Should We Grab Ourselves A Beck?

Fowlers...will do. Too bad you aren't still here. We are looking to do a get-together for the Denver game.

That is about the extent of my football career as well. I know enough to know that they know more than I do. Yes, they do make and have made dumb decisions (see above Todd Blackledge).

I obviously have my opinions about Brodie and others.. shit I wish Quinn would have lasted one more pick (add that to the list of reasons to hate the Cowboys). I don't start screaming until we throw a fade to Sammie Parker on a 3rd and 1 from the 20 with LJ in the backfield, and Bowe opposite Parker. (That was Solari's attempt to be creative)..

On a another note... Austin huh? Great town, I just moved back from there (was there almost 7 years.. well Austin/Cedar park etc). There is a pretty good sports bar on 620/Anderson Mill.. "Fowlers" you should check out, its not bad.

"He would be great Brodie Croyle insurance.

That's all I said about Brodie in the post. Unbelievable...

(Zach was the exception. Had to respond to my bro :) )

I told you Adam not to talk about Brodie until the season :) Everyone has there reservations on him and we will just have to wait and see.....

Byazell,

First off, I no longer live in Springfield. I live in Austin, but that really makes no difference. Second, you're pretty much right on about how much football I've played. I have been covering sports for most of my adult life, however, and I do think that paired with my playing experience gives me enough knowledge to at least credibly criticize the Chiefs' brass. Not saying that I could do their jobs better than they can by any stretch of the imagination. But I will call them out when I disagree with what they are doing, or, heaven forbid, they eff up. Julius Chiefsar might have me drawn and quartered for that last statement.

I never said to ditch Croyle. If Croyle is Future Option A, we just need a Future Option B. Beck and Simms would both work. Huard and Thiggy, who sucks, both wouldn't.

I didn't leave out Frye because I chose to, SBC. Last year he was only there for one game before the Seattle trade, and, in fact, he made it a three-man QB competition, even strengthening my argument. I swear, you live to argue with me.

Sippio also played only on special teams in about 6-7 of those games. He only played WR in 2-3 games, and the Chiefs had him in almost entirely on running plays to block. I'm guessing that he was in on a handful of passing plays max.

As for Croyle, he didn't play through pain in Detroit last year. I'm just saying. He definitely didn't have cracked ribs during that game. Bruised ego, maybe?

I forgot--how dare I criticize Broadway Brodie, the second coming of Joe Namath.

I really am done on this thread. Anybody who replies might as well go in the corner and talk to their imaginary friend. It would be the same thing.

Not to mention fumbled 7 times! I think I would rather have Todd Blackledge back!

Actually Beck started 5 games, Brodie 6. Stellar.

Last year Beck's rating was a 62, Croyle's 70 Brodie 6 TD's 6 INT's.. Beck 1 TD 3 INT's.. I am not sure how many games Beck played, but nothing in those numbers gets me all tingly to run out, sign him and ditch what we already have.

I, in now way said just be a "yes man".... I simply said you seem to think you can evaluate players from what watching the games from here in Springfield? Just because you played high school football, or a couple downs in college.. and watch the chiefs on sundays does not make you and expert. I think I will take Herm, Chan, Dick, and yes even Carl's opinion over yours, until I logically see otherwise.

Croyle had no protection and an offensive coordinator who's play calling matched that of about Parkviews here in Springfield. Herm, Chan and Dick think the kid can play..so give him some protection, some weapons and let's see..

This is a win now league, if he does go down there needs to be a solid QB that can come in and win some games. Huard has proven he can do just that more than a few times. Name one team who has an unproven QB that they believe has talent, but also has an unproven rookie backup.. and a rookie 3rd string.

So what Huard isn't in the long term plans...neither is Gonzo, Waters, Surtain, Edwards..or anyone over 30. I guess we should just go ahead and start all rookies across the board, and sign rookie backups that might have some potential.

If Sippio never got thrown to, it's still partially his fault. Had he been getting open, I'm sure he would have seen at least a couple passes in 9 games.

And how can you leave out Charlie Frye? You can't just leave out factors because you choose to! The reason no one had seen much from Anderson is because Frye was continually given the chance to start ahead of him. I believe that Anderson would have performed equally well in the season before Quinn was drafted. It wasn't even open competition in Cleveland. Quinn was the rookie, and Anderson was next on the depth chart when they finally realized Charlie Frye is useless.

And you disagree that Brodie plays through pain? Maybe you need to be checked into a mental clinic then, because that's not really up for debate. And don't give me "THAT WAS COLLEGE, THIS IS THE NFL!" because playing with broken ribs is playing with broken ribs regardless.

But let's just agree to disagree. :)

Apparently, I didn't realize that "Do Not Bash Brodie Croyle...or Damon Huard...EVER!" is actually the Eleventh Commandment. Silly Adam!

I didn't even mention Frye being involved in that whole QB situation. It's crazy to say that competition didn't push Anderson to another level. Just crazy. The thought that competition is bad in professional sports is just bass ackwards.

C'mon, Trent saw the writing on the wall. He may have not been the same, but the Chiefs sure gave up on a guy who was a year removed from three 3,800-yard seasons in a row. I don't blame the, but that is what happened. Behind closed doors you know he got the message, and that message was that the Chiefs were moving on to Croyle. I agree with Trent, the competition was slanted to Brodie. Damon didn't win the job, it was his by default when Brodie failed to win it. He basically played so poorly that the Chiefs couldn't give him the job they clearly wanted to, instead giving it to a 34-year-old journeyman QB who had never entered a season as an NFL team's starter. EVER.

And Bobby never got effin' thrown to, man. Damn. I don't know if you can get all the Chiefs games down there, but I watched every one. The Chiefs never called his number. Not his fault. It wasn't like he dropped any balls or anything. And I wouldn't brag about Brodie's 2007 stats either.

I read everything you had to say, thoroughly, I just only agreed with 0.00%.

Adam:

I'm going to break this down.

--- "And you don’t think drafting Brady Quinn motivated and pushed Derek Anderson?"

No. I don't. Derek Anderson is just plain talented. I thought Anderson should have been starting for the Browns before Brady Quinn was ever even drafted, just from watching him. Low and behold, Frye is benched after game one and Anderson gets his shot to start. It turned out well, just as I thought it would, and I think he would have had the same kind of success the year before, too.

--- "…the best are durable no matter who is blocking for them. They play through pain and know how to keep themselves upright."

Brodie is small. But he DOES play through pain. At Bama he played through the pain of an unhealed shoulder that had been separated and played with broken ribs. That season he was the club MVP, as well as receiving the Derrick Thomas Community Award (the last part was just a fun little fact). He is going to go down sometimes. He isn't Ben Roethlisberger, and even Big Ben gets sacked.

--- "There is a huge difference between Brodie and Sippio. One was given the job during the regular season on a silver freakin’ platter last year and couldn’t take it. We even shipped out a Pro Bowl quarterback so his only competition would be a career back-up, yet he still managed to lose the job that was given to him."

Now you're getting ridiculous. Brodie was NOT handed the job. It was an open competition (which Trent Green, who was not the same after suffering a concussion, wanted to cry about. Trent openly stated that he was done with Kansas City and wanted to be traded. He was not "shipped off".) which was won by DAMON HUARD. Damon Huard started the season. The first several games, actually. After he couldn't hack it, the job was passed off to the next QB on the roster. Brodie Croyle. How is that being handed the job on a silver platter?

By the way, Bobby Sippio played in the same number of games as Brodie Croyle last season. The difference? Brodie actually has stats.

--- "I guess people don’t want to hear what they don’t want to hear."

It's funny you should say that, because I've got a feeling that the bulk of this comment will largely be ignored. Hmm..

There is a huge difference between Brodie and Sippio. One was given the job during the regular season on a silver freakin' platter last year and couldn't take it. We even shipped out a Pro Bowl quarterback so his only competition would be a career back-up, yet he still managed to lose the job that was given to him. Meanwhile, for lack of a better term, Sipp is being held down by the man. I don't care what Gretz says while Puppeteer Peterson has his hand up his ass--he's not getting a fair shake from the coaching staff. One guy had everything handed to him, but couldn't capitalize, at least yet (and I want him to, BTW); the other is trying to capitalize despite having nothing handed to him, actually, the opposite. Neither has earned their arrowhead by a longshot, but at least Brodie's been given somewhat a shot, even if it wasn't the best one in the world. And he's being given a great shot now. I just want Sipp to get a shot.

And I still like Simms and Beck.

And, Double D, Peyton's line was dogshit when he first came into the league, yet you didn't see him coming out of any games after getting rocked.

Trying to fight this Brodie battle is like trying to tell the Heaven's Gate people they're crazy. Everything just falls upon deaf ears. I guess people don't want to hear what they don't want to hear.

Yeah, if you want to blindly believe in everything King Carl and Prince Herman do, then go start kingcarlsjesters.com and blog away. We did not start this site to be King Carl's "yes men," byazell. I don't think any of us are saying that we know more. At the same time I will say that those two are definitely not above criticism from people who know football given their pasts. Again, I'm not just some toothless moron blabbering from the cheap seats. Nobody who writes for this site is, or who visits it, for the most part.

By your logic, people shouldn't criticize Matt Millen, Isiah Thomas or George W. Bush. Real smart, Frank. One GM for the rest of your life. I've taken off the gloves for the rest of the day. Be forewarned--Alice Cooper's "No More Mr. Nice Guy" is playing on my iTunes... :)

Two things can be said about Croyle's performance last year.. Solari, and O Line.

As far as Huard goes, he has done what has been asked of him everytime he has been in a game, and would probably start for half the NFL teams out there.

I think what bugs me the most about this 'back and forth' is the actual thought that some of you guys think know more than someone who has 1) Been around and associate with the NFL, for a long time. 2) Played in the NFL. 3) Coached in the NFL. 4) See's things everyday with his players, not just what Shitlock, and Goody Gretz reports. Thats just Herm.. not to mention any other coach (Curl etc..) that has been around even longer.

Bottom line, give your opinion all you want.. but the reality is we don't know squat, zip, zilch, zero about the NFL and player evaluations. Trust in our coaches, and yes the Peterson.. you can either do that or piss and moan (which seems to be some peoples preferred method), or go catch a Raiders game...

And no, you're not taking crazy pills - we DO understand you. Just some of us think you're wrong about going into the season without a proven veteran QB on the squad. :P

Adam, you complain Sippio has not been given a proper chance to succeed with the Chiefs, yet you rail incessantly about Brodie not being able to do the job. Do you really think the six games he started last year behind that line with Solari's infantile offensive playcalling is a real measure of Brodie's ability? I dont. And I think you either need to give up the ghost for Sippio or at the very least give Brodie the shot he deserves as well - I think Croyle is going to surprize you. And certainly a third round pick deserves a shot if the undrafted AFL guy does.

This from Peter King's MMQB/page 3:

c. Chris Simms (8-of-10 vs. Miami, took a good hit, felt fine) will be well-pursued when the Bucs let him go this month.

d. John Beck will not.

Every guy you mentioned is/was either well-protected, elusive, or both. I think you just made my point sir.

I don't know. Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, John Elway, Dan Marino...the best are durable no matter who is blocking for them. They play through pain and know how to keep themselves upright.

I am a "Brodie Wait and See" guy, too. I'm just not a "Brodie Wait and See With No Back-Up Option for the Future" guy. I'm hoping he pulls that same trick, too. Absolutely. Fingers crossed. If he winds up being a very good QB for us I promise you I will get a Croyle jeresy. The biggest disbelief on this site is that I don't like him. Simply not true.

Adam,

For the record, I don't consider myself a "Brodie Believer." I think I'm more of a "Brodie Wait and See" kinda guy simply because last season can in no way be considered a decent measure of his abilities. One thing I know is that he has history of dispelling doubters. I'm hoping he'll pull off the same trick here.

The point about Brodie that you and I probably disagree on most is the "durability" question. In my opinion that an issue with every QB and I know of no good way of predicting it. The position requires a guy to stand upright and expose his torso. It doesn't really matter what size you are; if you get hit right, you're probably not getting back up. For me, durability boils down to protection and mobility. Unlike last season, Brodie now has the latter at his disposal. We'll have to see about the former.

It wouldn't be a QB competition either. Either Beck or Simms would be brought in as a back-up with starter potential, nothing more. The job would be Brodie's.

And you don't think drafting Brady Quinn motivated and pushed Derek Anderson? What about Drew Brees after Phillip Rivers got drafted? Those are two great examples of how competition helped propel success at the QB position.

Damon Huard is a perfectly fine back-up, but he is not a perfectly fine back-up option for the future. I absolutely had to make that distinction.

I haven't seen ANYBODY say that "Brodie is definitely going to work out." I have no clue where you're getting that.

Not even Herm Edwards. He said that he believes "Brodie can be a successful quarterback in this league. No doubt." He didn't say he's a sure thing, and neither have any visitors here. It has nothing to do with "rose-colored glasses", it has to do with fans wanting to stick with somebody and see how it works out. As far as not having a back-up plan, Damon Huard is a perfectly good backup QB. There's no reason to change the QB situation at this point.

That's not me repeating anyone else's opinion. That's my own. No "rose-colored glasses" here. If I wore "rose-colored glasses" I would have thought the rolling roof was a good idea. I didn't. I was strongly opposed. Just an example.

Ok, now Im back to disagreeing. Feel much more comfortable now.

There are two camps regarding how you develop a QB. There is the "Competition" camp and the "You're the man" camp.

I am of the belief that if you think a QB has the tools, you do not bring in competition for him. A huge part of being the QB is being a leader and you can't be a leader if you you're in a QB competition. You do what the Chiefs have done here. You name your starter, you stick with him for a reasonable amount of time and if in that time he fails, you cut ties and bring in another guy and do the same thing. This is much easier on the team because at least they know who their leader is and the QB has the authority of being the starter.

QB Competitions in my opinion, are for teams that don't think any of their guys are any good, but don't have a better option and so are just trying to make the best of a bad situation. I honestly can't name a great QB that came out of a QB competition, but can name tons who suffered because of them.

I'm in favor of competition at every other position, but I think its different at QB because of the leadership issue that affects the entire team as well as because of how much of the QB position is relying on the mental side of things.

Every player knows that if they don't perform, they will be replaced. What no young QB needs is to feel another guy breathing down his neck waiting for him to make a mistake. That leads to the guy trying to hard and making mistakes because of it.

I'm done talking about other team's quarterbacks unless there is a legitimate rumor out there or we make a signing. At least until the regular season. I can't rip peoples rose-colored glasses off through the computer, so there is no use in trying. I guess this is a ceasefire between me and the Brodie Believers...for now. Just sick of having the same discussion, when I am actually rooting for the guy. There is no fan law that says I have to believe in every player on my favorite team, or that my wants and beliefs have to mirror each other. There is also no rule that I can't root for someone that I don't yet have confidence in. Geez...

SBC, they might know the game better than me, sure, for the most part. That doesn't mean that I can't be right where they are wrong about something, though.

I never act like readers don't know their football. Chiefs fans are the most knowledgeable fans on the planet. Just because I go against the grain sometimes, that doesn't mean I don't respect other's opinions. But I'm also never going to just throw in the towel because my opinion is not what people want to hear. Along with launching a Chiefs community for fans like us, we started this site because we disagreed with Bob Gretz and Adam Teicher and Jason Whitlock and King Carl quite often. I won't apologize for stating my opinion and adamantly defending it, and nobody else should either. This is a place where debate happens. I enjoy people going against the grain, because one thing Kansas City fans do is narrow in on one train of thought, i.e. "Brodie Croyle is definitely going to work out."

I could give two shits less what our quarterback's name is, I just want a winner. In this case, I'd rather be wrong and get what I want, than right. I want Brodie to succeed, I'm just practical and, yes, even a bit skeptical. I figure with two similar guys--they were drafted in the same range, both had pretty good NCAA careers, and both have struggled so far in the pros--our chances of having one turn out will be twice as good. Is that so crazy?

I honestly think the Chiefs are refusing to bring someone in because of money. They believe in Croyle, and I'm glad they do because it gives me a little bit of hope. But thy sell how much they believe, too. Brodie Croyle is a product. If the fans don't wholeheartedly believe that the Chiefs have the utmost confidence in him, ticket sales could slip, and people could start to panic a little more about the state of the rebuilding project. Another QB would also cost money. The Chiefs have already paid for a lot of Damon's deal and Thiggy is cheap. They do not want to spend another dime if they don't have to. I mean, they do lead the league in cap room, people.

I just don't want my Chiefs to get stuck up creek w/o a paddle because they went "all in" on a young, injury-prone QB. We need a back-up plan people. This way if Brodie doesn't pan out we might not have to draft a QB next year and start over from scratch.

And Brodie isn't going to get yanked because one sloppy practice or game. The Chiefs are giving him a long leash, and so am I. There just has to be an end to that leash. Unless you are about one of maybe ten NFL QBs, that has to be the case.

And to piggy-back off SBC's statement: If your response to Beck's nasty performances, was that the team around him was poor.. Take another look at the Chiefs last year. Bad O-line? Check for both. Starting RB gets injured? Double check. Predictable play-calling? You get the idea. I'm all for bringing in competition. We did that with Thigpen. Let the chips fall where they may. The only way I see us bringing in ANY QB is straight-away challenging for the starting job. And so close to the season. I doubt that's even plausible unless we have a helluva QB sitting there, ripe for the taking. Even if we bring in a guy, and name Brodie the 'unquestioned' starter, as you say. What happens if he has one bad practice? Let's say Beck, or whoever else we bring in, has a superb practice. It's not Brodie's confidence I'm worried about. It's the teams' as a whole. If Brodie looks sloppy, Beck or whoever else looks good, and they know Brodie went 0-6 last year... There will be rumblings. A whispering, divided team is not what we need in a rebuilding situation.

Adam, I'm not arguing the fact that you know the game. But perhaps Carl and Herm know it better than you, ya think? I mean, they are the ones with NFL careers.

Also, you need not act as if visitors to this site don't also know the game of football. I practically live and breathe football. As such, my opinions, Double D's opinions, etc. are just as valid as yours. And they tend to be less slanted one way or the other.

I'm not saying you don't know what you're talking about. You do. But you do seem to go gung-ho about a particular player a little too quickly.

You dislike Brodie because he's 0-6 during his time as a starter. John Beck is 0-4, with a much worse TD:INT ratio. What makes you want this guy so much while you look for every possible excuse to toss Croyle?

( I know you're going to respond with, "I just want him here as a backup! To replace Thigpen, not Croyle!" But save it. You know you would be thrilled if somehow Beck took Croyle's job. There would be no point in bringing him here if that wasn't the point )

Make that "News note"

New note - with Batch hurt and Leftwich now in the mix, it sounds like there's a pretty good possibility that the Stillers may try to sneak Dennis Dixon onto their practice squad. I'd love to see us snatch him up before that happens.

It sure did, DJ :)

Bringing in another guy like this just makes so much sense to me. I think a lot of readers see this as attacking Brodie, when that's not it at all. We just need to hedge our bet better than we are currently.

I still wish we had Casey Printers, too. I do think we are pretty close on this one.

And I would prefer Beck or Simms replaced Thigpen, not Huard. Still, I'd prefer him as a No. 3/emergency QB, and wouldn't be upset if we cut him because he has no long-term potential. And I would want the whole thing handled with tact, too. Of course. But Brodie does need to know that at some point he can get the hook if he doesn't preform. There needs to be a balance between faith and pressure, but both are crucial.

This isn't an attack on Brodie or Huard. It is on Thiggy, though. I'm just saying we need to hedge the bet we've made on our future with another capable, young QB. Thiggy doesn't look like that guy. Not one bit.

What I meant in that last paragraph, was that Thigpen and the 3rd young QB could compete for the BACKUP job (unless Croyle goes down in flames this year).

Gah! I KNEW this was going to happen Adam! I told you!

We agree on something.

I completely agree with your opinion on the Huard situation. There is simply no reason to keep an old vet with no real mentoring ability and will only play probably another year once the team finally gets back into playoff conention.

One thing we should NOT be doing is training backup QBs. Every QB on this roster during a rebuilding year needs to be a potential starter.

I fully believe Croyle can be a very good NFL starter, but if it turns out otherwise, or more likely, if he goes down with another serious injury; the next guy in line needs to have the capacity to develop into that franchise guy.

If the team does reasonably well this year and they think they could be back in playoff contention next year, they can always have a "best man wins" competition between Thigpen and the 3rd young QB, and bring in another vet for security when he is needed.

I'll explain "earning your arrowhead" in an upcoming post. It's going to be like a mission statement, long, so that's why I haven't quite tackled it yet. It might kick off the season opening day--I like that.

Beck and Sippio have never had a chance to earn their arrowhead. Brodie Croyle was handed the job last season on a silver platter and couldn't take it. There is a huge difference. HUGE.

Yes, I am a fan. I'm also someone who's covered the sport of football professionally, and a former college football player. Knock my opinions if you like, that's fine, but don't act like I don't know the game inside and out. I do.

What is ridiculous is to blindly follow and support Herm and King Carl's every move. These guys have made countless mistakes in the past. People not questioning the people in charge is not a good thing. EVER. Just look at the shape this country is in because of it. I don't need to be at practices or in the meeting rooms to know which guys are gamers and which guys aren't. I know the game a little bit, dude. Personally, I think it's good that there are people like me who will confront what the Chiefs are doing when they are off track. We don't need a bunch of "yes men" fans running around. That's what allows the Chiefs to be the Cheaps and settle for mediocrity.

I get what you're saying Adam and you and I are actually not that far apart on this. As long as it was handled appropriately, I'd be perfectlt okay with replacing Thiggy with Beck and putting Thig on the practice squad. Whether Beck is #2 or #3 is not that important to me but either way I do think it makes the most sense to keep Huard a part of the active roster for at least this year. Still wish we had Casey Printers frankly.

Adam, you're being ridiculous. There is no way in hell the team needs three young, inexperienced, questionable quarterbacks. Damon is a good veteran backup. He performs well coming in off the bench, an that's what we have him for.

It's just dumb for you to say Herm and Carl are "wrong" just because they make a decision that you, as a fan, don't agree with. You aren't involved in the organization. You aren't at the practices, in the meeting room, etc.

It also doesn't make sense for you to rant about people like Brodie "not earning their arrowhead" -- whatever the hell THAT means -- and then throw so much support behind guys like Sippio and Beck.

I just always hear fans say that bringing in another QB would damage Croyle's psyche. Heaven forbid him having to earn his job like every other NFL player (except Jeff Webb), and every American for that matter. Competition breeds success. End of story. Herm and Co. can also make it clear that Brodie is the unquestioned starter heading into the season. No controversy--bam!

No, my opinion on Huard is that we are going to need a young quarterback to spearhead this rebuilding project, and if it's not Brodie, it's not going to be a guy who will soon be pushing 40 who's held a clipboard most of his career. Look at us drafting Jamaal Charles. L.J. is way better than Brodie, and I doubt Brodie will ever be as good as L.J. Yet we draft a guy as insurance for him and nobody says a word. Same thing with Tony G. and Brad Cottam. We need to protect our franchise by bringing in another potential long-term starter. Thiggy is not that guy.

Does this make sense? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. Nobody is getting this. Maybe they just don't want to?

Brodie's delicate sensibilities? Where do you get that? Has nothing to do with his sensibilities; it's about team cohesion and development. QB controversies tend to screw all that up. No thank you.

Also, if your opinion about Huard is based on how he performed last season then I say name one other backup QB who could have done any better under the circumstances. Not going to mention any names but his initials are "MIKE SOLARI."

Well I DO like QB's from BYU... I even liked McMahon (sp?)... still, Beck is not here yet, and even if he arrived today, he would be too far behind the learning curve to be much help this season, and even though YOU love him doesn't mean he's proven to be a better decision maker than Brodie. All I know is when Brodie proves to be a frontline NFL QB, that plate of crow we set in front of you is going to be ENORMOUS! :P

I just can't imagine Beck not being better than Thiggy for any offense on God's green earth. And if you think Croyle would make far lass mistakes than Beck, personally, I think you are mistaken. Croyle is prone to making rash decision. Decision making is probably Beck's biggest strength. He's a damn smart kid. I'm not buying that excuse either. I don't care what King Carl and Herm decided (they're wrong on this one) or about Brodie's delicate sensibilities--we need another young quarterback with some potential! That's about all I got on the topic :)

And I'm not sold on Thigpen either, but he at least has had the benefit of the OTA's and a full training camp to learn KC's new system.

Mostly I dont like Tyler's height (too short) and I hate his tendency to go sidearm when he throws the ball. If we could have gotten Beck two months ago, I'd have been ALL for that then.

The situation is different now. Tho' Beck is taller and likely is smarter (based solely on his BYU background - not a slam on Tyler at all)

Adam, keeping Huard is about more than a fantasy hope of the playoffs this year. It's about the development of the rest of the offense if Croyle goes down - if that happens we need a QB who can actually PLAY right now just to keep the offense functional so guys like Bowe, Franklin, Charles, and the oline can continue to develope.

If we replace Croyle with someone who is going to make mistakes on every play... it wont matter how well the line plays... if we become predictible offensively... guys like Charles, Franklin, and DVD get screwed by not getting good chances to learn their jobs under the heat of competition.

Keeping Huard is the ONLY smart move, and as much as you rail about it - that decision was made over a year ago when King Carl and Herm gave Damon a three year deal at 2.5mil per.

If we acquire another QB this year, it will be to stash him on the PS, or to replace Thigpen. I'm not sure replacing Thigpen is a decision the team is ready to make yet - and the only guy we've discussed to date that I think is good enough to replace Thigpen is Simms.

What I'm saying is, to keep a player of Beck's caliber on the practice squad, or to not sign him period, because of Tyler "Going Nowhere Fast" Thigpen, a broken-down 35-year-old back-up and Brodie's fragile self-esteem is retarded. Bring the kid in and protect our future, because right now it's naked should Brodie flop.

Somebody, please, tell me what freakin' good it does to have a 35-year-old career back-up QB on a team that's three years away from contending with no proven QB of the future? PLEASE tell me, because I'm dying to know. And Tyler Thigpen is worthless. I just thought he was absolutely atrocious last week.

Also, I'm more worried about our Chiefs than Brodie. I've been with the Chiefs for almost 30 years. This will be his third year. I don't understand the allegiance of most fans. Earn your arrowhead. I know I have. So has Double D. So has Tony G. So has CurtMerzFan. So has Merlin. So has Zach. So has Brian Waters. So has Gunther Cunningham. So have many other players and many other fans that read this site.

Has Brodie earned his arrowhead? No, not yet. I'm looking out for the Chiefs' best interests first, Brodie Croyle's second. Sorry.

I like Beck too, and loved his game in college. But he's not a better backup than Huard is right now. Damon has the players and coaches firmly in hand, and we already have a "QB under contruction" with Thigpen.

So it doesn't make a lot of sense to me unless we sign Beck to stash him on the practice squad until next year where we can take a long looksee and decide.

The only reason anyone wants to keep Damon is that they are delusional and believe we honestly have a chance of accomplishing something this year. What is that, the playoffs? Yeah, right. Talk to me in about 20 weeks. Damon has no long-term future with this franchise, so what in the hell is the point? I'm starting to feel like a broken record that only I can hear. I'm not a hater, I'm just trying not to be too much of a homer for everyone's benefit.

And if Brodie can't handle a little QB competition, then he's not mentally tough enough to hack it in the NFL. Why must we baby this kid? That really worked well last year, didn't it?