There's no denying that Matt Cassel has a firm grip on the starting quarterback position for the Kansas City Chiefs, but what is also clear is that the back-up situation is a toss-up. Brady Quinn was signed in the offseason to compete, and Ricky Stanzi is also there as last year's fifth round draft choice. However, both guys have yet to really work out their potential at the pro level.
For Quinn, he's been stuck in Denver who vaulted Tim Tebow above him with fans clamoring to see the former Florida Gators star. Before that, it was a poor stint with a miserable Browns franchise that has made every quarterback look subpar. As for Stanzi, he didn't play a snap last year despite Cassel's season-ending injury. Instead Tyler Palko somehow earned four starts and Stanzi was kept on the bench under former coach Todd Haley.
In this week's training camp, Stanzi said the difference between the two years is amazing being able to have a full offseason and already having a year of experience under his belt.
"It's almost like night and day," said Stanzi in a recent interview with Mitch Holthus. "Last year, stepping in our first time seeing the playbook and being around the team was in camp, so it was a tough adjustment for a lot of the young guys -- and just for the team in general -- to not have that offseason to bond, to get a look at the playbook and get a feel for what we're gonna do before we hit camp.
"So this year is just a whole different animal," he continued. "It's nice to have that mini-camp OTA period to get some work in, to get the physical preparation that we need, to take some time off then come back and be ready to go in camp."
The Chiefs definitely have some unknown quantities backing up Cassel this season, so it will be interesting to see Quinn with a new team and the way that Stanzi will play in his second year in the NFL. Fans hope to hear the Chiefs have a couple of solid options just in case something goes wrong.
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