Chiefs interview seven QBs at combine
 

CHIEFS
Chiefs interview seven QBs at combine
February 23
BY ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star

INDIANAPOLIS — The Chiefs have had interviews with seven draft-eligible quarterbacks at the NFL Scouting Combine and plan to speak with an eighth Saturday night.

Chiefs general manager John Dorsey and coach Andy Reid were among club officials who met with quarterbacks Geno Smith of West Virginia, Matt Barkley of USC, Tyler Wilson of Arkansas, Mike Glennon of North Carolina State, Ryan Nassib of Syracuse, Zac Dysert of Miami (Ohio) and Tyler Bray of Tennessee.

The Chiefs were scheduled to meet with Florida State’s E. J. Manuel later Saturday.

“Collectively, I thought they did a good job,” Reid said. “There wasn’t anybody where I said, ‘This guy is terrible.’ That’s not the way it was. What you’ve got to do is you’ve got to keep studying, spent more time with them. This is just kind of an introduction for now.

“We weren’t (crossing) guys off our list when it was over. You felt like they could all hang and do a good job and you wanted to know more. There wasn’t anybody where you said, ‘Forget about this guy.’ That wasn’t the case with any of these guys.”

The Chiefs, who hold the first pick in this year’s draft, are spending plenty of researching quarterbacks available in the draft. While they are unlikely to select a quarterback with the first pick, the Chiefs may invest a subsequent pick in a quarterback.

To that end, Dorsey said the Chiefs would set up personal workouts for most of the draft’s top quarterbacks and at many, both Dorsey and Reid would be present. In any case, the Chiefs will attend the pro day for all of the top quarterbacks.

“Every one of those guys will be worked out by a representative of the Kansas City Chiefs,” Dorsey said.

Dorsey and Reid previously met with Nassib, Wilson, Dysert and a fourth quarterback, Oklahoma’s Landry Jones, at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., last month. For the others, this was their first introduction to the Chiefs.

“You finally get to meet him one on one as a person,” Dorsey said. “You get a brief understanding of where they’re from. You understand the environment they were cultured in and how they were nurtured through the tree of life. You understand how much they’ve been exposed to from an X and O standpoint in their college career. You look at the maturity level of their person. You look at their work habits. You see if they have the combination of variables to lead grown men. That’s a huge responsibility. You have veteran players looking to you to lead the team.

“You could tell they have depth of understanding. They’re all good kids. They all want to please. They all want to do well. They want to win. You can see that in how they come across. They’re well-prepared. The next step is to take them off script.”

That’s the purpose of the personal workouts, which the Chiefs will run. Most of the quarterbacks will also throw for NFL scouts at the combine on Sunday.

Each of the combine interviews lasted just 15 minutes.

“You’ve got them for a 15-minute blast,” Reid said. “You’re trying to cover a lot of territory. You definitely don’t want to do a lot of talking … so we covered all the points on their upbringing and family and all that and then you kind of ease your way into the football part of it. Before you know it, the horns are blowing.”

While with their previous teams, Dorsey and Reid were known for drafting quarterbacks in later rounds who eventually developed into starters. Dorsey, with Green Bay, was with a team that selected Mark Brunell, Matt Hasselbeck and Matt Flynn in the fifth or later round.

In 14 seasons with Reid as their coach, the Eagles drafted A.J. Feeley, Kevin Kolb and Nick Foles after the first round.

“There will be somebody at that position that goes in the second, third, fourth round and he works out,” Reid said. “We just have to go through that and evaluate it and that takes time.”

Smoke Screen

“There will be somebody at that position that goes in the second, third, fourth round and he works out,” Reid said. “We just have to go through that and evaluate it and that takes time.

Yep. QB at 34. Tyler Wilson

Yeah, we need to smokescreen the #1 pick ! DIP!

That quote definitely sounds like NO QB in the first...

why?

The only possible reason to use a 'smoke screen' would contract negotiations with that pick and that really no longer is an issue because of the Rookie Salary Cap.

In fact, playing down the QB's actually reduces any possible trade down leverage.

@nfldraftscout: Two league sources tell me there's a "5% chance the #Chiefs draft Geno Smith". Mention Alex Smith, Nick Foles atop wishlist.

Well if you're going out and saying that this qb class kicks total ass, people are going to know you're full of shit and won't buy anything.

They just gotta sell they could take whatever shit player a team underneath them wants.

That's right. Reid / Dorseys plan is to make everybody THINK we're gonna draft Joekel, then BAM we draft E.J Manuel with the 1st and everybody is so confused that Geno falls all the way to 34

They could literally say anything they want.

There's no reason for them to use a smokescreen but there's also literally no reason for them to tell the truth.

For instance, if they're pursuing Alex Smith or Foles as a backup, telling the world they intend to take a QB #1 potentially undermines that effort and limits their leverage.

Too much smoke here, and way too early.

Starting to remind me of the "95% done deal Reid is going to Arizona".

The private workouts will be the key.

until those, people are just guessing

Yep.

http://i.qkme.me/362nk1.jpg

Chiefs are focusing on the QB position, that is good. I think there is a possibilty that the Chiefs could draft more than one QB...maybe Geno with their first pick, and another qb in the third, fourth, round. None of our qbs are NFL worthy, and Reid knows it, even if he is too polite to say it.

ROFL

Normally that would be a laughable statement, given the previous regimes. However, there is a new sheriff in town, and change is coming.

YEAH! A new sheriff in town that is immediately looking to trade for Matt Cassel and draft Ricky Stanzi!

I know I'm excited!

I'll be happy if they draft one QB.

That is the Cheifs leaking to the guys at the combine. Impress us or you won't get that big fat check from being #1 pick.

I don't see Mr. BPA taking QB at no 1 (even though I disagree.)

I sure as hell don't see him taking two QB's in a weak QB year...

I think it's more KC wanting to sell the league on "we don't want a QB and we're willing to move. Trade with us and lock your guy up!"

This is not a weak QB year at all.

ROFL

But.... But "there's no Andrew Luck in this years draft"

I would say its motivation, but that doesn't make a lot of sense to me because the difference in pay/prestige/opportunity is already there for the taking, and a QB-starved team like the Chiefs would be a natural fit for a #1 pick.

I would say it's a smokescreen, but you don't need smoke when you're the first one out of the gate.

The only plausible explanation is that they just aren't sold on the QB's and intend to go in a different direction.

I think they're trying to bait a team into trading up to #1. Not going to work this year but I think that's what they're trying to do at this point

The only plausible explanation is that they're not going to tell anybody the truth right now.

For all the talk about this being a weak class, there sure are a lot of guys being talked about. There may not be a Luck or RG3, but there are a whole lot of solid late 1st or 2nd round guys.

Eric Berry.

2013 > 2011 or 2010

I'd rather have Geno, Barkley, Wilson, Nassib in a class. I think all of them have a good shot at being solid starting QBs. In the case of Geno and Wilson, I think either of them can be top 10 starting players, and I would even be willing to lend that possibility to Barkley provided he lands in the right system.

That's A LOT better than a draft with Bradford and herp derp. And personally, I think there's more potential here than what Newton, Locker, Gabbert, and Ponder can give you. When you factor in Kaepernick on the list of 2011, that's still just one guy. You have to account for the other 4 dead weights.

And **** Andy Dalton. Dude is nothing more than Kyle Orton.

It wouldn't hurt my feelings if they draft a QB in rounds 1, 2 and 3! One of them has to work out!!!!

I am confused. Thought we signed Geno already.

Don't believe a thing that comes out of Reid's mouth between now and the moment the pick is used or traded. It's generic, patronizing, and meaningless.

Honestly. Clark Hunt will make the decision for them to draft Geno. That's pretty much all there is to that. Have faith in your no longer absentee owner.

none of these QBs will ever come close to putting up Cam Newton numbers

Cleo?
Posted via Mobile Device

No if we listen to our owner, we aren't taking a QB with the 1st pick.

Clark is almost as clueless as we are.

I'll go out and say at least two of them will put up more WINS. ;)

That was the last new sheriff. This is the new, new Sheriff-- :D

I think it is just a possibility....even though this draft class is weak, our QB's are so horrible, that just about any qb in this draft would be an upgrade. Why pay Matt Cassel 8 million when you can pay a 4th round draft choice a lot less, and he would be just as good?

I am still holding out hope that we take Geno at #1. I do not think any of the talking heads know what the Chiefs are thinking, and they have to say something because they have to talk about the team with the #1 pick.

Cool story.

Call me when Cam learns how to master a playbook longer than 50 pages and how to read defenses.

Right now he exploits holes in coverages and alignments with his legs and scrambling ability. Vick used to be the same way (only less accurate of a passer). It may be good now, but it's going to get a lot tougher as he gets older. And when he goes up against really tough teams in the playoffs (if he ever leads his team there) he's not going to be able to do his Cam Newton thing 100% and expect to win those games.

That being said, there's plenty of time for him to figure stuff out. He will one day. Most QBs do. In the meantime, while the NFL has changed to reflect wide open spread concepts and in some cases the read option, it's not college yet.

Not a chance he is there.