The Kansas City Chiefs said early in the NFL offseason that the team was going to bring in some type of competition for Matt Cassel heading into the 2012 season. Most believed it would be another NFL veteran who could battle in camp after the way Kyle Orton handled the team in the huddle in his three-game tryout. If not Orton, then another veteran would do.
But what if the answer comes in the NFL Draft. The latest mock draft from Drafttek has the Chiefs selecting Brandon Weeden in the second round from Oklahoma State. His stock has been rising after a solid performance at the Senior Bowl. Concerns about his age aside, most NFL teams just need a solid starter no matter what how old they are.
New HC Romeo Crennel states there will be QB competition for incumbent Matt Cassel and GM Scott Pioli seconded the motion . . . but is that competition going to be Kyle Orton? There is a lot to like in Weeden. He finished the season third in the league in passing yardage, throwing for 4,277 yards with a nice 34/13 TD/INT ratio. He has a strong arm, displays accuracy on all NFL type routes, has enough mobility to be effective, and is a leader on the field.
Oh yes, then there is the fact that he is 28 years old. There is a lot to work with here. If Weeden cleans up his footwork and adapts to playing under center, he could be very effective. With this pick, the Chiefs would be looking for him to start no later than year two. His ceiling is high, but his window is short. With quarterbacks playing until their late 30’s, he could have a nice 8-10 year career.
The team also has Ricky Stanzi in the fold, but apparently they view him as a more developmental type of quarterback, although it will be an interesting subplot to watch what Brian Daboll thinks of the Iowa product. Either way, expect a third party to enter and it might come through the draft rather than free agency.