Jonathan Rand: What if (Matt) Ryan's there?
 

What if Ryan's there?
Apr 10, 2008, 2:15:51 AM by Jonathan Rand

What should the Chiefs do if Matt Ryan from Boston College, considered the standout quarterback in this draft, is sitting there when it’s time to make the fifth overall pick?

Thousands of Chiefs fans would be screaming, “Take him!” Some of these same fans, no doubt, were throwing chairs at their big screens last year as the Chiefs declined to trade up during Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn’s free fall. The Browns traded up with the Cowboys to grab Quinn at number 22 and the Chiefs, sitting chilly in the 23rd spot, took LSU wide receiver Dwayne Bowe.

Quinn, whom many fans urged the Browns to draft with the third overall pick, now backs up Derek Anderson — a sixth-round choice in 2005 who was waived by the Ravens.

Bowe enjoyed a standout rookie season. Had the Chiefs traded up, they would have lost Bowe and an extra high draft pick that they would have had to give to the Cowboys. For the Chiefs, trading up would have been a big mistake.

Drafting quarterbacks is a lot trickier than you might think. The list of first-round busts at this position is much longer than the list of first-round successes, which is bizarre when you consider how much tape, statistics and workout information is generated by quarterbacks.

But the adjustment from college football to the NFL is so dramatic that “can’t-miss” quarterbacks are few and far between. We still don’t know if JaMarcus Russell, the LSU quarterback picked first overall by the Raiders a year ago, was a wise pick.

The Chiefs need, first and foremost, a top-flight offensive tackle. But if Michigan’s Jake Long is one of the top four picks, the next-best tackle may not be a good enough athlete to justify taking with the fifth pick.

The Chiefs could then try to trade down or take the best player still available. And what if they consider Ryan to be that player?

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards attended Ryan’s campus workout, and should have an educated opinion on whether he’s a superior prospect to incumbent Brodie Croyle. Ryan, 6 feet 5 and 224, gets positive reviews for his size, arm and ability to throw on the run.

The Chiefs haven’t committed a first-round pick for a quarterback since they misfired with Penn State’s Todd Blackledge in 1983. Considering their long-term failure to develop a young passer, is it time now for them to finally take the plunge?

Even if the Chiefs could draft Ryan, they’d have to wonder who’d be blocking for him. It makes no sense to commit a high pick to a quarterback if you can’t protect him, and the Chiefs stand three starters short of a decent line. When the Browns drafted Quinn, they’d already solidified their protection by taking Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas with the third overall pick.

Houston’s David Carr was a classic case of a highly drafted quarterback who received scant protection. The first overall pick in 2002, he was sacked 249 times during his first years as a Texan. Recently released by the Panthers, it’s tough to know whether Carr ever had the tools to win in the NFL. But it’s fair to say it was hard for him to develop while staring at the sky.

If the Chiefs consider drafting Ryan, they need to be convinced he’s a “can’t-miss” prospect, project him as the opening-day starter and feel confident they can quickly rebuild their offensive line. The chances of Ryan being the real deal and getting enough protection to help the Chiefs progress this year appear remote. It would come as a surprise if they draft him.

http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2008/04...f_ryans_there/

If Jake Long is gone, and Ryan is still there, I could see making the pick. Get a RT, G, and possibly even a center as well. Then next year get Oher in the 1st round to fill out the O-line.

Sorry defensive homers, the offense needs fixed way worse than the d needs attention right now. Gun has had high draft picks and FA's for far to long.

More Propoganda from the Chiefs?? Trying to cool the fans down in case we bypass him??

Which is the crux of the issue , the guy isn't an Elway caliber QB. He'll need to be in the right situation to succeed

Only if J. Long, Dorsey, and Ellis are gone.

:spock:

Hopefully Atlanta will take Ryan and it won't be an issue either way.

If the Chiefs don't pick him, try not to cry as he quarterbacks the Jets or Ravens into the super bowl in a few years, while Chiefs management keeps you all baffled with bullshit.

I'm kind of a Croyle backer, but what if the guy does not have it? Rayn this year, and Oher next year sounds a whole lot better to me than Long this year and Tebow next season.

All most everything I have read or heard lately has Ryan being rated at the top of the past few years draft classes. Ahead of all three of the AFC West young guns... or at least nearly even with Russell and ahead of the other two. Rated near even with Eli Manning and ahead of Rothlisberger as well.

It took Eli 3+ years to do anything good...any qb in KC will not be allowed 3 years to "figure it out".

Not true.


Any top 10 pick in the NFL is allowed 4 years to figure it out. There is too much money involved to not let him.

Why not? The offensive line is in shambles. A 2nd year WR could be the only WR we have. Gonzo isn't exactly young anymore. And LJ is pushing 30 comming off of an injury. This offense is going to need a lot of retooling. 3 or 4 years for us to be Super Bowl caliber is not that bad of an expectation IMO. And if Croyle isn't the answer, it could be even longer than that. And again, the guys that watch tape for a living seen to all think Ryan could be a franchise type QB.

If Ryan is available at 5 the Chiefs need to pull the trigger hell if the Chiefs had the #1 pick I'd pick him then as well. This team needs a QB to build around and lead this team in the worst way and Ryan has every single thing I want in a QB.

IMO Croyle is what he has always been an undersized, injury prone QB with a rocket arm. I guess I just don't see what some of you guys see. Alot of young QBs get thrown to the wolves on bad teams with bad lines and the good ones always show you something and I never saw that in Croyle.

"The Chiefs haven’t committed a first-round pick for a quarterback since they misfired with Penn State’s Todd Blackledge in 1983."

Uhhh... Trent Green

True, but not quite the same thing.