as the season went on. And there is no way that his deep ball is less accurate.

'Hamas' Jenkins · 01-10-2010, 05:48 PM

The Case for Croyle is that he's a better QB than Cassel.

The Case against Croyle is that he has a long injury history, he's still not a franchise QB, but most importantly, he's not a sacred cow.

**BossChief** · 01-10-2010, 05:49 PM

Its a shame the kid is made of glass.

SenselessChiefsFan · 01-10-2010, 05:49 PM

The one thing you can say about Cassel is that he is sturdy. Otherwise, I would take Croyle every day of the week. If Croyle could have stayed healthy, Herm Edwards and Chan Gailey would still be his coaches, IMO.

01-10-2010, 05:21 PM	Topic Starter
LaChapelle Banned Join Date: Mar 2009 Casino cash: $10004900	Case for Croyle Josh Looney:Insider's blog January 8th – 6:30 AM Brodie Croyle is likely on cloud nine this morning after ‘Bama’s 37-21 thrashing of Texas in last night’s national title game. As sweet as that win was for Croyle, his NFL future has to make him feel pretty good as well. Don’t misconstrue the title of this blog. Matt Cassel is, without a doubt, the quarterback for 2010 and is very much a part of the Chiefs nucleus of talent going forward. Offensive success in the years ahead will likely come and go with Cassel’s performance. The Chiefs need Matt Cassel to be “the man.” With that said, Cassel’s backup made quite a name for himself with the new coaching staff this season and he fought improbable odds to do so. “Brodie Croyle you can’t overlook,” Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said. “I perceive him playing a critical role for us as we go forward.” What a wild ride it’s been in Kansas City the man from Rainbow City, Alabama. Drafted in 2006 as the Chiefs “quarterback of the future,” Croyle’s career with the Chiefs has resembled a blueprint for The Mamba at World’s of Fun or the stock chart for Bank of America more than anything else. In 2007, Kansas City traded away its franchise leader in virtually every passing category to make room for Croyle to guide the offensive reigns. Trent Green was at the twilight of his career and the Chiefs had a 24-year old with a rifle-arm ready to take his place, or so it was thought. The job was essentially Croyle’s to lose as training camp began in 2007. Sure enough, he lost it. A 42.5% completion percentage, three INTs and a 34.5 quarterback rating wasn’t going to get it done. Veteran Damon Huard, who sparked the Chiefs playoff run in 2006 when Green was out with a major head injury, would be the starter over the youngster from ‘Bama. Take it up one more year and Croyle found himself in a nearly identical situation. He did start six games instead of the anticipated 16 the year before, but he still had some work to do in order to quiet the doubters and officially earn the starting role. He did. Then he fell again. Not 20 pass attempts into the 2008 season Huard was back in as the Chiefs primary signal caller. Croyle had suffered a right shoulder injury when he was sacked by Patriots LB Adalius Thomas in the third quarter of the season opener. He’d miss the next five games. Croyle returned to the field vs. Tennessee, and we all know what happened from there. Croyle started out his return by completing nine of his first 10 passes before DT Albert Haynesworth broke through the line and sent his 350-pound frame (that’s roughly 7/40 of a ton if my math skills are up to par) directly into Croyle’s lower-half. Another setback, Croyle’s left knee was shredded. So there Croyle was, sitting on the sidelines, rehabbing a knee injury while his teammates worked to impress their new head coach during a demanding 2009 offseason. A head coach with an emphasis on accountability and players being available walked into a program to see a player who had been touted by the previous administration as the up-and-coming quarterback of the future. When that up-and-comer carries a lengthy report of injury history on his resume and spends the entire offseason off the field, it’s not exactly an ideal first impression. The scenario that evolved created a seemingly impossible situation for Croyle in Kansas City, but Croyle found a way to make the impossible possible. The chance that Brodie Croyle would be released before the season probably outweighed the chance that he would start the season opener at Baltimore. His first day of workouts came on the first day of training camp. The Chiefs other three QBs competing with Croyle – Matt Cassel, Tyler Thigpen and Ingle Martin – all had a couple-hundred-hours head start. The new administration had all but announced their “quarterback of the future” and Croyle was left on the outside looking in. Slowly, snap-by-snap, Croyle began to win over his new head coach. He’d get ridden hard at camp for an error, only to take the next snap and deliver a perfectly thrown football. Croyle was starting to show some mental fortitude. Mental fortitude is something that Haley likes. Slowly, that non-existent start Croyle produced during Haley’s first few months on the job became an afterthought. Croyle kept going and going. His camp grew more impressive by the day and word of mouth was beginning to spread. Those that covered the team began to write about Croyle’s performance and those that visited River Falls went home to tell about it to their friends. “Brodie Croyle looks good. I mean, Brodie Croyle looks really good.” Croyle’s critics in the media and fan base began to turn into supporters, at least in Croyle serving as the primary backup to Cassel. That’s exactly what Croyle did. His camp earned him the job ahead of Tyler Thigpen, the player who ignited a lot of exciting plays for the Chiefs a year before and who had Haley talking positively throughout the spring. Croyle simply beat him out. When Croyle spot-started the season opener for an injured Cassel, and turned in the team’s first 100+ QB rating (over 20 attempts) since 2006, he cemented himself as the primary backup for 2009. He did everything Haley had asked and more. Thigpen then became dispensable and was traded to Miami for a draft pick. Over a period of just six weeks in 2009, Croyle’s career had taken yet another turn. He earned the respect of his new head coach and re-established himself as a leader among his teammates. This week, Croyle’s career in Kansas City came back full-circle. Once again he’s been tabbed as an important part of the organization’s future; an improbable feat not six months ago. “I’m trying to touch on guys that I see as core guys for us in one role or another,” Haley said earlier this week. “That’s a critical spot and he developed as the year went on and gained confidence in what we were doing. “That role is pretty critical that there is cohesiveness in the [quarterback meeting] room and it’s not always the case,” Haley continued. “Everybody wants to play and everybody can’t play.” Croyle has embraced his new role and Haley has embraced Croyle. There seems to be a mutual appreciation for each other based off nothing more than respect for one another and the things that each must do to be successful. By the end of the year, Haley’s confidence in Croyle had grown so much that his once overlooked QB was suggesting third-down play calls in the red zone (If you haven’t read ANATOMY OF A PLAY, go check it out). Now, Croyle is part of the “core” that we’ve discussed and identified over the latter half of this week. His role my carry a heavy off-the-field impact, but his progress this offseason is just as important as any other player the Chiefs are planning to go forward with in 2010. Not to say that Haley didn’t like Croyle six months ago, but it certainly doesn’t take a psychologist to see that Haley likes Croyle today. The two carry very different personas that feed off each other in a positive way. Croyle signed a four-year contract as a rookie in 2006 and would have been in line to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Instead, without a new collective bargaining deal in place, it looks like Croyle will become a restricted free agent instead. This means that the Chiefs have the right to match any offer and receive compensation via draft picks if they don’t. More than likely, it looks like Croyle will be back in 2010. How can you not like this guy
Posts: 8,588

01-10-2010, 05:22 PM	#2
LaChapelle Banned Join Date: Mar 2009 Casino cash: $10004900	This reads like a column on Todd Collins in VD's first or second year
Posts: 8,588

01-10-2010, 05:26 PM	#3
RustShack **** That Noise Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Jack Trice Casino cash: $3136954	I'm just going to assume this is a REPOST __________________
Posts: 15,119

01-10-2010, 05:58 PM	#5
Easy 6 pie is never free Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: the drivers seat Casino cash: $37775	For me, Croyle is like that old girlfriend that still inspires a flame... the long, flowing arm is a real Live Wire, more earnest, more likeable & friendly than Forrest Gump... Rainbow City, Alabama > Greenbow, Alabama... c'mon!1? You know Haley secretly covets the idea of that arm, i know i do.
Posts: 98,241

01-10-2010, 05:27 PM	#6
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $-571038 VARSITY	No thanks. Too brittle. __________________ Mahomes is not a game manager. Release the Kraken.
Posts: 81,255

01-10-2010, 05:27 PM	#9
Hammock Parties I'll be back. Join Date: Nov 2002 Casino cash: $1020478	Seeing Croyle beat out Thigpen was one of the best parts of 2009. It totally killed the notion that Thiggy had any value as a starting quarterback whatsoever....just totally deflated all the Thigpals. Epic win. __________________ Chiefs game films
Posts: 296,731

01-10-2010, 05:33 PM	#10
BigMeatballDave GBM 8-12-15 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Dayton, Oh. Casino cash: $10052154	I still maintain he had the best performance of a Chiefs QB this season. Against a tough D no less...
Posts: 59,997

01-10-2010, 05:35 PM	#12
TheGuardian MVP Join Date: Mar 2009 Casino cash: $6335299	I think Croyle could have easily won 4 games and maybe more. Esp once Charles got established. Cassel got worse as the season went on. And there is no way that his deep ball is less accurate.
Posts: 9,560

01-10-2010, 05:48 PM	#13
'Hamas' Jenkins Now you've pissed me off! Join Date: Jan 2006 Casino cash: $7269572	The Case for Croyle is that he's a better QB than Cassel. The Case against Croyle is that he has a long injury history, he's still not a franchise QB, but most importantly, he's not a sacred cow. __________________ "When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”--Abraham Lincoln
Posts: 75,077

01-10-2010, 05:49 PM	#14
BossChief SuperBowl or bust Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: BF Iowa Casino cash: $-1555912	Its a shame the kid is made of glass. __________________ Dreams do come true... http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showp...postcount=1407
Posts: 47,876

01-10-2010, 05:49 PM	#15
SenselessChiefsFan MVP Join Date: Nov 2008 Casino cash: $10005450	The one thing you can say about Cassel is that he is sturdy. Otherwise, I would take Croyle every day of the week. If Croyle could have stayed healthy, Herm Edwards and Chan Gailey would still be his coaches, IMO.
Posts: 5,540