Chiefs’ Tyler Bray Practices Calling Plays On Phone With Fiancé
While there is no question who the starting QB will be for Kansas City this season, the battle for the backup and third-string QB positions could be one of the most compelling storylines of the summer for the Chiefs.
One of the first things Chiefs GM John Dorsey did when he took over the team was to solidify the QB position. Dorsey traded two second-round draft picks to the San Francisco 49ers for Alex Smith and then inked former New Orleans Saint, Chase Daniel, in free agency. Then, following the 2013 NFL Draft, the Chiefs signed Tyler Bray, an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee.
Some pundits thought Bray would be drafted and Chiefs fans were able to see why when the former Volunteer hit the field for Kansas City last summer. Bray had an impressive outing last preseason vs. the Green Bay Packers, going 14-of-25 for 169 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT in a blowout victory for the Chiefs. While it is never wise to read too much into a preseason performance, Bray’s raw talent and arm strength were on display.
While Bray managed to snag the third-string QB position as a rookie, the Chiefs still selected Georgia QB Aaron Murray in the fifth round of May’s NFL Draft. In many ways, Murray is the complete opposite of Bray. Bray is the typical tall, strong-armed QB whereas Murray is built much more like Saints QB Drew Brees, standing just 6-1 and with average arm-strength.
For his part, Bray isn’t letting he extra competition get to him. When asked about his preparation today after practice, Bray said he was working hard on calling out plays, even going so far as to drill them on the phone with his fiancé.
“Yeah, you’re reading over the script, you want to draw up the plays,” said Bray in comments distributed by the Chiefs. “Even when you get the install, you want to draw it up, make sure you know where you want to go versus which defense, and you can look in a mirror and call it out; act like you’re in a huddle and call it out. I sometimes, on the phone with my fiancé, I’m giving her the plays. She has no idea what they mean, but I’m just working on calling them.”
It will be interesting to see how the KC QB competition shakes out. The team has yet to ink an extension with starter Alex Smith and Chase Daniel received a contract on the high end for a backup. The Chiefs are pretty cash-strapped so if Bray can continue to develop and earn the backup job, the team could potentially trade Chase Daniel, earning a little extra salary cap space to use for a player like Smith.
What do you think, Addicts? Will the Chiefs roll with four QBs this year? If not, who will be the odd man out?