Tyler Bray, not Patrick Mahomes, is the Chiefs’ No. 2 quarterback so far
 

When the Chiefs selected Patrick Mahomes II with the 10th overall pick in the NFL Draft — after trading a 2018 first-round pick to do it — it would have been easy for backup quarterback Tyler Bray to mentally go in the tank.

The 25-year-old Bray spent the previous four seasons learning coach Andy Reid’s offense, and the Chiefs still opted to sacrifice premium draft capital to select another young quarterback with traits to mirror Bray’s cannon for an arm and love for the deep ball.

But Bray, an undrafted free agent in 2013, is no stranger to competition. He beat out 2014 fifth-round pick Aaron Murray for the backup job a year ago, though he had the No. 2 spot usurped from him by veteran Nick Foles during training camp.

And Bray functioned as the Chiefs’ No. 2 quarterback ahead of Mahomes this week during the Chiefs’ first three of 10 voluntary offseason practices. Bray knows that as long as he has a job in the NFL, he has a chance to play.

“It’s the same thing every year — you’ve got to come out there and compete,” Bray said. “We’ve drafted a guy every year … you can’t just sit back (and say) ‘Aw, here we go again.’ I mean, it’s the NFL. They’re going to bring in guys every year that are competing to start.”


Reid emphasized Thursday that Bray again has an opportunity to hold onto the No. 2 job, despite Mahomes’ presence and the fact Bray is slated to be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

“He’s going to compete — I would tell you that’s what he does,” Reid said of Bray. “He’s earned the right to be in that position and now he’s got to maintain it.”

What could complicate things for Bray is that the Chiefs’ No. 2 quarterback only gets a handful of practice snaps with the starters during the regular season. If the Chiefs are committed to getting Mahomes some snaps, it might make sense to install him as the top backup so he gets meaningful reps with the top offensive players.

But Reid also noted Thursday that young backup quarterbacks can still get on-field practice work during the regular season.

“Where they get their reps is on the scout team,” Reid said. “Then you try to tie that in to what (the first-teamers) do the best way you possibly can.”

Which makes the mental reps the backups take — when they watch starter Alex Smith run the offense — as important as on-field reps. And given the way coaches and teammates have complimented Bray’s improved knowledge of the playbook, it appears he has taken advantage of those mental reps.

For instance, Bray wasn’t asked to execute all of the Chiefs’ offensive concepts in practice last season. But Reid said that is no longer the case.

“For the most part, this is the first time he’s had the whole thing thrown at him and been expected to do it,” Reid said. “He’s doing a nice job with it. Tyler is very much improved from where we initially got him.”

Bray says he’s at the point where he’s able to point out when teammates are lined up incorrectly, even slightly.

“Just detailing where guys are supposed to be lined up,” he said. “Getting them to where they need to be and not just being like ‘Oh, he’s close enough.’”

Reid also praised Bray’s instincts and vision.

“There’s more than just the playbook,” Reid said, “there’s doing the things at the line of scrimmage that we ask him to do and adjustments we ask him to make, and he does well with those things.”

Bray and Mahomes aren’t the only quarterbacks in line behind Smith. Joel Stave, 25, was signed to the practice squad in November and re-signed to a reserve-futures contract in January. He’s 6 feet 5, 230 pounds and has a strong arm.

“He competes … he’s a smart kid and he’s learning,” Reid said. “Is he ‘there’ yet? No, but he’s showing improvement and that’s all you can ask of him until he gets a few more snaps under his belt.”

Stave says he’s primarily working on his footwork, decision-making and knowledge of the offense.

“It’s just a matter of continuing to understand the offense as well as I can,” he said, “and then playing as fast as I can.”

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl...152686414.html

Great another shit show

If he names Mahomes #2 right away, you lose competition. I hope by Training Camp Mahomes is #2, and after the Bye week he is #1. Could be two weeks after the Bye just so Mahomes doesn't have to open on the road against the G-men.

Bray getting the Kevin Kolb treatment. I like it. Shame he'll tear his ACL carrying groceries to his car before they can cash in on him in a trade.

This.

To be expected. Half way through training camp we'll read reports about Mahomes splitting reps with the 2's.

Who cares. Mahomes in 18 will start.

Good, all that does is push Mahomes more.

Remember Haley and Bowe? Just gives them a reason to try harder. Nothing to see here.

Does it reeaaaally though?

I'm pretty sure Mahomes knows he's the eventual starter, as does everyone else in the franchise.

List Mahomes as the third guy the entire year.

If Ass goes down, I don't want Mahomes fed to the wolves (unless he's ready). 18 will be his year.

I think it's a stretch to think he's going to start unless Alex gets hurt....

Fed to the wolves how?

I hope Mahomes makes the final 53 but never makes the 45 on game day this season.

Huh what do you mean?

Huh?

Chiefs fan, living in the 90s of football

? Why?

Dear lord.

Because I don't want him to start this season. I want Smith to start and Bray to be the #2. I don't think we have ever dressed 3 QBs on gameday.

nice input.....

Andy said a couple weeks ago that Bray will start off as the #2, but that preseason will be a competition for the backup spot.

Mahomes just got his playbook. Give him time to catch up because this is Brays 5th season with the team in the same system.

IMO here's the key point...this is Brays last year under contract in KC so if Mahomes doesn't win the backup spot in the 2017 PS Alex will be a Chief in 2018 because Dorsey won't cut all the experience loose and roll with just Mahomes and 2 new QBs next year.

Bray needs to prove whether or not he can be at least a competent backup QB in this league.

Fluff piece and media talk to "showcase" Bray in order to trade him for ANYTHING at some point this year.

ANYTHING.

If he's not ready, then don't play him.

If he's ready, play him.

There we go.

I'll put my money on Mahomes making more hay with that playbook in this short window than Bray has in his 5 seasons with the club.

BUST!

This shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. We'll see what happens after camp and preseason...but I imagine he will be #3 for most of this upcoming year.

I just think it's funny that Bray is finally able to tell when someone is lined up incorrectly. Imagine what he'll be able to do after another season or 3 of not playing.

You're welcome

Yep, Reid wants to know if he's the guy that should be behind Mahomes.

I think we should extend Alex.

4 years tops, but no less than 3...

Reminds me of the broncos drafting last years.

Pat Mahomes/Joel Stave 2018!

Smith/Bray in 2017, Mahomes/Bray in 2018!

Poor record? Pretty tough schedule before the bye!

Bray's still on the team? Wow, who knew?

Dorsey will do his cheap little, "I'll swap you our 7th for your 6th in exchange for this turd player we're cutting loose."

Not complaining, necessarily. It's better than getting nothing out of those guys, for sure.

If we didn't have Mahomes on the roster, I'd be SICK about our QBs.

Alex Smith as the starter. AIDS Soup.

Tyler Bray as the backup. reerun day at the Arrowhead corral.

And Joel Stave. The dude who made me BEG for QB play as good as the Scott Tolzein years.

Barf. ****ing buh-arf.

:shrug:

Not anyone worth a shit would of known that...

trade bait?

You just put all the Mahomes fantasy boyz on suicide watch...you know, those that think a 21 year old will effortlessly waltz in and master Reids playbook in one season.

Life is a videogame to these tards...word to the wise...just because you project your repressed, homo-erotic hero worship on a football player...doesn't make it real.

Best case scenario with Bray:

Bray has an excellent preseason. Alex gets injured early in the season for a few games and Bray excels. Chiefs flip him after the season for a 2nd round pick.

Alex is flipped for a 3rd rounder.

If we are judging by Alex's performance then Mahomes will only need to learn and perfect a small portion of Reids playbook, because I've been told that it's Alex's ___ year in the system and he's about to break out. Ya... still waiting for that to happen.

Bortles threw for almost 4000 yards last season...and the talk is they might be looking for a new QB. "3-13 record doesn't matter, I want bombs...all day, every day" -CP Bortles>Smith

4000 yards is a "break out" by NFL standards...Yet, Smith is just sitting, smiling, in the middle of a 12-4 "aids fire".

Hypothetically...lets switch Bortles and Smith. Which team wins more games? My guess is Jacksonville improves by 7 wins and is a 10-6 team in the AFC South...KC goes 8-8 BUT they have a passer who throws amazing bombs and stupid interceptions.

How is this possible? "MOAR yards = MOAR kick ass...."- Slim Jim Nation

CP logic would rather lose 4 more games...but have a QB with 4000+ yards

Unfortunately for Alex, that regular season win% hasn't continued into the post season because a bunch of horses have broken their back trying to carry that dead weight for 16 games.

I'm sure the Chiefs are going to "Bray" Mahomes for a couple of seasons, keep him off the field and in the classroom while Bray and Smith continue on with getting the Chiefs to the post season.

Oh shit; did I mention that I am a reerun with no grasp on reality?


Your greatness as a poster is downright scary. Rep. :clap:

He threw for 370+ 4 td and no INTs vs. the Colts... its one the best PO performances in NFL history...rarefied air.

All the hate generated here cant erase that FACT.....and they pretend it never happened because it doesn't fit the narrative. They want one person to blame..and one only. Mahomes is now the savior...

Kelce dropping passes...nope. Davis fumbling in NE territory..nope. Berry getting schooled by Gronk for a TD...Nope. Charles getting a concussion...nope. Flowers getting hurt ...nope. Hali dropping a Brady INT...nope. Fisher holding...nope. Bowe not getting both feet down...nope. Its ALL Smith....

KC has sucked..as a team..when the bright light are on. (Playoffs) They have made critical mistakes that world champions dont...and had some terrible luck too. Patriots role player dont choke...

Take it from a dumbass who said Alex has never had a top 3 defense to blame everyone but the QB.

You know who else doesn't choke on the Patriots?

What the **** does the Colts PO game have to do with last season and Smith's continued down slide?

Alex deserves all the credit for the wins of the Kansas City Chiefs and none of the blame on their losses or for his pathetic chicken shit play even though the portion of the team that he has the most influence on is by far the single worst entity on the team.

Imma' start calling you "Home Run Derby".

Kelce makes that catch on a perfect throw..its a different game. I mean..that was a perfect pass...inside the 10.

Are you going hate on Mahomes for losing a close game when Kelce drops another pass?

I realize that admitting the throw was on money detracts from the Alex hate...big time teams make big time plays. Kelce is small time when it matters...KC has been small time as a unit...and its not just Smith.

The only "big time" gamers are Hill and Peters...IMO

If Mahomes plays like Smith and puts the team in the position where everything and everyone needs to be perfect to win then I will gladly throw him under the bus, especially if we are talking 10 ****ing years from now and he's still trying to be passed off as a playoff caliber QB.

I'm not sure you introspectively understand your "god" complex...in projecting all highs and lows on a single entity. Pragmatic evaluations are lost...there are a lot of things that happen within the course of game that are out of a QBs control.

Hali catches the the pass from Brady that hits him in hands?..what happens next? Davis doesnt fumble inside NE territory..what happens next?

KC has lost 2 playoff games by 1 and 2 points...another by 7. Teams have to be almost perfect to win at that level...In your dream world,,, KC blows everyone out with Mahomes riding a unicorn into a pot of gold.

Not teams. The Chiefs. One team. Singular.

A team that is led by a QB that habitually throws 8 yards short of the first down marker on 3rd down has to be perfect, as you have so elegantly pointed out because 1 dropped pass lost the game. **** the sacks. **** the delay of games. **** the checkdowns on plays with receivers in their own zip code all alone for a walk in TD. **** the 12 minute offense in a 2 minute game... 1 dropped pass.

And sure you can blame the play calling, but as we have seen from all the gifs of the All-22 film that there is opportunity after opportunity to make a game changing play and it's not taken because the hot route is open for a 3 yard gain. Reuben Feffer takes more ****ing chances than our QB.

Tyler Bray is such a laughable ballsack.

You're going to be a sad, idealistic football fan..if you expect Mahomes to fix all things you blame Smith for.

He can't possibly do that because Alex is perfect.

How do you manage to get around in this world with that sudsy scrotum of his you wash dangling millimeters from your face?

Alex is largely responsible for one of the worst passing offenses in the game. You act like Mahomes is going to be asked to raise the ****ing Titanic here. Now that I think about it, he sort of will be asked to do that because you can't get much closer to the bottom than the Chiefs passing attack. Even if he turns out to be less than expected and doesn't work out the Chiefs will move on like they are moving on from Smith. It's what fans of the actually team will do. And it's what you should do when he's stuck in Cleveland hell... move the **** on with him.

If Mahones starts any games this season, something has gone extremely wrong and it won't just be Alex smith. That means the entire roster had grossly underperformed.
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Other than the Patriots game, it's not that hard of a schedule. We should be favored in at least 6 out of the 9 games before the bye.
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That Colt playoff game, along with the comeback game against the Chargers, is the reason that Alex Smith is so frustrating.

Those games demonstrate that he has the talent and ability to be a big time QB, but he simply lacks the balls to play at that level consistently.

And yes, the drops, the mistakes, the breakdowns by other players all contributed to the losses, so the losses are not all on Alex Smith.

However, all those mistakes combined don't match the number of missed opportunities that Smith fails to take advantage of.

I could see us favored too, but there are some real land mines there IMO. I think we need to be 2-2 at the worst, if not 3-1 early. Night game at Houston... most likely against Watson is going to be interesting. Pittsburgh gives us fits. Short turnaround from Pitt for a Thursday nighters at Oakland. Huge 3 game stretch. Have to go to Dallas too.

:shrug:

Or instead of spending a shit-ton of money on Alex Smith to have "a QB with experience in the system!" They could just re-sign Bray to a low-dollar deal as the backup. It's not like there are going to be a ton of high-bidding suitors for that guy.


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Being a backup in the NFL must be frustrating sometimes. Bray could be a starter if he went to Denver.

This is easy to comprehend: Bray is this year's #2 and next year he is gone and Mahomes becomes the #2 or even heaven help us , #1 QB.
Never over analyze what is obvious looking for something more. That is what the do in the DC thread everyday.

Nailed It Milk !!!:thumb:

That should be the goal, not a worst case scenario.

Mahomes II will take over the #2 spot quick enough during TC and preseason games. Alex Smith will be looking over his shoulder all season wondering if it's going be his last game starting and unless he ignores it, it will make him press the ball and not be himself both a good and bad thing.

I think Alex needs the pressure so it forces him to be better or lose his job.

They wouldn't replace Alex Smith with Bray during the season but I think they would with Mahomes II if they think it will give the Chiefs a spark if the offense is struggling that bad. It happens. Teams can say what they want but they will play the guy gives them best chance of winning.

This is Alex Smith job to lose and it's Mahomes II job to take over. It's going to happen the question is when. I think it could happen this year maybe not but sure could.

After this season Bray will have made a cumulative $3.17 million pre-tax in his time here doing nothing.

Nailed it!

ASS is gone. The only mystery is who do we sign as a vet backup to PM2 next year.

Good for Bray, they've obviously kept him around for a reason and from the sound of it he has really matured, and has a solid grasp of the offense now

I'd love to see him play some games this year, it'd give us a taste of whats in store with Mahomes... bombs away

Good work if you can find it.

Having TWO cannons who can start and win on your roster?

Yes please.

We're finally going away from dink n dunk ball, hallelujah

Don't tell the CP contingent of Alexsexuality; they hate exciting offense and will come through here making asinine comments about "going deep" etc. :shake:
And probably some reeruned comments regarding Geno Smith.

Their playbook is the Air Raid offense of creativity.

He actually might be really smart. Look at Chase Daniel, he's made damn near 30 mil in contracts and played 2 ****ing games. Best job in the NFL

The only thing I found funny was when Reid was like "We're finally giving him the whole playbook, with all of the concepts!"

He's been here for FOUR SEASONS and he finally has the playbook figured out!

Yay!

I remember when Tyler Bray was supposed to be a consolation prize for the Alex Smith trade.

"I'm terribly sorry sir, but we're fresh out of the filet mignon, so we got you a Hot Pocket instead. To make up for it, we took a dollar off the price of your caesar salad. Enjoy!"

What the hell are you talking about? Weren't you the one that said that the NFL was scripted and controlled by the Jesuits? In that context, how does any of your post make sense?

“He’s going to compete — I would tell you that’s what he does,” Reid said of Bray. “He’s earned the right to be in that position and now he’s got to maintain it.”

2017 Chiefs, I can see it now, Alex goes down, Bray is inserted and leads the Chiefs to the SB. All of CP will be calling for PM2 each week and even after the SB.

I know,it's far fetched, but if it was to happen it would only be fitting, well it's CP and ChiefsNation.