Position Battles: The Arrowhead Addict Depth Chart
As we are nearing the end of the OTA season, I am looking ahead to the long, long weeks in between the conclusion of the
offseason program and the beginning of training camp. Historically, July is the month where Chiefs news will be very scarce.
In the spirit of training camp, I’ve decided we should come up with our very own depth chart. There are sure to be more than a few position battles this summer lets get a head start and see how Addict Nation thinks the team should look this September.
Each day we will have a poll to deal with another position. You will vote on who you think the starter should be. However the standing shake out will determine the teams depth. For instance, if we vote on QB and Matt Cassel gets the most votes, followed by Croyle, followed by Gutierrez, the depth chart will follow the results. Some of these will be clear cut and some won’t. The key to make this fun, however, isn’t just to vote but to debate. If you think Croyle is a better QB than Cassel, don’t just vote but tell us why in the comments. When all is said and done, we can see if the Chiefs chose the same guys we do to be the team’s starters.
Let’s start with the offense and the most important position on the team.
We review the QB’s, after the jump.
QB Matt Cassel
There is little doubt that Matt Cassel will be the starter this season but beyond 2010, the future is cloudy. Pioli front loaded Cassel’s contract so that after 2010, the Chiefs could make him a backup or cut him without still having to pay him a ton of money. Cassel is the most proven QB on the roster but if he doesn’t perform well this season, he could be finished in KC.
Most see to believe Cassel is clearly the best QB on the roster. Are you in that camp?
QB Brodie Croyle
Poor Brodie. Croyle has all the talent in the world was never able to be productive. Drafted by Herm Edwards to be the QB of the future, Croyle couldn’t stay on the field long enough to prove he was the man for the job. He is 0-9 as a starter and his career has been riddled with injuries.
Still, Croyle seems to process a much stronger arm than Cassel and he has shown true toughness in his ability to come back from his injuries and still make the team. He stepped in for an injured Cassel in the 2009 opener and played fairly well, leading the Chiefs on a late game TD drive despite having no protection and no running game to support him.
Do you think Croyle has just been unlucky with injuries? Is he the best QB on the roster? Now is your chance to be heard.
QB Matt Gutierrez
We haven’t seen a whole lot of Matt Gutierrez since the Chiefs brought him in last summer. the 3rd string QB in 2009, Gutierrez was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Idaho State. Gutierrez originally attended the University of Michigan and was slated to be the starter but a shoulder injury put him on the sideline and he lost his job to Chad Henne, now QB for the Dolphins. Gutierrez then transferred to Idaho State.
Gutierrez is 6-4, 230 so he passes the eye test but he has never started a regular season game. There may be some Idaho State fans out there who can tell us a little bit more about Gutierrez but it is unlikely he sees the field unless there is a QB emergency in KC.
QB Tyler Palko
Palko is currently the 4th QB on the roster. He played for Pittsburgh in college and threw for over 8 thousand yards in his career. He went undrafted in 2007 and was signed by the New Orleans Saints. He spent time on the roster and the practice squad before being cut. He was picked up by the Cardinals in December of 08′ and then cut the following September. He has also spent time with the California Redwoods, Montreal Alouettes and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chiefs likely signed him to be nothing more than a training camp arm. I have probably wasted too much time just writing this much about him.
Still, if you think he should be the Chiefs starter, or that he should at least make the roster, sound off in the comments.
Now it is time for the vote: