I'm going to make a lot of you ill with this thread

[Mr. Flopnuts]

I wanted Geno Smith as much as anyone here. But I'm an it is what it is guy. So I started last night trying to find some kind of bright side to this whole fiasco. I've written the following piece, and am looking forward to being skewered for it.

The Alex Smith Experiment

Let it be known, I was in mourning all day yesterday. I had hitched my wagons so tightly to Geno Smith or some other young, QB stud coming out of this year's draft class that I never could bring myself to believe that the brilliant Andy Reid, and John Dorsey would actually trade for Alex Smith. Then they did. And I was crushed. I whined, complained, and proclaimed I could no longer care about this team. But I was born and raised inside the walls of this Kingdom. I could never pack my bags and walk away.

So I started thinking about what all of this meant. The first thing that came to mind was that it was obvious our new leadership didn't see what I saw in this year's crop of field generals. They agreed with the majority of people out there saying there was very, very little to be excited about out of the QB's entering the NFL this year. It also occurred to me that they must have thought very highly of Alex Smith considering the compensation that is being rumored to be given up for him. And I wondered if all the work we put in with Save Our Chiefs last year was in vein.

I mean, we've seen this movie. Over, and over, and over again. This is the 5th 49er retread this franchise has brought in for us over the last 25 years. And the great Joe Montana was the only one that has provided us with a playoff win. So naturally my thought process was “Here we go again! New Chiefs, same as the old Chiefs!”

Then I started doing my homework and watching the last couple of years of Alex Smith. This is a what have you done for me lately league, so I wasn't really worried about his first few years in the league. Coaching changes year after year, and no real continuity was what greeted him to the league. Jim Harbaugh came in and 2011 Alex Smith made some instant strides. I saw some things out of him that have now convinced me that this time the sequel could be better than the original. Here are some reasons I believe Alex Smith can help lead us to the promised land.

1. Leadership. Probably the most important thing a QB has to have, and something that has lacked in KC for the last couple of years. 2012 was a huge indicator of that. The Chiefs didn't believe in their QB and their play reflected it. On both sides of the ball. Alex Smith didn't have a contract with the 49ers the year of the lockout. Yet it was widely reported he still got his hands on Jim Harbaugh's new playbook and organized practices with his teammates. They rallied around him, and the proof is in the pudding. A muffed punt away from the Super Bowl.

2. Clutch. He has it. Tons of it. The biggest indicator was in his first playoff game. Back and forth, and they fell behind with around a minute left in the game. Alex marched them down the field and on a 3rd and 3 with his team in field goal position, he made his best pass of the entire game to score the game winning TD. On the biggest stage of his life. His coach could've easily played it safe and went for over time, but he believed in Alex. And that belief paid off with a win.

3. Field awareness. I watched a lot of tape. When Alex got loose of the pocket and had to scramble, he knew where the first down marker was. I watched him twist, and turn. Take hits, and deliver hits to get to that first down marker. No fetal position from Alex Smith. He went for it. Consistantly.

4. Progressions. I watched him go through progressions when he needed too. I haven't seen a lot of Alex locking onto a guy and just winging it in there regardless of coverage. That said, I've also seen him wing that ball in between two defenders where only his guy can catch the ball. And there's enough strength in his throws that the ball is there before the defender can respond too it.

5. Coaching. It took an elite coach to get the very best out of Alex Smith. And when he received that, he excelled instantaneously. What better coach, or situation could Alex Smith go to right now and replicate that success? There isn't one. This is it. Coach Reid, and our squad has the talent to put around Alex, and the ability to give him further insight, and tutilege to enhance, and grow his game.

6. Intangibles. This guy has a fire burning inside of him right now. He finally, finally got a head coach who was able to work with him, and he learned the system. He took his team to the brink of the Super Bowl and didn't get there due to no fault of his own. The very moment he was hurt, he was yanked, replaced, and watched his team go to the same spot that he himself probably could've led them too. He's the hungriest man in professional football right now, maybe in all of professional sports. He has something to prove, and he has a chip on his shoulder. And the way he conducted himself throughout that entire process as it unfolded last year was the mark of a leader.

7. History. Time and time again we've seen the stats that 1st round QB's win Super Bowls. We have not only a 1st round QB in Alex, but the very first pick in the draft. This is what we all wanted. Not how we envisioned it, but history is now on our side.

So there you have it. I've gone through mourning, and I've done my homework. I believe in our coach, and our new general manager, and I do not believe this in any way, shape, or form is remniscent of Scott *****, and the moves he made when he came to Kansas City. And I think that is truly our biggest fear. Because this move looks SO closely like the one Scooter made when he came to town, that we are all going to be relegated to that kind of failure over the next half decade.

I just don't think so. I think we have a former number 1 overall pick, that was the consensus number 1 at the time. This isn't a guy who backed up Matt Leinart in college. He played, and he played well. And again, this is a what have you done for me lately league. Alex has grown immensely in the last 2-3 years and has shown he has the ability to make the plays, make the throws, use his legs, and win when the game is on the line.

This is the new face of the franchise. Join me in optimism. Let this Kingdom stand tall, and proud, and root our warriors onto victory. We have our field general. And he's proven recently that he has the ability to lead our troops to victory.

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by Mosbonian

Nope.....I'm just smart enough to wonder if Geno Smith is truly what everyone is building him up to be.

I've yet to see you answer with a response as to why he is a "solid, dead-lock" answer to our issues.

The difference between you and me is that while I am looking at the situation, I'm not ready to jump off the Paseo Bridge. Am I happy about the Alex Smith trade? No in any way.....But unlike many, I am also not sold on Geno Smith. And remarkably so are many of the others who saw him at the Combine.

Who are you sold on from this draft? If he doesn't work out you try again in 2-3 years. How is drafting Geno Smith riskier than taking Joeckel or Star?

[Mosbonian]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

apparently

Rumor has it that during one interviews for the QB's in this year's draft at the combine, a QB was asked to give them a play call.

So the QB did and then he told "the defense adjust to stop that play at the LOS, what do you do?"

The player said "look over to the sideline for a new play from coach"


I have no idea if that player was Geno Smith or not but if that is an example of this year's QB draft then maybe Alex Smith won by default.

There were many comments here in Indy during the Combine that the day of the QB's there were a lot of eye's opened. You'd think if there was even one QB that stood out above the rest there would have been more talk about him.

[The Franchise]

Chiefs fans will continue to wait for the next Andrew Luck.

And wait....


And wait....


And wait....


And wait...

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by Mosbonian

I remember this same kind of vitriol when we signed Priest Holmes, & when we drafted a hurt RB from Texas named Jamaal Charles.

I don't remember that at all. Most people were either "meh" or cautiously optimistic about Priest and most people thought Charles was good value in the 3rd. I don't remember any vitriol at all over those choices.

[Chiefnj2]

Originally Posted by Mr. Laz

apparently

Rumor has it that during one interviews for the QB's in this year's draft at the combine, a QB was asked to give them a play call.

So the QB did and then he told "the defense adjust to stop that play at the LOS, what do you do?"

The player said "look over to the sideline for a new play from coach"


I have no idea if that player was Geno Smith or not but if that is an example of this year's QB draft then maybe Alex Smith won by default.

Why is that a bad answer? Most college QB's don't have full autonomy to call their own plays. Bradford certainly didn't and he went #1.

[Mosbonian]

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

Who are you sold on from this draft? If he doesn't work out you try again in 2-3 years. How is drafting Geno Smith riskier than taking Joeckel or Star?

I'm honest enough to say that I think no one seems to be a drop-dead #1 pick this year. I'm actually willing to admit I might be wrong about Geno, which is more than most who would never admit that they might be wrong about him being the saviour.

The best scenario to me would be to trade down and pick up more draft picks, and I would have said that even if we hadn't traded for A-Smith.

Would you agree that this draft is much less talent laden than in prior years?

[The Franchise]

If there is no talent at the top of this draft.....who exactly is going to trade up and for what?

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by Mosbonian

Nice...no response either?

okay, fine. You really want to equate what little banter there was about Priest and Jamaal - a position we have notoriously done quite well with in FA and draft, to a position we have massively underachieved and under-performed in FA and Drafting since ......forever?

Hence,

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by Mosbonian

Would you agree that this draft is much less talent laden than in prior years?

No. I think this draft is much less talented in terms of top 10-15 picks. However, at the lower end of the 1st round and then into rounds 2-4 this draft is extremely deep. This is why I'm enraged that we gave up our 2nd round pick.

[Mosbonian]

Originally Posted by Frosty

I don't remember that at all. Most people were either "meh" or cautiously optimistic about Priest and most people thought Charles was good value in the 3rd. I don't remember any vitriol at all over those choices.

Then you weren't on here....most were wondering why we signed Holmes when there were better backs available either thru Free Agency and in the draft.

And when we picked Charles, all but those who are good draft experts, moaned that we had picked up a gimpy Texas RB.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Mosbonian

Nice...no response either?

There was not vitriol when we drafted Charles. Go read the draft thread.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by ndws

And that is directly related to what exactly? He's better than Cassel, and given the move, the front office apparently doesn't feel like putting all their eggs in the geno basket, contrary to what CP wants. So it is what it is.

So we replaced a fellow of undrafted FA status with a 1st pick MAJOR bust.

And he is.

And we have.

Forgive me if I don't celebrate...

[ceebz]

Reid's QB developing skills are vastly overrated. What has he ever won without McNabb? What other QB has he ever truly developed? Can he remove the stink from a loser like Smith for a season? Sure, but, he certainly isn't going to make him any better.

[Mosbonian]

Originally Posted by Pestilence

If there is no talent at the top of this draft.....who exactly is going to trade up and for what?

There is always someone willing to trade up...if not we can still pick Geno to make all the wounded feel better.

[Mosbonian]

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

No. I think this draft is much less talented in terms of top 10-15 picks. However, at the lower end of the 1st round and then into rounds 2-4 this draft is extremely deep. This is why I'm enraged that we gave up our 2nd round pick.

I can agree with this.....