Near the beginning of the NFL offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs came out saying in public what their fans hoped they would address: the need for more competition for the quarterback position. Matt Cassel has failed to fully win over teh fans in three seasons under center for the Chiefs and it calls his ceiling into question after so much time. While the team will still have Cassel as a major part of the equation, the team’s brass opened up about the longing to bring in someone else to contend with Cassel for the starting spot.
That said, the free agent market has not been kind to the Chiefs. Kyle Orton signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Peyton Manning spurned their advances. Other possibilities were quickly snatched up including Jason Campbell to the Bears and Chad Henne to the Jaguars. Thus the team could turn to the upcoming NFL Draft to address the issue.
Thus far, the Chiefs have been checking out a number of quarterbacks in personal workouts. Brock Osweiler from Arizona State and Ryan Tannehill of Texas A&M are the latest names to come out linked to the Chiefs but they will not comprise the whole. Many more are likely to be considered and it’s possible that an unnamed candidate might be the best yet.
Adam Rank writes, “Brock Osweiler knocked the socks off scouts during his pro day, and he should grab the attention of a team with a veteran quarterback who can take some time to groom a quarterback of the future like the Broncos or Chiefs. But Brandon Weeden seems like a better fit for Kansas City, because it needs a polished quarterback who is ready to start right away — not a project.”
Weeden is often knocked for his age of 28, but his strong experience and resume of work at Oklahoma State speaks for itself. Such a steady veteran could actually quickly move beyond typical rookie struggles and nerves at the next level as well.
The Chiefs would not use their first round pick on Weeden at No. 11, but if they were able to trade down, he could become a possible late first round or second round selection. If the Chiefs want to wait for anything beyond that, Weeden will likely be taken.
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