Mellinger: Now is the time for Chiefs to make bold move at QB

[Tribal Warfare]

Now is the time for Chiefs to make bold move at QB
By SAM MELLINGER
The Kansas City Star

The old personnel man wants a promise you won’t use his name. He will talk to you, and say exactly what he thinks, but doesn’t want to be the one using a public forum like the local newspaper to tell Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli how to do his job.

It’s just that the man spent a few decades being paid to evaluate NFL talent and he can’t look at the Chiefs without seeing what he thinks is obvious.

“They need a quarterback,” the man says. “Matt Cassel is fine, but look at the league now, the way things are, you need to do better than Matt Cassel. At least bring in someone to compete.”

This is the Chiefs’ major decision now. It is real, even if the decision-makers are maintaining their usual silence. Cassel is the incumbent, and there are no indications that the most important opinions on him are wavering.

But the costs of moving on have never been lower, the potential benefits never been higher, and the timing never better. The easy thing is to see that the Chiefs need to get better at quarterback.

The harder thing is thinking through the options and making the necessary sacrifices.

• • •

That whole Suck For Luck thing is nonsense. A nonstarter. NFL teams don’t throw seasons, and they certainly don’t make progress by throwing seasons.

But right now, it’s impossible not to think about it.

Because the Chiefs will own the 11th or 12th pick in April’s draft — it’ll be decided by a coin flip with Seattle — and that’s just too far to trade into the first (Andrew Luck) or second (Robert Griffin III) pick. Whatever chance the Chiefs had to draft one of this class’ premier quarterbacks died when they won seven games.

Shawn Zobel, who runs DraftHeadquarters.com, thinks a realistic framework for the Chiefs to move into the No. 2 pick would be roughly what Atlanta gave up last year to move from No. 27 to No. 6 in order to take Julio Jones: two first-round picks, one second, and two fourths.

The NFL’s new CBA includes cost-control on rookies, plus the Browns have extra picks from the trade with Atlanta, so it would be an enormous stretch for the Chiefs to make the best offer. Either way, it would be a staggering haul that didn’t help the Falcons, plus left them without a first- or fourth-round pick this year.

Griffin’s potential is real, but the Chiefs have too many other needs — starting with an offensive line that needs to get both younger and better — to do that. Besides, trading up is entirely out of Pioli’s track record.

We also know that re-signing Kyle Orton is both uncertain (he’ll have other options) and entirely inadequate. That leaves two options for a bold move: take a quarterback with the first-round pick, or go big with someone else’s quarterback.

A first-round pick probably means Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill. He’s a former wide receiver with only a season and a half as a starting quarterback, so he’s raw, especially with quarterback intricacies like pre-snap reads and progressing through receivers. He recently broke his foot but is expected to recover.

The last option is the one that makes the most sense. Peyton Manning is the sexy name, of course, and the obvious and sad irony is that the Chiefs haven’t won a playoff game since the last time they brought in someone else’s aching Hall of Fame quarterback, Joe Montana.

Manning would be a no-brainer, both in terms of football and public relations. The problem is the list of what would have to happen — his neck fully heals, the Colts let him go, and he decides he wants to play somewhere else — is wrought with uncertainty.

The positive is that the Chiefs are in a place to offer Manning a talented roster with a coaching staff that could still be suited to him and a presumably winnable division.

Matt Flynn is the best free agent, though the Packers could use the franchise tag to keep him as their backup. Flynn drove up his price by throwing for six touchdowns and a franchise-record 480 yards in the season finale against Detroit, and was also good (24 of 37 passing, 251 yards, three touchdowns and an interception) in his one start last season.

But here’s the irony: his profile is an awful lot like Matt Cassel’s was three years ago. Both are career backups to Hall of Famers. Both have benefitted from being in wildly successful systems. Flynn will be 27 when the season begins, just like Cassel was when he began with the Chiefs.

It’s a small sample, but perhaps instructive that of two NFL personnel men who spoke for this column, one said he liked Cassel more three years ago than he likes Flynn now.

That’s OK. There aren’t many certainties in the NFL, but here’s one: the Chiefs are in a promising place that can best be ruined by lacking the guts to do something bold.

• • •

The advantage the Chiefs have in searching for a better quarterback situation is in timing first, and resources second.

Romeo Crennel hasn’t hired an offensive coordinator, or even given much of an indication on which coaches will be back. That gives him an opportunity to sync the new staff with whatever decision is made about the quarterback.

Acquiring someone else’s quarterback — Manning or Flynn — comes with an added benefit. The Chiefs have plenty of salary-cap space, and could structure any deal in such a way to make the most out of the league-mandated spending minimum that begins in the 2013 season.

The quote at the top of this column is a pretty good summation. Cassel is fine. He’s had four seasons as a starting quarterback. Twice he won 10 games, once he played for a team that had no chance, and the other he got hurt.

But this narrative from the Chiefs that Cassel is young and developing needs to stop. He turns 30 in May. He’s started 54 games. Rookies are coming into the NFL ready.

Cassel told The Star last week he wouldn’t mind if the Chiefs made him compete for the job. Nothing that happened last season indicates that competition would come from Ricky Stanzi.

The Chiefs have the chassis for a good football team, now and into the future. Much of that is because of the improvement of players such as Tamba Hali and Jamaal Charles and Pioli’s ability to sign them long-term.

Since Pioli took over three years ago, two of the most consistent limits on the team have been his unwillingness to make bold personnel acquisitions and the quarterback.

This offseason presents the perfect chance to change that.

[BoneKrusher]

Originally Posted by BossChief

If we draft a quarterback and re-sign Orton, I don't see how Cassel would even make the team next year.

Time to move on.

yep
the only reason he made the team the last three seasons is because there was no competition.

[malachi47000]

Originally Posted by whoman69

Every year I hear someone say trade down. It doesn't always work that easily. There has to be someone in our range that another team wants that they believe another team will draft before them. I can't see who that player would be.

How about Richardson...Cleveland will most likely part ways with Hillis and would be looking for a stud RB. They also have the ammunition to trade up.

[notorious]

They writers are starting to voice out.


Idiot fans out there might start to actually understand how bad we are at QB.

[Okie_Apparition]

Was Jack Harry ever a personnel man

[FringeNC]

Originally Posted by milkman

I've said this before, and I firmly believe it.

If the Colts pay Manning the 28 mil bonus in March, they will be a team in win now mode.

They will be shopping that #1 overall, and they will be looking for players that are proven and can help them right now, because they will have about a 3 year window.

To get that pick, a package that includes both draft picks and players will have to be involved, and they need help in all 3 levels of thier defense the most.

The Chiefs are one of the few teams that have the cap space to absorb any signing bonuses that will accelerate to the cap if they trade players.

I'd offer this year's first and third, Glen Dorsey, DJ and Kendrick Lewis for the #1 overall to take Luck.

That's what I was thinking -- essentially trade players and cap space along with the draft picks. And if I did it, I'd be willing to give up a lot more for Luck than RGIII.

[DTLB58]

Originally Posted by milkman

I've said this before, and I firmly believe it.

If the Colts pay Manning the 28 mil bonus in March, they will be a team in win now mode.

They will be shopping that #1 overall, and they will be looking for players that are proven and can help them right now, because they will have about a 3 year window.

To get that pick, a package that includes both draft picks and players will have to be involved, and they need help in all 3 levels of thier defense the most.

The Chiefs are one of the few teams that have the cap space to absorb any signing bonuses that will accelerate to the cap if they trade players.

I'd offer this year's first and third, Glen Dorsey, DJ and Kendrick Lewis for the #1 overall to take Luck.

I'm intrigued because I think Luck is a sure thing and exactly what this team needs.

Explain how under this scenario you would fill the holes left by the 3 players and 2 draft picks to field this team next season?

[ILChief]

Best thing about this article is that it gets some publicity for us needing a new QB outside of Internet message boards and talk radio. Unfortunately it will get buried by Babb's Pioli/KGB piece

[milkman]

Originally Posted by DTLB58

I'm intrigued because I think Luck is a sure thing and exactly what this team needs.

Explain how under this scenario you would fill the holes left by the 3 players and 2 draft picks to field this team next season?

First and foremost, with Andrew Luck, you've potentially opened a 15 year window, so filling those holes immediately is not essential to the long term success of this team

But I would not necessarily concern myself with filling the specific holes created by that trade.

I would attempt to sign Paul Solai, Leron Landry, and Chris Myers or Nick Hardwick in free agency.

I would look at the best player available at either ILB or RT in the second round of the draft (I've only given up the first and third), with the empahsis tilted toward ILB.

Allen Bailey takes over Dorsey's spot on the D-Line.
I'd looked for line, LB, and safety depth through the rest of the draft.

[KCrockaholic]

...Wow. I actually wish Milkman was running the franchise on draft day. He would get a deal done. But no, we have this Cassel infatuated little pussy ass bitch of a GM that thinks we can win games with a pile of shit at QB.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

...Wow. I actually wish Milkman was running the franchise on draft day. He would get a deal done. But no, we have this Cassel infatuated little pussy ass bitch of a GM that thinks we can win games with a pile of shit at QB.

He does?
Posted via Mobile Device

[NJChiefsFan]

Originally Posted by KCUnited

"Griffin’s potential is real, but the Chiefs have too many other needs — starting with an offensive line that needs to get both younger and better — to do that."

For those that were asking, this is representative of the sentiment in KC. It's a warped mindset.

I was asking, and I am thrrriillled with the answer.

Originally Posted by ForeverChiefs58

We could use both

Report: Peyton Manning, Jeff Saturday to Redskins 'Very Likely'

by Ricky Doyle on Sat, Jan 14, 2012 at 10:04PM

The Colts reportedly plan to draft future franchise quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. If that spells the end of Peyton Manning's tenure in Indianapolis, the veteran could end up in the nation's capital.

According to ESPN's Bram Weinstein, a source indicates that it's "very likely" that Manning and center Jeff Saturday will join the Redskins.

Manning inked a five-year, $90 million last offseason, but the Colts could elect to rebuild with Luck at the helm going forward. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported last week that Indianapolis will not trade Manning, but with the quarterback's health still a question mark, the team could end up releasing him.

Saturday, who turns 37 in June, is set to become a free agent. He's protected Manning since entering the league in 1999.

Bringing in Manning would be a huge splash for a Redskins team that's received inconsistent quarterback play in recent years.

Manning has been named to 11 Pro Bowls in his career, and has earned MVP honors four times. Saturday has been selected to five Pro Bowls.

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/ar...likely/9352094

I like how they say its likely and then site no reason why its likely. If Manning is a FA he isn't going to the Redskins. He is going to a team that can win. I am not saying he picks KC, I am saying he doesn't pick WAS.

[KCrockaholic]

Originally Posted by -King-

He does?
Posted via Mobile Device

That shouldn't be a question.

[ForeverChiefs58]

Originally Posted by NJChiefsFan

I was asking, and I am thrrriillled with the answer.



I like how they say its likely and then site no reason why its likely. If Manning is a FA he isn't going to the Redskins. He is going to a team that can win. I am not saying he picks KC, I am saying he doesn't pick WAS.

No one really knows as obvious from the very next day this comes out too:

Report: 49ers, Seahawks & Cardinals Possible Trade Destinations for Manning

According to Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network, general managers and people close to Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning don’t see him going to the Jets if he does end up leaving Indy in the offseason.

If Manning ends up being available via trade, the teams that GM’s around the NFL see as potential landing spots are the 49ers, Seahawks and the Cardinals.

We mentioned a report last night that linked Manning and Colts center Jeff Saturday to the Redskins if he ends up getting released.

If the Colts do end up moving on from Manning, he’ll have plenty of teams to choose from.

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/ar...anning/9343955

[-King-]

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

That shouldn't be a question.

It really should. He admits he isn't married to him. From what we've seen the past few years, Pioli is as unpredictable as they come. I don't know why people think they can predict what hes going to do with any of his players. What makes you think hes married to Cassel?
Posted via Mobile Device

[KCrockaholic]

Originally Posted by -King-

It really should. He admits he isn't married to him. From what we've seen the past few years, Pioli is as unpredictable as they come. I don't know why people think they can predict what hes going to do with any of his players. What makes you think hes married to Cassel?
Posted via Mobile Device

Because Cassel had his opportunity. Every one with a brain can see that Cassel is not championship quality, yet we still keep him as our starter. He shouldn't even be on the team anymore. Pioli made a mistake. And he's afraid to admit he was wrong on this one.