End The Drought, Draft Geno Smith Now! PART II
To read Part I, go here.
In PART I of “End The Drought, Draft Geno Smith Now!” we covered the Drought Sequence, the Fan-dalism outlining the fans vs. John Dorsey and Andy Reid’s roles, the Coach’s Reproach and the Pioneers who have gone before to see that a QB is taken in the first round.
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Three Important Factors
There are three important factors driving the movement to end the drought and draft Mr. Smith now:
1. END THE DROUGHT– The drought must end ASAP. Not next year. Not in the second round of the draft this year, or any other round for that matter. Not in free agency where we already know what the choices will be and there is no franchise player there to be had. I’m sure that Reid and Dorsey can’t fully grasp how tired and wasted Chiefs fans are of one coach or GM after another waltzing into KC and trying to be tricky: making the reshaping of the roster all about themselves, by attempting to take lesser clay and molding it into their own da Vinci masterpiece. There is not a 6th rounder like Tom Brady just waiting around every corner of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, or 7th rounds of the draft. Do the right thing by taking the best QB in this draft, immediately.
2. NO PREMIERE PROSPECT– After personally researching the top ten NFL draft prospects for the 2013 draft, no one is head and shoulders above anyone else. Period. No question in my mind. I’m convinced that there’s not one of them who stands out over all of the others. Not one. All of them have… chinks in the armour.
To begin with, consider what an evaluator must do: they have to come up with a way to say that this OLB prospect is better than that LT prospect (or could you ever really compare a long snapper to a CB?). Can you see the dilemma? You really can’t do it. One position, in many cases can’t be compared to another. Still, one principle every evaluator agrees upon is: the QB position is the most important position on the field.
Still, let’s look at a few top prospects.
Take LT Luke Joeckel from Texas A&M. His run blocking lags behind his pass blocking. His pass blocking is pretty good, but remember he was blocking for a Heisman Trophy winner, the elusive and quick release artist: Johnny Football (Manziel). So, if the Chiefs take a “good” LT but still don’t have an elusive and quick-release QB of their own, do you think Joeckel will still look as good? Ask Jamaal Charles if he wants an average rookie LT blocking for him in the running game next year. Plus, do you really want to take Joeckel when Branden Albert ranks 5th in the league in Pass Blocking Efficiency? Joeckel may never reach that level of proficiency and how do you say no to an excellent LT who still wants to be part of this team? If the Chiefs draft Joeckel first it will only be because of financial considerations because that move will not make the Chiefs a better team. That’s the primary reason you have to doubt that Hunt, Reid & Dorsey (HRD) would make Joeckel their choice.
Maybe you want another edge rusher like Georgia OLB Jarvis Jones? I’m at the apogee of my skepticism when I view Jones’ so-called highlight reels because I have to repeatedly ask myself, “Where’s Waldo… er… I mean Jarvis.” When a player disappears as much as he does, you should take him off your list. Jones may have great closing speed when it comes to defending both the pass and the run, but when teams run right at him he doesn’t have enough size to shut it down. Jones’ lateral agility isn’t what a great OLBs should be but he’s an extremely agile player otherwise. CBSSports.com says Jones, “will draw comparisons by many to Denver Broncos pass rusher Von Miller, but Jones doesn’t have the same body type or power to consistently shed once engaged.” And… why do the Chiefs need an OLB? Would you really take an outstanding OLB first in the draft just to allow him to sit behind two starting Pro Bowl players (Justin Houston Named To The Pro Bowl) already on your roster? I really can’t see HRD making this move either.
What about Utah DT Star Lotulelei? He really is a stud. I’ve seen him dominate. At the one minute mark of this video, a game against USC, earlier in the season when the Trojans were ranked #13, Star took a USC RB and flung him with such ease, like he’s a throwing a discus straight into the ground. However, I watched the whole game tape and Lotulelei’s effectiveness fades in the second half. That seems to be his pattern.
Todd McShay loves Lotulelei too and says the Chiefs could use him as an interior rush lineman to get after the QB. However, he’s not perfect by any means. He typically can’t get tall enough to block many passes because he has short arms. Last year, having “short arms” sent prospect Melvin Ingram’s stock plummeting and the same is likely for Lotulelei.
Rob Rang of CBSSports.com says Star has marginal technique and that he hasn’t developed enough moves yet. Lotulelei should be an excellent DL in the league one day but Walterfootball.com calls him raw and best suited for a 4-3 defensive front.
Hmm, raw? Better suited for the 4-3?
Do you really want another Glenn Dorsey? Or even a Tyson Jackson or Dontari Poe? Since 2008, Clark Hunt has unloaded the Bank of Hunt for the Chiefs Defensive line: 51 Million contract for Dorsey (Dorsey was one of the top 25 richest players in the league at that point), 57 million contract for Tyson Jackson with 31 mil guaranteed, and then there’s the post-CBA bargain contract with Dontari Poe at only 11.32 million (with a 6.67 Mil signing bonus).
Will Clark Hunt want to invest another whopping wad of wealth for a defensive lineman? Will John Dorsey and Andy Reid even think of asking Hunt to do that… when the Chiefs’ best defensive line play is coming from other players not considered Fortune 500 millionaires?
This is a good example of why I don’t buy into it when GMs and coaches say, “We’ll only take the BPA.”
All of the top ten prospects look like they could… succeed… or bust… to the same degree. Including Geno Smith. So, why am I pushing for him to be the Chiefs #1 pick? See number one on this list. Besides, doesn’t the “tie go to the runner?” In this case… the passer.
If the Chiefs don’t take Geno Smith at #1, I’m also convinced that whoever does take him (is there any doubt that Jacksonville will take him at #2?), will make the Chiefs forever regret that they didn’t take him.
Like the Dallas Cowboys, who are forever grinding about passing on Randy Moss. Does Geno Smith have “character issues” like Moss did coming into the league? No. None. The worst criticism I’ve heard is that he was typified as “pouting” during the 4th quarter loss of the Pinstripe Bowl — I saw it when it happened — and he was angry, if anything, and attempting to fire his teammates up.
Geno’s upside is just as high as what we ever thought Moss’ upside was when he entered the league, but aside from their upside there’s not any other reason you should compare Randy Moss and Geno Smith, unless some reckless GM allows him to slide in the draft too.
3. GENO IS THE BEST- Geno Smith is the best QB in this draft.
A. NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks says the best QB is Geno Smith.
B.CBSSports.com say the best QB in this draft is Geno Smith.
C. Self-proclaimed draft guru, Mel “The Sniper” Kiper, says it’s not Geno Smith but, ESPN lists Geno above all other QBs in this draft.
D.Walter Football says the best QB in this draft is Geno Smith.
E. Matt Fitzgerald of The Bleacher Report says: Geno Smith.
F. Dan Hope of the Bleacher Report says its Matt Barkley.
G. SB Nation says it’s Geno Smith.
H. Todd McShay says its Geno but, here’s his explanation of why this year’s QB draft class ranking seems murky.
I. NFLDraftScout.com says its Geno Smith.
J. Gil Brandt- long time Vice President of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys (1960-1989) says the best QB in this draft is Geno Smith even though he doesn’t rank a QB in the top 25. Go figure. One might deduce that the current pro-passing game has passed the 79 year old Brandt by. At least he can see that Geno Smith is the best of all QB prospects.
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Finally, in PART III we’ll show a Comparison and Statistics, the Precedence for Geno Smith being taken #1 in this draft as well as the Ego Hurdle, the Subterfuge, and the Campaign to let Clark Hunt know who Chiefs fans want most. See you tomorrow.