Why I’m Riding The Geno Smith To KC Bandwagon Until The Wheels Fall Off

Yesterday Paddy shared with you the latest KC Chiefs related gossip going around the NFL, first that the Chiefs are interested in trading for Alex Smith and drafting Luke Joeckel, and then that SF is reporting that a deal for Smith (to an unnamed team) is “effectively complete”. Please excuse me now while I now pound my head against the keyboard in frustration.

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(and yes, I actually did do it, my head is apparently drawn to y, 4, and 6)

Look, I get it. John Dorsey and Andy Reid have forgotten more about what makes a winning football team than I’ll ever know. They are professionals that have a track record of success in the NFL and I am a public school band teacher. So if they think that is what is best for the Chiefs the sensible thing would be for you to trust their opinion over mine. That having been said…..

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!?!?!?

In this little scenario that Ian Rapoport lays out the Chiefs would trade away one draft pick to acquire a quarterback that would essentially be an upgraded version of Matt Cassel who I would assume that they will then release. THEN they would let a perfectly good LT walk in free agency and use the once in a lifetime chance at having the first overall pick to take a LT to fill the hole that they created by letting the LT that they already had in house leave town.

I’m sorry, but after typing that I feel the need to bang my head on the keyboard again.

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(not as many numbers this time, I must have aimed lower)

Meanwhile, while this INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING rumor was taking flight, Geno Smith was busy cementing himself as the top QB prospect in the 2013 draft. Smith highlighted a strong combine performance by posting a fantastic 4.59 second time in the 40 yard dash. That is the exact same time put up by Cam Newton, it was only 0.04 slower than Russell Wilson, and was only 0.06 slower than the NFL’s “next big thing” Colin Kaepernick. It was actually 0.06 FASTER than EJ Manuel who was labeled going in as the only QB athletic enough to incorporate any of the popular read option offensive schemes into his arsenal. So at a time when the NFL is looking for great athletes to play the QB position, it appears that despite the fact that he prefers to stand tall in the pocket, Geno Smith is actually the best equipped to make something happen with his feet should he need to.

Now, I know what some of you are going to say. “Lyle, you don’t draft a QB because he looks good running around in shorts!” You know who agrees with you? Geno Smith!

Smith gets it. He’s a film junky. He’s driven to be the best and is willing to put in the work to make it happen. Was his throwing session at the combine perfect? No. Did most consider it the best of all the QBs at the combine? Yes. That’s what really matters to me. That’s why I’m riding the Geno Smith to Kansas City Bandwagon until the wheels fall off. He is the BEST QB IN THIS DRAFT. The NFL is a QB driven league. We have ZERO NFL CALIBER QBs ON OUR ROSTER. With the first pick in the draft we have a chance to guarantee that we walk away with the best QB available. I DON’T CARE how he stacks up against previous first QBs taken. I DON’T CARE how he grades out compared to the top LTs or DTs in this draft. LTs and DTs don’t win you Super Bowls, really good QBs do. That is why QBs ALWAYS get drafted higher than the “experts” have them slotted on their big boards. Hitting on a QB pays off 10 times more than hitting on a LT. Hitting on a QB increases your odds of going to the playoffs 10 times more than hitting on a LT. You think Miami doesn’t wish they had taken Matt Ryan over Jake Long? Joe Thomas may just be the best LT in all of football but how has that worked out for the Browns while he has been blocking for Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, and Colt McCoy?

I get that Geno has holes in his game. I get that he has some work to do. I get that he is in need of some coaching. Mike Mayock recently said he’s seen Geno Smith make all the big time QB throws, but he’s too inconsistent. You know who else has admitted that? Geno Smith. He’s flat out said that he still needs to work to be more consistent. My point is that if he has the talent to make all the throws, the work ethic to keep working, AND a coach like Andy Reid to mentor him, I like his odds to succeed. Is there still a risk? Sure there is. Could Geno bust? Absolutely.

I’ll still take Geno Smith and Branden Albert over Alex Smith and Luke Joeckel every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

I’ll also take watching Geno Smith bust for my beloved Chiefs over watching Geno Smith turn into a Pro Bowl QB for another team while KC stumbles along in mediocrity with Alex Smith at QB knowing that Geno could have been ours.

But what do I know, I’m not a NFL GM or head coach. I’m just a blogger. A blogger that is going to keep riding the Geno Smith to KC bandwagon until the wheels fall off.

Now who’s with me?

As always, thanks for reading and GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In case you missed it, HERE‘s my video on why Geno is worth the #1 pick.