I have stepped off.

There, I said it.

It’s been quite a ride, one that involved personally providing about 1/3 of this video’s total views. I am also the ESPN Football Today Podcast’s designated Chiefs SuperFan, and when we SuperFans pretended to be GM’s and did our own mock draft, I of course rushed to the (totally metaphorical in this case) podium and took Geno Smith 1^st overall.

That same day it was announced that the Chiefs had agreed to the trade for Alex Smith in principle, and I reacted pretty much like this.

But, a lot then changed over the past few weeks.

First, the Chiefs went out and had themselves one heck of a free agency. The team was able to retain the services of our three most important free agents, picked up some solid additional pieces and everyone they let go was replaced. RT Eric Winston who was this year’s shocking cut, is still on the market. So, as questionable as that decision seemed at the time, apparently the NFL is seeing something we don’t.

In the end, my greatest fear with the Alex Smith trade was that this new regime saw our loaded roster and thought, “We can probably win games with these guys plus a game manager.” Like many others, nightmares of Matt Cassel were dancing in my head.

I also just wanted this team to draft a damn quarterback in the first round for once come hell or high water. That is something this team has never done since I have been alive, and during my 25 years on this Earth only two quarterbacks drafted by the team have started a game for the Chiefs – Doug Hudson and Brodie Croyle (spoiler: both sucked).

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

But, at some point, once the kneejerk frustration wore off, I realized I was projecting all of my hopes and dreams onto Geno and what he might become, but wasn’t really looking at it all in the proper context.

First off, I don’t really watch college football. I went to a university without a football program and I only really have time to be irrationally obsessed with one team in one league at a time. From what I understand, however, most of the conferences are heavily lopsided and if you truly are a 1^st-round NFL quarterback, you should dominate the collegiate competition. Geno didn’t do that and had several duds in his senior year.

Secondly, when determining a player’s worth, it’s about more than what your team wants. Value is determined by the market, and the market is determined by buyers and sellers.

When you’re watching the stock market, you don’t want to follow the chatter. Studies have actually shown that statistically you are better off doing a fire sale on any stock Mad Money’s Jim Kramer tells you to buy.

Instead, investors and market watchers are following the “smart money.” Don’t listen to the talking heads, watch the people at the top whose livelihoods depend on being right about this stuff and who are consistently the best at it. In this case, we have the actual NFL teams and their armies of scouts to observe. If you see how they behave, you get a good idea about what the smart people think about this year’s market for quarterbacks.

So far, the consensus seems to be that another team’s backup is better than any of the incoming rookies. While the Chiefs moved first, every other QB-needy team has also pounced. The Raiders snagged Matt Flynn, the Cardinals in turn got Carson Palmer. Mike Vick was hurriedly (and expensively) re-signed. The Bills grabbed Kevin Kolb and the Jets took David Garrard. Matt Cassel, who we all know to be of the highest caliber of quarterback, was on the market for just a few hours before signing a new deal with Minnesota to compete with their starter. Heck, even 37-year-old Matt Hasselbeck was out there for less than 24 hours before getting another job.

Of course, many of these QB-hungry teams will likely draft quarterbacks later this month as well, but these moves are still very telling. Most years, veteran quarterbacks sit out on the open market for most of the spring and even summer before getting snagged for backup and compete-to-start positions. Most teams want to at least see how the draft shakes out before going after those guys, because, most years, there are plenty of good QB prospects and teams know that those veteran options will still be there after the picks have been made.

This year, we’ve seen the opposite market reaction. There has been a total run on veteran signal-callers BEFORE the draft, which means that QB-needy teams see little value in the draft at that position and are trying to fill their holes now with little faith that they are going to get a guy who would have the potential to compete for a starting position this year.

This, coupled with the fact that every talent evaluator I respect says there are no 1^st-round quarterbacks this year, tells you a lot about Geno’s value as a prospect and why it would be foolhardy to take him at 1^st overall.

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The second big reason I have moved on from my Geno obsession is that I have finally come around to the guys that Dorsey and Reid have added in Alex Smith and Chase Daniel. I am very excited to see what Reid can do with Smith, who is the type of quarterback that Reid’s offense is meant for (unlike McNabb and Vick). Meanwhile, I think Daniel is a good grab for a backup especially because he is young and has a lot of upside.

If you need more convincing on Smith, I suggest reading this and this by our pals over at Arrowhead Pride. If you’re still not convinced, please proceed to blast me in the comments section as usual.

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this week we brought you a couple of reports from NFL.com and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, that the Kansas City Chiefs were going to be working out West Virginia QB, Geno Smith.

Rapoport’s report claimed the Chiefs were “fascinated” with Smith and that they were comparing him to former Eagles QB, Donovan McNabb.

Most AA readers and Chiefs bloggers and reporters alike, began immediately suggesting that everything the Chiefs were letting slip about Smith was merely a smokescreen in an effort to increase the chance that KC could trade out of the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

I reached out to Rapoport on Twitter and asked if he thought the Chiefs’ interest in Smith was genuine or if, like everyone thought, it was merely a smokescreen.

Now Rapoport has expanded his thoughts on the matter in a terrific new column that examines one of the more successful draft smokescreens of all-time. Rapoport also talks a bit about the Chiefs and says he believes his original report is accurate and that he trusts his source.

The cries of “smoke screen” came loud and clear. Never mind that Smith was, to many, the draft’s top QB. With Kansas City holding the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft, skeptics doubted that coach Andy Reid, general manager John Dorsey and company viewed Smith in the same company as, say, Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel. But the words were real. And I trust the source.

Later, Repoport mentions that he knows the Chiefs have yet to set their draft board. This is interesting because most people seem to think that KC already has a pretty good idea of which player they will select if they pick No. 1.

I believe what I reported. I also know the Chiefs liking Smith does not mean they will draft him. I also know Kansas City hasn’t set its board yet, and Smith is very much in the running to be atop it — along with several other players.

When I posed the question to two high-level executives, one told me Smith was the best quarterback in the draft and the Chiefs picking him would make sense. The other told me no way Kansas City passes on Joeckel.

You must read Rapoport’s article. It is great and really illustrates that although teams may say things publicly on purpose, it doesn’t mean the things they are saying aren’t true.

Or they could be complete BS.

What do you think, Addicts? Has Rapoport changed your mind that Geno Smith may still have a legit shot to be taken No. 1 or do you still think that Reid and Dorsey made up their mind on Smith long ago and are just trying to move back?

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier today, Mr. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and NFL.com, reported that the Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly “fascinated” with West Virginia QB, Geno Smith. According to Rapoport, KC’s scouts look at Smith and are reminded of the first QB Chiefs head coach Andy Reid drafted when he was head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, Donovan McNabb.

As you can imagine, the news sent a bit of a shockwave through the Chiefs Kingdom. Some outlets, like Pro Football Talk and Arrowhead Pride, basically called the news a bunch of BS.

Take Joel Thorman over at AP:

My hunch tells me that last line in the report above is complete BS. Just not true. Everything — EVERYTHING — has pointed to Alex Smith as the quarterback of the future. What sources or Chiefs scouts say doesn’t matter. All that matters is what the Chiefs do. And what they’ve done is give up two draft picks for Alex Smith. Remember that press conference where John Dorsey said they’re confident Smith would be in KC for years to come? Was he just making that up? Was that not true? I have a hard time believing he made that trade and doesn’t believe Smith is here for the long-term.

And Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk:

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Chiefs scouts are “fascinated” by Geno Smith, and they’re comparing him to a young Donovan McNabb.

If that’s true, then the Chiefs blew it by trading for Alex Smith. The more likely reality is that the Chiefs are now puffing, in the hopes of getting someone to make a Redskins-style move by a few spots to get the guy the Chiefs already decided they don’t want long — but currently are pretending that they do.

Even well-respected, Chiefs blogger, Patrick Allen of the terrific FanSided Chiefs site, Arrowhead Addict, has his doubts:

The Chiefs hold the No. 1 pick and it has been reported that they are interested in trading back. One way to increase the value of the pick is to make teams think that the Chiefs are seriously considering selecting Smith. That could force one of the QB-desperate teams behind KC, like Buffalo for instance, to panic and put together a big package to swap spots with KC.

The quotes about McNabb are especially interesting. Everyone knows Andy Reid selected McNabb in his first draft with the Eagles so putting it out there that the Chiefs see a lot of McNabb in Smith could cause just enough doubt to get the Chiefs the trade they are looking for.

It would be a bold and perhaps foolish exercise for the Chiefs to give up, potentially two second-round picks for Alex Smith, only to draft his eventual replacement with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. If KC really were to take Geno Smith, how long would they realistically sit him behind Alex? One year? Two?

Alex Smith’s contract wouldn’t be that hard to get out of but the Chiefs would still have a hard time getting those second-round picks back. It just seems like the Chiefs would be giving up too much for Alex Smith, if the man they really wanted was Geno Smith.

I reached out to the man who brought us all this news, Ian Rapoport, to get a feeling for what he thinks is really going on here. Rapoport said he doesn’t think this is necessarily a smokescreen and he feels KC’s interest in Geno Smith is genuine.

“My sense is they are very open,” said Raport via Twitter. “They really like Geno Smith. But like him more than (Luke) Joeckel, (Dee) Milliner, etc? Too early.”

It is interesting that Ian says that it is too early but because most folks assume that teams already pretty much have their minds made up and their draft boards set.

But according to Rapoport’s report from this morning, KC doesn’t have their draft board set. Yet.

Coach Andy Reid and general manager John Dorsey have been methodical and thorough in their search. After the final two visits for the top spot, they’ll settle in and set their board. While the league-wide assumption is that they will take Joeckel, the Chiefs are at least exploring every option before making a pick.

The visits Rapoport is talking about in the quote are that of Geno Smith and Alabama CB, Dee Milliner.

Later in his report, Rapport explains that despite trading a high pick for Alex Smith, if KC believes Geno Smith is the top player on they’re board, they’ll take him.

Though they did trade for former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, the Chiefs wouldn’t think twice about having Geno Smith on the bench behind Alex Smith for a short amount of time if he were determined to be the top overall player.

If we are to believe Rapoport’s report, and what he told me on Twitter this afternoon, the Andy Reid and John Dorsey haven’t made up their minds about anything yet.

Which would mean if Geno Smith can convince them that he is the best player on their board in his private workout, the Chiefs could very well select him.

Yes, it is lying season in the NFL. Yes, the Chiefs stand to benefit frm not only feigning interest in Geno Smith, but also by boosting his draft stock by talking about how wonderful he is.

Still, we would be lying if we said we knew absolutely what the Chiefs were planning. Reid and Dorsey have surprised us a number of times this offseason, so while Geno Smith to the Chiefs is probably very unlikely, I recommend staying on your toes.

Just in case.

Feb 24, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith (13) participates in a passing drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs will bring West Virginia QB Geno Smith to Arrowhead for a private visit, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

From Rapoport:

Chiefs scouts are deep in the process of evaluating Smith, and the word is they are fascinated by him. One scout compared the way he moves to a young Donovan McNabb, raving about how he’s thrown the ball in his workouts. Though they did trade for 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, the team wouldn’t think twice about having Geno Smith on the bench behind Alex Smith for a short amount of time if he were determined to be the top overall player.

When Dorsey was in Green Bay, the team did the same with Aaron Rodgers, who sat for three seasons behind Brett Favre.

Well that could certainly change the thinking around here.

Of course, this could all me smoke and mirrors.

The Chiefs hold the No. 1 pick and it has been reported that they are interested in trading back. One way to increase the value of the pick is to make teams think that the Chiefs are seriously considering selecting Smith. That could force one of the QB desperate teams behind KC, like Buffalo for instance, to panic and put together a big package to swap spots with KC.

The quotes about McNabb are especially interesting. Everyone knows Andy Reid selected McNabb in his first draft with the Eagles so putting it out there that the Chiefs see a lot of McNabb in Smith could cause just enough doubt to get the Chiefs the trade they are looking for.

Then again, it is always possible the Chiefs really do like Smith and would love to park him on the bench for a couple of years so they can develop him into their system.

Chances are, we won’t know anything until theChiefs take the podium in April.

Anyone care to make a wager?

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs may have traded some high draft picks for former 49ers QB Alex Smith, but that doesn’t mean the team won’t consider selecting West Virginia QB Geno Smith with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has said that Alex Smith is the starter in Kansas City. He said he was eyeing Alex Smith from the moment he landed in KC.

He also said the team might consider Geno Smith.

Wait, what?

Reid said the following while talking to reporters from the NFL owners meetings in Arizona.

From Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Andy Reid says he’ll evaluate 8-10 players for No. 1 pick. Asked why Alex over Geno Smith: “Doesn’t mean Geno is out of the water.” Smiles.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 19, 2013

I’ve never heard anyone use the term “out of the water” before but I think what Reid meant was that Geno Smith isn’t out of the running.

Reid’s phraseology might be a little skewed this week, considering he’s been wearing awesome Hawaiian shirts every day. That could be why he is talking about water so much. He’s in a vacation frame of mind.

Anyway, you can’t trust anything Reid says this time of year. The Chiefs will want to keep the other 31 NFL teams guessing right up until they make their draft pick in April. Reid may just want to drum up more interest in the No. 1 pick…

…or he could be serious.

What do you think?

The Scene: My car, 4:30pm on March 12th.

It had been a normal day at work and I had just picked up my daughter from preschool for our 30 minute commute home, I turned over the radio to KC’s 610 AM and anxiously waited to hear if the Chiefs had struck early in free agency. I was excited, like a kid at Christmas. We have Anthony Fasano, “great” I thought. We have Mike DeVito from the Jets, “solid move” was my reaction. Then came word that the Alex Smith deal was finalized AND that the Chiefs had committed a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract to Chase Daniel to be their back up QB. It was at this moment that the truth finally sunk in.

My body went numb. Turning my head so my 5 year old in the back seat couldn’t see I stared out at the open highway in front of me and let this truth wash over me. A single solitary tear running down my cheek.

Okay, so I’m being a LITTLE melodramatic.

While this might be a slight exaggeration of how things went down (we all know I looked online before I left to pick up my daughter to see if the Chiefs had signed anyone), it does paint the picture of my true feelings on the matter. I REALLY wanted the Chiefs to draft Geno Smith. Even after news of the Alex Smith trade broke and I publicly declared my Geno Smith to the Chiefs bandwagon dismantled I was secretly holding out hope that it still might happen. The “Geno to KC” fan club meetings were still being held at undisclosed secret locations, but once news of the Daniel deal broke the little piece of hope that burned inside me was eternally “snuffed out” (sorry, probably too melodramatic again).

I still think Geno will be a franchise QB. I still think that the Chiefs would have been better off in the long run (maybe not next year) with Geno and their 2nd round draft pick then with Alex Smith, but it’s time to move on. I’m now focused on how my beloved Chiefs can best succeed going forward with Alex Smith as their starting QB. Amazingly, I believe the answer does involve Geno Smith being drafted with the #1 pick, just not by the Chiefs.

I completely understand Patrick Allen’s position he laid out so well (check it out HERE if you haven’t read it yet) regarding the Chiefs taking Geno, but it’s time to move on. The comments section and entire Chiefs blogosphere still contains people with their hopes up that Geno will be in KC next year. It’s not happening. I’m not trying to be a downer here. I LOVE Geno Smith. I spent the better part of 2 weeks making a 14 minute video breaking down why he should go #1. Alex Smith didn’t put the nail in the coffin, but the Daniel signing did. If KC was remotely considering Geno or any other QB in the first couple rounds, there’s no reason to pay Chase Daniel what they are paying him next year. Remember, this is a team that watched Geno’s tape, watched him throw at the combine, talked to him face to face, and then went straight home to KC and traded for Alex Smith. They don’t want Geno. I’ve accepted it, and so should you.

It’s okay though, I still think Geno can help KC build a playoff team.

I’m now convinced more than ever before that Geno Smith will be the #1 pick in this year’s draft. It just won’t be Kansas City that selects him. I now feel confident that the Chiefs will be able to trade out of the top pick so that another team can move up and take Geno.

I’ve been on the Geno bandwagon for months. Not because of internet hype, but because I took the time to watch every snap of him that I could find and felt that he had “star QB” upside. I watched the good games and the bad and my thought was that even though Geno was inconsistent, he possessed the talent to be elite if he received good coaching and time to develop. My view was not shared by most draft “experts”. As recently as the NFL combine Mike Mayock said that he’d give Geno a late first round grade.

Then he went out and threw some passes at his pro day, indoors, in shorts, with no defense, no rush, to WRs he’s thrown to for years, with months of practice on those exact throws and routes, and now everybody loves him.

I find that hilarious.

Everyone says it’s a player’s game tape that matters most, not workouts, and then after a pro day they bump him up from a late first round prospect to a sure fire top ten pick (I’m looking at you Mayock). I may be 100% wrong about Geno Smith, but at least my opinion was formed from watching his games not some staged performance that doesn’t translate to NFL games. Now suddenly Geno is the hot name. The Jaguars sent their entire front office to go watch him, the Eagles gave him a major work over at a personal work out. The Cardinals need a QB and let’s not forget about the Buffalo Bills (more on them in a minute).

There is no FA starting QB market for teams to turn to. There isn’t anyone available that is going to improve a team at QB, even if your starter is Blaine Gabbert, Mark Sanchez, John Skelton, or Tavaris Jackson. That’s how bad things are out there. QB is everything in this league and there are multiple teams out there that are significantly worse at QB than the Chiefs are now. That gives KC great leverage.

I know many of you want Geno Smith. So do I. I know many of you think we’d be better off with Geno over Alex Smith. I agree. John Dorsey and Andy Reid don’t. So instead of spending the next month hoping for something that isn’t happening I’ve turned my attention to the much more likely scenario which is one of these teams that are starved for a QB trading up to get Geno. Just a few weeks ago this was very unlikely. All the experts said he wasn’t worth it. Now Geno is a top ten pick and the clear best QB in the draft. A quarterback that is a sure fire top ten pick and clearly the best QB in his draft class is a valuable commodity. A commodity that someone will value enough to make a deal with KC for. Now, KC may not get the return that others have for the pick, but they can still get themselves a pretty good haul.

This is where the Buffalo Bills come in. In my opinion, Bills GM Buddy Nix is not a very smart man. The same GM that gave Ryan Fitzpatrick a FAT long term contract and drastically overpaid for Mario Williams made public comments earlier in the season about the Bills needing to get a franchise QB (despite the fact that HE paid Fitzpatrick like a franchise QB just a couple years ago) in the draft. Then he managed to get tricked into calling the Bucs GM and was recorded doing it. He basically told everyone in the world that Fitzpatrick wasn’t going to be his starter going forward. He also basically said that finding a QB was the key to their success going forward. Immediately after this recording went public the Bills cut Fitzpatrick. So now the Bills sit at pick #8 in the draft with no starting caliber QB on their roster, an intentional public statement that they would draft a franchise QB on record, an unintentional statement about them needing a QB this offseason because their (then) current QB wasn’t good enough on record, and no hope that the one QB seen as a possible franchise QB will still be there when they pick.

The Bills have their backs against the wall. The fact that the teams picking in slots 2-4 are all showing interest in Geno helps KC’s cause. If the Bills want Geno there is no way that they can hope he falls to them now and since one of the other teams that may be interested is the Jags at #2, the Bills will have to go all the way to #1 in order to land him for sure. We all know that QBs are over drafted and this year will be no exception.

So what do I think KC can get from KC?

I think the minimum return is Buffalo’s first and second round picks this year AND their first round pick next year.

I know what some of you are going to say “Nobody is giving that up for the first pick this year!” Really? The Falcons gave up more than that to move up to #5 to take a WR. The Redskins gave up THREE first round picks and change to get RG3. The Bills could still claim that they got their franchise QB at a discount compared to what other teams have and would have had to pay in other drafts. Plus, the Bills will be at a disadvantage in dealing for the first pick compared to teams like Jax and Philly who draft in front of them. Therefore, they will be forced to offer more than those teams if they want their man.

Let the record state that I am on record as stating that Geno Smith will be drafted #1 overall by the Buffalo Bills. Write it down.

Geno Smith has always been my plan when it came to the Chiefs and the 2013 draft. I’ve just had to change that plan given where things stand now. Geno Smith is not going to be a Kansas City Chief, but he is still the key to the Chiefs’ draft. I just hope KC fans can all come to terms with that.

I finally have.

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

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Suddenly, Geno Smith is a top ten pick.

At least that is what the buzz seems to be indicating,in wake of Smith’s Pro Day.

As expected, Smith was accurate at his Pro Day, completing 60 of 64 passes, with two drops by receivers. The throws were scripted and any QB worth playing in the NFL should complete most of his passes in a scripted throwing session. No, it wasn’t the numbers that were impressive, it was Smith’s touch and mechanics that impressed the scouts in attendance.

NFL Network’s draft analyst, Mike Mayock, declared Smith a “top ten talent” following the Pro Day. Mayock said he liked that Smith was “ripping” the ball and that it appeared as though the West Virginia QB had cleaned up his footwork.

QB-need NFL teams are taking notice.

The Philadelphia Eagles, who hold the fourth pick in the NFL Draft, have already worked Smith out. There have been various other reports that claim the Jacksonville Jaguars (second pick) Oakland Raiders (third pick) and New York Jets (tenth pick) are all interested in drafting Smith.

There is no telling if the interest these teams are showing is real. It may just be that each team is trying to convince the teams behind them that may want Smith that they might take him as to help facilitate a potential trade. No team likes to show its cards before it actually make its pick so we have to take everything we hear this time of year with a grain of salt.

The Chiefs would seem to be totally out of the Geno Smith sweepstakes. After all, KC traded a couple of high draft picks for Alex Smith and just a couple of days ago, Andy Reid declared Smith the starting QB of the Kansas City Chiefs. The organization has not been shy about admitting that it sees A. Smith as the future at the position. There has even been talk that the Chiefs might approach Smith’s agent about extending the QBs contract.

Given the facts, it seems like you’d have a better chance of hitting the Power Ball than of the Chiefs selecting Geno Smith with the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Trading up in the NFL Draft can be a strange dance. Take last year when the Cleveland Browns moved up from No. 4 to No. 3 to select Alabama running back Trent Richardson. Everyone knew the Colts were taking Andre Luck and that the football team from Washington is was taking RG3. That means that the Minnesota Vikings, who held the third pick, essentially had the first pick.

When the Browns moved up, some folks were questioning why they did it. After all, the Vikings had Adrian Peterson and despite the fact that he was coming off a serious knee injury, nobody really believed the Vikings would take Richardson.

But it likely wasn’t the Vikings the Browns were worried about. Minnesota probably convinced the Browns that one of the teams behind Cleveland was making an offer to move up for Richardson. There was no way for the Browns to know if that was true or not and rather than miss the chance to get their guy, Cleveland, who had some extra picks anyway as a result of the Julio Jones trade, made the deal.

If the Chiefs truly want to trade back, they must convince teams that there is a market for Geno Smith at No. 1. The fact that the Jaguars are showing some interest in Smith certainly helps KC’s cause.

The problem for the Chiefs is that trading up for the No. 1 pick can be expensive. The Jaguars might be able to swap picks with KC for just an extra third-round pick, because the Chiefs would only have to move back one slot. For those picking farther back, however, the price would be much more expensive, so much so that teams might be willing to roll the dice to see if Geno Smith would fall to them, or at least to a slot that would be less expensive to move up to.

One move the Chiefs have to consider if they can’t find a trade partner, is taking Smith at No. 1 and then offer him up to the highest bidder.

By taking Smith off the board, the Chiefs will force the hands of teams desperate for a QB. It would be a shrewd and somewhat risky move. There would be no guarantee the Chiefs would be able to trade Smith to one of the other teams in the top ten.

But I think the risk would be minimal. At least one QB has been taken in the top ten of the draft every single year since 2001. In fact, since 1990, there have been only four drafts (2000, 1997, 1996 & 1991) where no QBs were taken in the top ten.

Geno Smith will be taken somewhere in the top ten picks of this draft. Based off his physical tools alone, his speed and athleticism, arm strength and accuracy, some team is going to take a chance on him.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets all have major questions at the QB position. If you don’t think one of those teams is going to draft Smith if given the chance, well, I’ve got some snake oil and swamp land to sell you at a great price.

The Chiefs have done such a good job of filling their needs in free agency that they can take any payer at any position. The talent at the top of the draft is so even that KC could move virtually anywhere in the top ten and probably get just a quality a player as they could at No. 1.

If the rest of the NFL won’t play ball with the Chiefs on a trade, then Kansas City needs to select Geno Smith.

Whether they want him or not.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Chiefs sure seem like they are committed to QB Alex Smith but that didn’t stop them from doing their due diligence on West Virginia QB Geno Smith.

Smith’s Pro Day was today and according CBS Sports, the Chiefs had “high-raking officials” in attendance.

Smith’s college playbook from the “Air Raid” system was mostly horizontal and crossing route dependent. Intermediate accuracy is his greatest strength. What evaluators need to see if whether Smith can throw on the move, maintain his balance and accuracy on rollouts and waggle design, and throw with zip while hitting targets at 25-plus yards and beyond.

Thursday’s pro day was attended by 28 of 32 NFL teams. The Eagles worked out Smithearlier in the week and ran him through an unrehearsed, full-scale passing workout that exceeded 80 throws. Bills general manager Buddy Nix was present as were high-ranking reps for the Chiefs (No. 1), Jaguars (No. 2), Raiders (No. 3), Browns (6) and Cardinals (7), among others.

Smith reportedly completed 60 of 64 passes with two drops by one of his receivers.

It seems almost impossible that the Chiefs would select Smith with the #1 overall pick. The team traded multiple draft picks to the 49ers for Smith and last night, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed that Smith was the team’s starting QB.

In a way, after what Smith went through in San Francisco, it would seem almost cruel if the Chiefs took Geno Smith No. 1. Even if the team maintained that they didn’t think Smith was ready and that they wanted him to sit on the bench and learn, the second Smith slipped up, people would be calling for Smith to replace him.

You can never say never in the NFL but it sure seems like the Chiefs are going all-in on Alex Smith. Still, Geno performed will and is showing that he is a first-round talent. Chances are, one of the QB-needy teams in the top ten, will select Smith.

That means instead of being a Chief, Geno Smith could endup eing a Jaguar, Bill, Jet or (groan) a Raider.

What do you think, Addicts? Did the Chiefs make a big mistake basically ruling out Geno Smith? Will you be mad if he ends up with the Raiders?

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The folks on Twitter are going to kill me for this.

In light of yesterday’s events, however, it is important to point out that the Kansas City Chiefs might still select QB Geno Smith with the #1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

There are many reasons why I think this is still a possibility but first let us review the arguments for why Smith to KC at No. 1 won’t happen.

The Chiefs reportedly have agreed to trade their 2013 second-round pick, as well as a 2014 third-round pick that could become a second-round pick based on conditions, to the San Francisco 49ers for QB Alex Smith. All reports indicate that the Chiefs are making a significant investment in Alex Smith and that he will be the team’s QB for the foreseeable future.

I admit, that is a pretty strong argument against the Chiefs taking Geno Smith. But there are also arguments to be made that selecting Smith might still be a good idea.

And I am going to make them.

1. The Chiefs still haven’t invested heavily enough in the QB position

Sorry, but they haven’t. Two second-round picks may seem like a heavy investment but when it comes to the most important position in the game, two second-rounders is nothing. Also, don’t forget that the second pick is a conditional pick that is likely based on playing time for Alex Smith or wins for the Chiefs. There is also a chance the 49ers are giving something back to the Chiefs that we haven’t heard about yet, like a later-round pick.

Regardless of the compensation, the Chiefs are barren at QB. They need three of them. I know a lot of Chiefs fans are pro-Ricky Stanzi but in two years, Ricky Stanzi hasn’t been able to unseat Matt Cassel, Brady Quinn or Tyler Palko, all three of whom were awful. On top of all that, Stanzi has looked terrible in the preseason. He simply can’t be relied upon. He may well have a good career in the NFL but we’ve seen nothing to indicate that he will.

Lastly, head coach Andy Reid and GM John Dorsey seem to be too smart to put all their eggs in one QB’s basket. Grabbing a proven veteran in Smith was smart but the KC brass has to know they need a young QB of the future. Smith is coming to KC on a two-year contract. There are no guarantees Smith will perform well and there are no guarantees he will stick around.

Doubling down on the most important position on the team would be a wise move, not a foolish one.

2.  Geno Smith could be very good but he may not be ready to start right away

Draft experts are fond of saying that there isn’t a QB worthy of the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft. Perhaps they are right. Perhaps Geno Smith is the best QB in this draft but that doesn’t mean he is ready to be an NFL starter.

Dorsey was part of the group that selected Aaron Rodgers in the first round of the draft and then sat him on the bench behind Brett Favre. Would Rodgers have had the same success he is currently enjoying if the Packers started him from day one? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

In the NFL of old, it used to be common practice to roll with veterans while your draft picks, even your #1 draft picks, spent a year or two or sometimes longer, learning from the sidelines. This was especially true when it came to QBs.

In today’s NFL, first-round picks are expected to come in and learn on the job. The thinking is that these players are talented enough to be selected in the first-round, they are talented enough to start.

Unfortunately, not all players are like that. Some rookies come in and set the NFL world on fire. Others, like Chiefs OLB Justin Houston, need a few games before they really start to show what they can do.

What if Reid and Dorsey really like Geno Smith but just don’t think he is ready to start yet? What if they think forcing Smith into action too early would ruin him? Does that mean they should just pass on him and let him go to a competitor?

The NFL is a win-now business. Dorsey and Reid are getting paid millions of dollars to win football games right now. They can’t afford to wait on Geno Smith to lead the Chiefs to another 2-14 season so that he can learn on the job.

But trading for Alex Smith means that they don’t have to.

I find it funny that nobody seems to be talking about the possibility that the Chiefs are employing a similar strategy to the one the 49ers and their head coach Jim Harbaugh used with Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick.

When Harbaugh arrived in San Fran, it was a popular belief that  Alex Smith was on his way out. Instead, the 49ers kept Smith on board and selected Kaepernick in the second-round of the draft.

But Harbaugh didn’t rush Kaepernick into action. Instead, he maximized Alex Smith’s ability and coached his new team to the NFC Championship game and nearly the Super Bowl. Then, he re-signed Alex Smith.

Think about that.

Harbaugh drafted Kaepernick with a second-round and then re-signed a different QB to a three-year contract. Harbaugh could have let Alex Smith walk and continued on with Kaepernick. But he didn’t. He was patient and he ensured his team had more than one serviceable QB.

Nobody thought that Colin Kaepernick would be starting for the 49ers in 2012 season. Well, except for maybe Jim Harbaugh.

Harbaugh is a good coach. Not just because he was able to maximize Alex Smith’s ability but because he was able to recognize the ability of Colin Kaepernick. Harbaugh was patient enough and a good enough of a coach to win with Smith until Kaep was ready and then he had the stones to pull Smith when he felt the time was right.

Andy Reid and Dorsey could do the same thing by investing a second-round pick or two in Alex Smith while they develop Geno Smith. If Alex Smith leads the Chiefs back to a winning culture and then in a couple of years, Geno Smith leads the Chiefs to multiple Super Bowls and all it cost was a first-round pick and two second-round picks, you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone claiming the Chiefs spent too much on QBs.

3. The Chiefs might want to trade back…but can’t

Now that the Chiefs have locked up LT Branden Albert, you can almost hear draft analyst’s heads exploding across the nation.

Until yesterday the draft narrative was that no QB was worth the first overall pick and that the best the Chiefs could do is select one of the top tackles, likely Luke Joeckel out of Texasn A&M.

Now what?

The Chiefs don’t need a tackle. They have Albert, Eric Winston and Donald Stephenson. The team also has Rodney Hudson, Jon Asamoah and Jeff Allen on the interior. The previous regime invested heavily in the offensive line and unless the new regime thinks some of those players are busts, they have a young offensive line with a fair amount of depth.

So what position is left? CB? DT?

Defensive line could be a possibility. The Chiefs could be losing both Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, the top defensive lineman are interior players and the Chiefs just drafted NT Dontari Poe a year ago. Poe wasn’t a force in 2012 but he certainly wasn’t bad enough to warrant replacing him.

There have been plenty of experts suggesting that the Chiefs might want to trade back but who, in their right mind, would want to trade up? Most experts agree there isn’t a single player in this draft that separates himself from the pack and that there isn’t much difference between the first pick and the 15th pick.

There is some team out there that is bound to want Geno Smith. Probably one of the teams in the top ten. But if all of those teams believe the Chiefs are going to pass on a QB, they may be willing to roll the dice that Smith will fall to them.

Teams don’t typically trade up for the No. 1 pick. It just isn’t something that happens and the risk is too great.

What has happened, however, is that teams have sometimes drafted a player No. 1 only to turn around and trade him.

The Chiefs could consider selecting the draft’s best QB in Smith at No.1 and they could then dangle him to the highest bidder. Sure, the Chiefs might not get as much value as they’d like for the #1 pick but chances are the Chiefs won’t be getting good value no matter what they do. It is doubtful any team will want to trade up in this draft and if the Chiefs can get just as talented a player at No. 10 as they can at No. 1, then all they are doing by picking first is paying more money for their draft pick than the teams behind them.

Taking Smith and then offering him up for a trade would enable the Chiefs and potential trade partners to let the draft play out a bit. It would be an unexpected move that could cause some teams to panic, perhaps creating a run on QB’s in the top ten. That would increase Smith’s value, enabling the Chiefs to deal him, still get a good player and perhaps pick up a second round pick in the process.

If the other teams call the Chiefs on their bluff and KC gets stuck with Smith, well, as we discussed above, that may not be such a bad thing.

* * *

The good news is that the Chiefs are in the driver’s seat and locking up Bowe and Albert put them there. If KC can fill some other needs with some smart free agency signings, they can do pretty much whatever they want in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Including selecting a QB in the first round.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City Chiefs fans that wanted the team to select QB Geno Smith with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft may still get to see him play football at Arrowhead Stadium.

As a member of the Oakland Raiders.

From Pro Football Talk:

Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that there are rumors of the team’s interest in Smith, who by virtue of the fact that he was the fastest quarterback in Indy makes him an obvious candidate to play for the Raiders.

If the Raiders take him, Carson Palmer likely would be cut. And if Terrelle Pryor remains as the backup, the Raiders would become the first team to go two deep with mobile quarterbacks — which would allow them to run the same offense with either guy. Unlike the Redskins or the 49ers or the Panthers or any other team with a mobile starter.

Smith going to Oakland would be yet another low blow to a number of Chiefs fans.

For months now, Geno Smith has been the heart’s desire of a great many of Kansas City faithful. After suffering through years of mediocre QB play, many in Chiefs Nation thought the QB drought would end after the team secured the top pick in the draft.

And most of those fans wanted the draught to end with Geno Smith.

Instead, the only Smith KC will be getting is named Alex.

The news earlier today, that the Chiefs have traded for 49ers QB Alex Smith, is wildly unpopular. As far as we can tell, the fans in KC are angry.

Now just imagine what will happen if the QB they all coveted, ends up going to the team’s most hated (debatable) division rival?

It has been several years since so much was at stake for the Kansas City Chiefs in a single offseason.

For now, we are the worst team in the league.

We have no credible starting quarterback.

Three of our best players are not under contract.

And we have no idea what our front office is thinking right now.

Like most rabid Chiefs fans, I think that both new Head Coach Andy Read and General Manager John Dorsey were good hires and I want to believe they will make the best possible decisions in this pivotal offseason.

However, the Pioli regime left my heart and soul battered and, like a chronically abused spouse, I’m a basket case struggling to trust. Add to this that we are at the height of the NFL misinformation season, where GM’s go out of their way to confuse and manipulate the agents and other teams to lower contract offers and juke out opponents. Unfortunately for us shell-shocked fans, the tactics work on us too.

We don’t know what to think.

By the end of the day, if reports are to be believed, it may be announced that the Chiefs have secured a deal to trade for San Francisco QB Alex Smith. Then again, we may end up trading for Eagles QB Nick Foles once the league years starts on March 12, and apparently talks are already running for that.

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Meanwhile, we have been told both that the team is working to re-sign LT Brandon Albert and that is also is high on LT draft prospect Luke Joeckel. Dorsey has come out poo-pooing the QB class, while it appears to be a consensus that Geno Smith solidified his status as a top 10 pick with his performance at the Combine.

We have yet to use the franchise tag, which will allow us to lock up Albert, WR Dwayne Bowe or P Dustin Colquitt.

I wish I had some insight into what is going to happen with this team, but the truth is that no one outside of a very small club within the Chiefs’ front office has any idea.

Here’s what I think I think:

I will be disappointed if Alex Smith becomes our “answer” at quarterback. He’s been productive in his last two seasons under Jim Harbaugh, but was a disaster for the franchise for years before that. While he was ranked 7^th in overall QBR for his 10 games in 2012, the three years before that he was rated thusly, 2011: 45.8, 2010: 40.1, 2009: 40.2. By comparison, Blaine Gabbert’s QBR in 2012 was 40.9. Christian Ponder’s was 53.8.

Still, I don’t want to be misunderstood. I’m not necessarily against acquiring Alex Smith if the compensation is reasonable. I am whole-heartedly against trading for him and thinking we’re set at the position. The fact is that we need three quarterbacks. Cassel could possibly restructure for a less egregious cap number this year, but I feel like a clean break would be best for both player and team. Brady Quinn is a free agent and good riddance. Ricky Stanzi and Alex Tanney haven’t shown us anything and probably only have the upside to become backups even if they develop.

In a perfect world, we could acquire either Smith or Foles and still draft Geno. Alex can hold down the fort for a season or two while Geno works on the “inconsistencies” all the scouts have been talking about and Foles could also compete with Geno long-term as an option with upside.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

However, if what we end up with is San Fran’s average-to-above-average castaway and a replacement for Brandon Albert who’s unproven in the NFL for the 1^st overall pick and, say, a 3^rd of 4^th this year, it will be hard to deem this offseason a success.

Alex Smith is just 28 and maybe his best football is ahead of him. Then again, maybe he is nothing more than a system quarterback who benefited from great coaching and a strong team around him that plays both solid defense and hosts a running game that averaged 155.7 yards per game (4^th in the league in 2012).

Maybe his best football is behind him. Cassel’s 2008 QBR rating with the New England Patriots was 63.1 – 11^th in the league and comparable to Smith’s 70.1 rating this year.

On either side of Smith in the QBR rankings this year are rookies RGIII (71.4) and Russell Wilson (69.6).

It was pretty clear that RGIII was going to be a superstar this year, but that didn’t stop the Redskins from hedging their bets and picking up Kirk Cousins as well to develop along side him.

As we all know, Wilson was believed to have limitations in his game and the Seahawks got him for a song in the 3^rd round. Even then he was considered to be a reach. They also gave a big contract to Matt Flynn and had Tavaris Jackson on their roster when the training camp began last year and I don’t think they are kicking themselves.

Like I said, I am only going to be upset with Alex Smith if the Chiefs bring him in on a chariot as the sole answer to our QB woes. We need multiple options for the future. How we go about getting them will define this team for years. There are several cards to play and we can’t see Dorsey’s hand.

So, as much as it’s killing us, all we can do is wait.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL Scouting Combine is still going on in Indianapolis and despite rumors swirling concerning the Kansas City Chiefs and 49ers QB Alex Smith, KC still met with eight QBs over the weekend.

According to the Kansas City Star, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and Gm John Dorsey met with the following signal callers:

Geno Smith – West Virginia, Mike Glennon – North Carolina State, Ryan Nassib - Syracuse, Tyler Wilson – Arkansas, Matt Barkley – USC, Zac Dysert – Ohio, Tyler Bray – Tennessee and E.J. Manuel – Florida State.

The Chiefs would have only gotten about fifteen minutes with each of these QBs so this is just the beginning of the evaluation process. KC will likely take what they learned at the Combine from the interviews and workouts and then continue the process by attending Pro-Days and even by bringing some of these guys to Kansas City for a visit.

The Alex Smith rumors are causing some Chiefs fans to panic but I don’t think they should Given KC’s QB situation, I am pretty confident that the Chiefs will select a QB and select one with a high draft pick. It may not be Geno Smith at #1 but it might be a Tyler Wilson type in the second.

Remember, the Chiefs can burn a third-round pick on Alex Smith and not lose too much because they are almost certain to get a compensatory third-round pick for the loss of Brandon Carr in free agency last year. So the Chiefs could trade their early third-rounder for Smith, and still pick about 32 or 33 picks later.

There are a lot of options available to KC so don’t rule a QB out just yet.

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.

y6g6t58i87y6y6r4r4r4y66y87
(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.

r5y6yui8iuiyhtgrthyijutyfr
(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!

4.56 40, 10.4 broad jump, 34 inch vert. Yet none of this defines me as a QB! The game is won between the ears, study the tape!

— Eugene Geno Smith (@GenoSmith_12) February 24, 2013

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.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

West Virginia QB Geno Smith may be a pocket passer but he is showing at the NFL Scouting Combine that he has got some wheels if he chooses to use them.

Smith busted out a 4.56 40-yard dash on his first attempt. On his second attempt, Smith locked in a 4.6o. All times are unofficial until later in the day.

Last year, Andrew Luck ran a 4.59 and RG3 ran a 4.41.

While Smith doesn’t take off and run like RG3, he certainly has enough speed to make some things happen with his legs at the next level.

Smith is entering the weekend with a number of questions about whether or not he is worth a high first-round draft pick. Showing today that he does indeed have the wheels to make plays will certainly not hurt his stock.

The big test for Smith will come a bit later today when he actually throws the football. Smith started the season hot at West Virginia but later in the season he faltered and showed some inconsistency.

We’ve seen in the past that prospects can significantly boost their stock at the Combine. Last year, not a lot of people had heard much about Dontari Poe until he ran his 40.

Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN’s draft expert, Mel Kiper did a conference call with the media today and said that he thought West Virginia QB Geno Smith would be drafted somewhere in the 20′s in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Kiper wouldn’t rule out Smith being taken in the top ten, however.

This lines up with Kiper’s ESPN co-worker Todd McShay’s view on Smith’s prospects. Speaking recently on draft podcast, McShay said he could see a team like the Chiefs moving back into the first round and into the 20′s to select a QB like Smith or USC signal caller Matt Barkley.

I could see this happening as well but I am not sure that it will. If Smith is good enough to go int he first round than I think some QB-desperate team in the top ten will go ahead and “reach” for him. With so few decent QB prospects in this draft, the stock of the top QB’s should be pushed even higher than normal. If a team like the Chiefs, Jaguars, Browns or Raiders really wants Smith then they probably won’t worry too much about passing on a handful of other players to ensure they get him.

I agree with that philosophy. With no obvious difference-makers int his draft and with QB being the most important position in football, I think some team needs to go ahead and roll the dice here. And I think they will.

But will that team be the Chiefs?

Jul 24, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith speaks to reporters during Big 12 Media Day at the Westin Galleria. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you might have noticed that a few Kansas City Chiefs fans like the idea of drafting West Virginia QB Geno Smith with the first overall pick. We now have officially heard that this is exactly what Geno Smith would like too. Smith is down in New Orleans (along with most of the football universe) for the Super Bowl and made the rounds on radio row today. I’ve listened to three of the interviews he did and in each of them he specifically mentioned that he wanted to go #1 overall to Kansas City.

Now, this should surprise no one. Smith wants to be the first overall draft pick because of the money and recognition that comes with it. If Jacksonville had the #1 overall pick I’m sure he’d be saying the same thing about them. Still, it’s the first time we’ve heard him go on record as saying that he wants to go to KC and that he feels he is worthy of the #1 pick. That is something that none of the prospects at the Senior Bowl were willing to do. Say what you want about Geno, but he is clearly winning the PR battle for being seen as the #1 QB prospect. The PR battle won’t mean diddly-poo if NFL GMs and head coaches aren’t impressed with his performance on the field, but I like the fact that he is confident enough to say that he’s “that guy”.

I recommend listening to one or all of the interviews below regardless of if you are a Geno fan or a sceptic. He comes off as very well spoken, but also as someone that is very hungry to prove himself. The first interview is with KC sports radio 810′s Soren Petro. If you’re only going to listen to one, make it the one. The highlight is when Geno is asked about playing in KC:

“I understand the Chiefs are in the position where they possibly need a quarterback. They need someone who can help that franchise out. Not to bag on any guys there, it just is what it is. I believe I am that guy. With that position comes a lot of responsibility and a lot of hard work, which I’m willing to put in day in and day out. My goal is to be the best at whatever I do. I want to be the best in the league and I want to be a Hall of Famer. I want to work to get there no matter which team picks me. It would be great to be in the Kansas City red.”

He’s also asked about his sideline demeanor during some of WVU’s tough loses and why he skipped the Senior Bowl. It’s definitely worth a listen.

KC’s 810 Interview

Geno was also on a SD radio station. Even on a station of an AFC West rival he still didn’t hesitate to make it known that he wants to go to KC.

SD Radio Interview

Finally, a shorter (but national) CBS Radio interview where he tells the host:

“I do want to be a part of that Chiefs organization.”

CBS Interview

If you still just can’t get enough Geno OR maybe you think Geno is too full of himself for saying he should go #1 overall, I highly recommend this interview from the Scott Van Pelt show from before this last season started. In it he is honest and humble enough to admit that his stats are inflated by the system they run and the big play ability of his WRs. I thought it was impressive to hear a QB be that straight forward.

Preseason SVP Show Interview

I definitely agree with Geno. It would be great to see him in Kansas City red.

Kansas City Chiefs fans hoping the team selects QB Geno Smith with the #1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft may have just gotten a glimmer of hope.

Walter Football is reporting that a sources close to the Chiefs claims that Smith is currently the favorite to be taken in the first round by the club.

Here is the report:

4. My Chiefs’ source, who has a high success rate of delivering Kansas City’s first-round picks, told me Smith is currently the favorite to go No. 1 overall, but conceded that it’s still too early in the process. He said that the combination of Joeckel and Tyler Wilson is also a strong possibility.

This all makes sense to me, whether it is true or not. Andy Reid and John Dorsey are smart enough to know how badly they need a QB in Kansas City. Don’t let all this best player available talk freak you out. These guys owe their success to Donovan McNabb, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. They know how important a QB is.

Smith is clearly the best QB in the draft. At this point, that doesn’t even seem to be up for debate. A Joeckel/ Wilson combination could work as well but I just don’t see that happening, for a couple of reasons.

The Chiefs would have to be absolutely sure they could land Wilson either by trading back into the first round or with their pick in the second. That is just too big of a gamble when talking about the most important position on the team. Matt Barkley is almost certain to go int he first round as well and history tells us that some team very well may reach for Wilson in round one. If that were to happen, the Chiefs would be left out in the cold.

In the end, I think the Chiefs will take the guarantee and select their QB. Tackle is important but if the team is wise, they will re-sign Branden Albert and see if they can continue the development of Donald Stephenson. Eric Winston is still on the roster so the position should be fairly stable, at least for a couple of years.

Finally, teams don’t need to be drafting #1 overall to find a quality tackle in the draft. KC is in much better shape at that position, even if Albert leaves, than they are at QB.

With the Super Bowl this weekend, draft rumors will be swirling like crazy in the coming weeks. We’ll see a dip in that for free agency in March and then things will pick back up again.

Hang tight. It’s going to be a pretty wild ride.

What an amazing weekend of football. There were multiple times that I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat. I kept thinking to myself “How amazing would this be if it was the Chiefs that were involved in a playoff game like this?!?!” With the Chiefs now having their new head coach and general manager in place they have filled two of the three critical spots that needed to be addressed this offseason: general manager, head coach, and quarterback. We won’t know for sure if the hires of Andy Reid and John Dorsey will bring about the desired results for a while, but on paper they look good. Reid is a proven winner that consistently took the Eagles to the playoffs, winning more playoff games during his 14 years in Philly than KC has in the history of it’s franchise. John Dorsey was in charge of college scouting for a team that built a Super Bowl winner almost entirely through the draft. It appears that Clark Hunt did his part to fill the first two sports with quality hires. That takes us to the quarterback position.

The Chiefs have the #1 overall pick in this April’s draft. Normally that would be great news for a team starving for a franchise QB. However, the general consensus is that there isn’t a QB worth taking this year. The “experts” seem to universally agree that KC should wait to take a QB until the 2nd round. This logic seems faulty to me. If it is a weak QB class, why would you want the 3rd or 4th best QB in that class? Even if the best QB in the class isn’t Andrew Luck or RG3, if he is still clearly the best QB in the class you have to get him. The QB position is just too vital to a team’s success to pass and hope that you hit on a rare 2nd round franchise QB.

So the question then becomes is there one QB in this class that is clearly the best of the group? I have watched a lot of games and footage of Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, Tyler Wilson, and Mike Glennon and I feel like one of them is clearly the best of the group.

Geno Smith is that QB.

I don’t expect you to just take my word for it. I’ve put together a video of Geno Smith highlights to make my case. You won’t find any screen passes or quick slants where the WR does all the work in this video. What you will see is multiple examples of Smith making throws that I think translate to being a good NFL QB. All of these highlights are from this past 2012 season. So when you see all of these throws, think about how many throws of this caliber you have seen from Kansas City QB’s since Trent Green and the Dick Vermeil years. Geno Smith literally racked up more impressive highlight throws in one season than KC has had under the past three head coaches.

I keep hearing how Geno Smith “has bust written all over him”. I’d like anyone that feels that way to watch this video and then explain to me why that is.

There’s not much else for me to say that wasn’t in the video. For me the first pick is Geno Smith or bust. Also, Stedman Bailey (#3) is REALLY underrated nationally as a WR prospect. The guy has been playing with Geno since HS and the two seem to always be on the same page. With his speed, hands, route running, and history with Geno I’d be fine if they took him at the top of the 2nd round and kept them together.

If you want more on Geno Smith here are some other excellent posts:

Geno Smith: QBeast? by AA’s Ladner Morse

Geno Smith: Performance In Perspective by AA’s Nathan Bramwell

The Case For Geno Smith by AP’s BJ Kissel

Geno Smith: A Tale In Accuracy by AP’s JayhawksNChiefs

If after watching my video and reading those four posts you still don’t have any interest in taking Geno Smith #1 overall I’d love to hear why. Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

As always, thanks for reading (and watching) and GO CHIEFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City Chiefs fans hoping to get one more look at the top QB prospects in the 2013 NFL Draft will have to wait until the scouting combine.

According to Liz Mullen od Sports Business Journal, both QBs will skip the Senior Bowl.

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p>QBs Geno Smith &amp; Matt Barkley will not play in Senior Bowl, Exec Dir Phil Savage told SBJ. <a href=”https://twitter.com/search/%23NFLDraft”>#NFLDraft</a></p>&mdash; Liz Mullen (@SBJLizMullen) <a href=”https://twitter.com/SBJLizMullen/status/289027442541215745″ data-datetime=”2013-01-09T15:14:46+00:00″>January 9, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src=”//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

Fans may not like it but this is a smart move for both these guys. Playing in the Senior Bowl probably won’t do much good for them but it could hurt their draft stock. QBs in the Senior Bowl have to go in and learn a basic, hastily thrown playbook very quickly in order to play in an exhibition game with teammates they aren’t familiar with. That could mean some bad looks in front of NFL scouts.

Since these two are already considered two of the top QBs in the class, they will be better served controlling their exposure from here on out. They’ll have pro days with their own receivers where they’ll get to go through scripted plays and throws that they’ve practiced. Then they will go to the combine which will be another chance for them to prepare to show themselves at their best.

Truth be told, NFL scouts have plenty of tape on both these guys to study. The Senior Bowl is more of an opportunity for players who are still trying to get noticed to impress scouts one last time.

What do you think, Addicts? Should Smith and Barkley have turned down their Senior Bowl invites?

Sep 3, 2011; Arlington, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly on the sidelines against the LSU Tigers at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

As we sit with seven games still remaining in this NFL season, most Kansas City Chiefs fans have given up all hope of the Chiefs as we currently know them becoming a winner. Most fans are in agreement that the Chiefs are in dire need of replacing three of the biggest positions in a NFL franchise: The GM, the coach, and the QB. I’m in 100% agreement with replacing all three of those and have been since I sat in the upper deck and watched the Raiders whoop up on KC on their own home field (although you wouldn’t know it by all the Raiders fans there) despite the Chiefs having an extra week to prepare.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what I’d like to see the Chiefs do. Bill Cowher is probably the most popular choice for coach, but I don’t know how likely that is. Plus, keep in mind how long it took for Cowher to win with the Steelers. The only thing I know for sure is that after watching Romeo just stand there with a Herm Edwards-esqe blank look on his face while his team is getting destroyed, is that I want the next KC coach to have some fire and energy. This is a a young and impressionable team and the need someone to get them fired up and pointed in the right direction.

As far as the QBs go, I was like everyone else in that I was worried that no QB this year would be worthy of a 1st or 2nd overall pick. I’d looked into Matt Barkley, Geno Smith, and Tyler Wilson and found some series concerns with all three.

So I thought that I was going to have to wait and see until I declared my allegiance to any one possible coach or QB for the Chiefs to pursue. That was before I read two different articles on Oregon coach Chip Kelley that have completely changed my thinking.

If you are a fan of football strategy, football x’s and o’s, or just really interested in possible head coaching candidates you MUST read these two articles. I found them utterly fascinating. SERIOUSLY, stop reading my post right now and go read these two articles. DO IT!!! REALLY, I MEAN IT. READ THEM!!!!!

Tim Livingston’s How Oregon Coach Chip Kelley Can Spark ‘Moneyball’ Revolution In NFL from Yahoo’s ThePostGame

Chris Brown’s The New Old School from Grantland

I don’t know how you could read those two articles and not come away impressed with Kelly. What really gets me is that these two different writers basically broke down why Kelly is good enough to not only excel but revolutionize the NFL, but they both had different reasons as to why he can do it.

If you’re one of the incredibly unfortunate readers that didn’t click on the links above and actually read the articles (It’s not too late, go back and do it, it’s worth it, really……….seriously, I’m not going to keep going until you go back and read them………okay, fine!) then here are a couple highlights to sell you on this guy.

From the Yahoo piece that focuses on Kelly’s aggressive approach and playing the odds instead of playing it safe:

Whenever Kelly does enter the league, he’ll play the game aggressively, with “aggressively” meaning in a mathematically logical fashion. By the end of the season every coach will be going for it on fourth down, attempting fake punts, fake field goals, two-point conversions, and they’ll likely do all of this oblivious to the fact that there’s astounding mathematical evidence supporting the decisions they’re making. They’ll just see Chip Kelly’s team lighting up the scoreboard and follow suit because … well, 90 percent of NFL coaches are followers.

I read this article about a week ago and I was intrigued. I liked the idea of the Chiefs being aggressive. Todd Haley used this same philosophy and I always loved it. He got ripped in the press a few times when it didn’t work, but I like the idea of the Chiefs being the team trying something new and aggressive instead of hiring a retread coach that will follow the same NFL blueprint that most other coaches use.

That having been said, I still was skeptic of Kelly. After all, a lot of good college coaches have flopped in the NFL. Most college offensive systems don’t translate to the NFL and I was worried that Kelly would be another one of these. Plus, it seems like the college coaches that make it in the NFL like Tom Coughlin, Pete Carroll, and Jim Harbaugh all had NFL ties before their current coaching position. Kelly has no NFL experience of any kind. Then I read the second article at Grantland about the x’s and o’s of Kelly’s system and how and why it works. It makes sense to me. Here a couple snippets:

Chip Kelly’s offense works not because it’s a gimmick, but because rather than choose sides between old and new, Kelly’s teams straddle history. Oregon is successful because it does well what good teams have always done well, albeit with a slightly more modern wardrobe.

This change of pace is actually how Oregon constantly keeps defenses off balance. If they only went one pace the entire game the offense would actually be easier to defend. When the defense lines up quickly and is set, Kelly takes his time and picks the perfect play. When the defense is desperate to substitute or identify Oregon’s formation, the Ducks sprint to the line and rip off two, three, or four plays in a row — and it rarely takes more than that for them to score.

a Chip Kelly–coached NFL team would win for the same reasons that the Chip Kelly–coached college team wins. Behind the speed, the spread, the Daft Punk helmets, and the flashy uniforms, Oregon ultimately wins with old-fashioned, fundamental, run-it-up-the-gut football. I think everyone, even fans of the spread offense, can appreciate that.

The basic idea is that Kelly attacks wherever the defense gives him numbers. He spreads the field out, not to run a Mike Leach at Texas Tech or June Jones at Hawaii spread passing attack, but a balanced or even run heavy attack. Kelly spreads the field out and makes the defense choose what they are going to do. If they spread out too, then he attacks the middle of the field with the run game. If they crowd the box to stop the run then he takes his chances with his WRs all being in single man to man coverage. It’s a different approach then the spread passing attack that just spreads the field out for the sole purpose of giving a QB sitting back in the shotgun multiple receiving targets.

Here’s why I like this idea so much for KC. Think about the RBs that have thrived in this system at Oregon like LaMichael James and now Kenjon Barner. These guys are home run hitters. Guys that when the defenses spread out can hit an open gap up the gut and be off to the races in a heartbeat. Of all the top RBs in the NFL right now, who do you think best fits that mold? If you were picking the perfect NFL back to use in this system I think you can make a strong choice that Jamaal Charles is tailor made for this system. That’s why I’m 100% on the Kelly bandwagon now. I think the Chiefs have three offensive weapons on the roster right now that would thrive in Kelly’s system: Charles, Dexter McCluster, and Tony Moeaki. Think about McCluster as a slot WR in Kelly’s system that is designed to create space for players to make plays, perfect fit. Kelly loves creating mismatches, so having a TE that can stay in and block for the running attack, or exploit single coverage and become a target downfield is perfect as well. The Chiefs would have to either resign Bowe or bring in another big play WR in order to exploit single coverage if the defense was keying in on the run.

Then there’s the small matter of the quarterback, but we’ll get to that in a second.

The last thing I want to highlight from the Grantland piece that I think would lead to Kelly’s success in the NFL is his approach to practice. The old-school ranks of NFL coaches have had the bulk of their practice taken away by the new collective bargaining agreement. Some have had a hard time adapting. College coaches on the other hand are used to having limitations on the amount of time with their team. Check out this section on Kelly and his practices.

Operating under the constraint of NCAA-imposed practice time limits, Kelly’s sessions are designed around one thing: maximizing time. Kelly’s solution is simple: The practice field is for repetitions. Traditional “coaching” — correcting mistakes, showing a player how to step one way or another, or lecturing on this or that football topic — is better served in the film room. The up-tempo, no-huddle offense ends up benefiting in practice as much as it does in games. Without time wasted huddling, players get many more practice repetitions, leading to increased efficiency on Saturdays. As Sam Snead once said, “practice is putting brains in your muscles,” and Oregon’s up-tempo practices are all about making Kelly’s system second nature.

This sounds like exactly what the Chiefs need to jump start their pathetic offense. That, and a good quarterback to run this system.

Enter Geno Smith:

Sep 1, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith (12) reacts after a touchdown in the first quarter against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-US PRESSWIRE

As impressive as Geno Smith looked early in the season, I was quick to jump off the Geno bandwagon after his numbers began sliding as he faced more formidable defenses. His completion percentage and his yards per attempt have dropped drastically over the past month. I also haven’t liked his sideline demeanor in some of their loses. I want my QB to always be rallying the troops and at times Smith has looked liked he has accepted defeat. That’s the last thing a team like the Chiefs needs when they are trying to break out of their losing ways.

I’m not doing much to sell the guy yet, am I?

Here’s the thing. Before supplanting myself firmly on the Chip Kelly bandwagon, I was leaning towards either Matt Barkley or Tyler Wilson as my first choice for the Chiefs to draft. However, after reading about Kelly’s system, I don’t think there is any question about which of the first round QBs would be best suited to run it.

Check out this quote segment of the Grantland article about Kelly’s system and his use of the QB:

But despite all his success, there are those who still like to label his offense a gimmick, or, more practically, wonder if it’s possible to run a spread offense in the NFL, given the beating a quarterback might endure. This misunderstands Kelly’s attack. “I look for a quarterback who can run and not a running back who can throw. I want a quarterback who can beat you with his arm,” Kelly explained at a coaches clinic in the spring of 2011, emphatically adding, “We are not a Tim Tebow type of quarterback team. I am not going to run my quarterback 20 times on power runs.”

So Kelly wants an athletic quarterback who can run if he has to, but that is mainly going to beat you with his arm. If you look at the scouting reports of the three first round options at QB I think you will find that all of them describe Smith as having the best mobility and athleticism and the strongest arm. I don’t think Barkley or Wilson have the mobility to run Kelly’s offense. Smith is not a running QB, but Kelly doesn’t ask his QBs to run very often. Oregon’s QB Marcus Mariota has 78 rushes this season compared to 251 pass attempts. If you compare that to K-State’s Collin Klein who has 154 rushes compared to 208 attempts you see the difference in what he asks his QB to do. FYI, Geno Smith has 53 rushes this season compared to 400 pass attempts.

In addition to the athleticism, I think Geno’s deep ball is the other reason he is the right guy for Kelly’s system. If the Chiefs were running Kelly’s no huddle and wanted to make sure defenses weren’t crowding the line to stop Jamaal Charles, having a QB who can stretch the field is a major plus. Wilson also throws a solid deep ball, but Matt Barkley is widely considered to only have an average arm.

Finally, despite some reservations that I have about Smith’s on field demeanor when his team is down, his work ethic and football knowledge is suppose to be first rate. I don’t think he would have a problem putting in the work to learn Kelly’s system.

For what it’s worth, the rest of my blueprint for next season would include hiring Marty Schottenheimer to a consultant/VP of football operations type of position, and then hiring a no name GM that nobody has ever heard of but other GMs all around the league respect as a talent evaluator. Marty will be the guy that talks to the media and is the “figure head” for the front office while our new no name, no ego GM just sits in an office and scouts players and works out contracts. We’d keep the key members of the defensive coaching staff in place (Gary Gibbs, Anthony Pleasant, and Emmett Thomas). I think the current defense with a Chip Kelley offense would be fantastic. We should resign Bowe, Albert, and Colquitt to long term deals. Let Dorsey go and restructure Tyson Jackson so that he’s paid like a rotational player and not a first round draft pick. Then upgrade wherever else we can through free agency and the rest of the draft.

In the words of Romeo Crennel: I mean…BOOM.

That’s how I’d get it done. (Maybe I should be the new GM?)

I don’t know how the rest of this season will play out for the Chiefs. I don’t know where they will be drafting or if/when they will fire Scott Pioli and/or Romeo Crennel. What I do now know is that this Armchair Addict will be hoping that when next season rolls around Chip Kelly will be our new head coach and Geno Smith will be our starting QB.

Who’s with me?

Hello, Addicts, I have to say that a Sunday with no depressing Chiefs loss was pretty nice. With the embarrassment of the San Diego loss in the rearview mirror and the ensuing loss to the Steelers still a week away, I have a chance to vent some general Chiefs-related thoughts at you. I’ve once again decided to “borrow” my format from Sports Illustrated’s Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback (which is a must-read) and present you with a variety of topics.

Here we go……

* I now believe that Clark Hunt will wait to fire anyone until the end of the season. Friday or Saturday was the perfect time to make a move since it would have given the Chiefs extra time to get their new coach/GM up and running with almost a week and a half between games. If Clark wouldn’t make a move after a nationally televised embarrassment like we saw on Thursday night, I don’t think it will happen any time soon. I just hope that he doesn’t wait too long on the new GM. Clark needs to fire Pioli before the season is over so that the new GM can hire his coach before all the best candidates are scooped up. That’s what happened when Pioli was hired.

* I think Scott Pioli is a coward for not firing Romeo Crennel after the Chargers game. It’s clear that Romeo doesn’t have the Chiefs ready to play from an emotional or strategic standpoint. With Pioli’s job on the line he doesn’t want to have to admit that he screwed up again with his coaching hire only eight games into Romeo’s official tenure. Much like his insistence on sticking with Cassel, his decision to keep Romeo has more to do with him not wanting to admit he made a mistake than it does with doing what is best for the Chiefs. This is absolutely a fireable offense.

* If I was ranking the Chiefs head coaches since Marty left, I think I would go Vermeil, Haley, Edwards, Cunningham, and then Romeo. It’s a pretty pathetic group overall, but here’s my thinking. Vermeil had the best overall record and the Chiefs had a 13-3 season under him. His offense was amazing. Haley was absolutely crazy, his preseason plan last year was a disaster, and his offensive coordinator situation was even worse. That having been said, it’s clear that his ability to push players and hold them accountable is sorely missed this season. If he’s learned his lesson on not going “off his rocker” quite so much I think he could still be a good NFL head coach if given another chance. Edwards was a mess but I respect his ability to spot talent. At least he left the roster with a lot of future Pro Bowlers. Cunningham was just as crazy as Haley, but without the results. Then we have Romeo, who has shown no ability to motivate, lead, or devise a winning game plan whatsoever. At this point I can’t think of one positive quality that he brings to the Chiefs as a head coach.

* Question: If Clark Hunt had backed Todd Haley in the Haley/Pioli feud and fired Pioli last season instead, would the Chiefs be better off right now?

* I’m not a diehard K-State fan, but I have watched a few of their games this year and I’ve come away very jealous of how well coached they are. That team never comes out not ready to play. Even more impressive is how the coaching staff makes adjustments as the game goes on. K-State rarely blows a team out early on, instead they feel the other team out. They see what they are doing well and what they are struggling with and then the coaching staff adjusts what they are doing to stop them and take advantage of their holes. The result is a team that usually dominates in the second half. The KC coaches haven’t figured out how to do this. I REALLY hope that the staff next year can motivate, game plan, and make adjustments in-game. This year’s staff is 0 for 3 in those departments.

* I’ve begun turning my attention to the first round QB prospects for next year’s NFL draft as a way to get my mind off this year’s team. As excited about Geno Smith as I was a month ago, I am equally concerned now. I’ve mentioned before that I felt like he just accepted defeat in the K-State game and sulked around on the sideline. What really worries me though is his numbers the last three games. He started the year against a Division II school and four Division I teams that had an average defensive ranking of 82.5. In those games he averaged 399 yards, 81.4 percent completion percentage, 9.8 YPA, with 24 TDs and zero INTs. However, since then he’s played three teams that have an average defensive ranking of 25.3 and has averaged 227 yards, 58.5 percent completion percentage, 4.8 YPA, with five TDs and three INTs. 227 yards/game, 58.5 percent, and 4.8 YPA in a pass-heavy college spread offense with two NFL caliber WRs is REALLY bad. If he can’t put up better numbers than that against good college defenses, then what is he going to do against NFL caliber ones?

* Finally, after spending some time on YouTube looking at the college QBs, I stumbled across some post game interviews that got me thinking. The Chiefs are a HORRIBLE football team. Assuming the Chiefs do draft a first-round QB, they are probably going to go through some struggles as this team tries to break free of its losing ways. So KC is going to need a QB that can handle losing, handle adversity, and really lead this team. So I’ll leave you with a video I put together showing all three first-round QB prospects after key losses this season. You can judge for yourself who you would like leading your favorite team.

The Kansas City Chiefs appear to be on their way toward securing the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and that means it is time to start talking QBs.

It is sad that with eight games to go we have to begin focusing on the draft but the Chiefs haven’t given us any indication that they’re going to make the rest of this NFL season interesting.

The Chiefs literally control their own destiny as far as securing the top pick is concerned. With just one win this season, the Chiefs have the worst record in football. Their primary competition right now is the Carolina Panthers, currently 1-6 and the Jacksonville Jaguars, also 1-6. The Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints are also in the mix at 2-5.

Now we can likely rule out the Saints. I find it hard to believe, bad as they’ve been, that a team with Drew Brees at QB will have the worst record in football by season’s end. As for the Browns, they appear to be trending in the right direction. Rookie QB Brandon Weeden has shown some nice flashes and they are getting a number of key players back on defense. Cleveland is likely to win a few more. Besides, the Chiefs play the Browns later this season. A loss for KC would pretty much kill Cleveland’s chances of having the top pick.

That leaves the Panthers and Jaguars. The good news is that the Panthers aren’t much of a threat. Even if they should finish with the worst record in the league, they already have Cam Newton on board. Plus, KC and Carolina play one another in December.

As for the Jags, they could potentially be problematic. They’re terrible and their only win came earlier this season against the Colts. Indy and Andrew Luck are playing much better now, however and even though Jacksonville will play them again, the result could be very different.

There is a good chance KC and Jacksonville could be picking 1-2.

Nobody wants to see more losing for the Chiefs but if the organization is going to finally draft a franchise QB, more losing is what they need.

But who is the franchise QB in this draft?

Currently, the top two candidates are Matt Barkley of USC and Geno Smith of West Virginia. Smith is the flashier of the two, having put up some gaudy numbers earlier this season but as of late his performance has slipped a bit. Barkley has been more consistent.

Current stats for both:

Smith: YDS TD INT
2417 26 2

Barkley: YDS TD INT
2266 25 8

The latest mock draft from Walter Football has the Chiefs picking #1 and taking Barkley. They have Smith going to the Jags at #2.

We still have a long way to go and a lot could change, but right now Smith and Barkley are the front runners.

What do you think, Addicts? Do you have a favorite in this race?