Kansas City Chiefs Draft Rumors: Quarterback In Round One?
By Ben Nielsen
Dec 5, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Louisville Cardinals quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) hugs his mother after defeating the Cincinnati Bearcats 31-24 at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Kansas City has not selected a quarterback in the first round since 1983. Will the streak end in 2014? Rumors say there is a chance.
Team that will consider a 1st-round QB: The #Chiefs. Negotiations with Alex Smith aren’t progressing well. Must keep long-term options open
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 5, 2014
Count Chiefs as sleeper QB team, depending how 1st round falls. Andy Reid history, even if it's 2nd or 3rd rd. Carr among QBs linked.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) May 2, 2014
There are a couple of ways to look at this, with the most obvious being this is a smoke screen by the Chiefs in an attempt to trade down. The best scenario for the Chiefs to get someone to trade up to 23 overall is if one of the top quarterbacks in the draft falls to them on Thursday. There are certainly other very good players in the draft who could muster up offers, but a top quarterback is more likely to get Kansas City what they may want in a deal.
What works in Kansas City’s favor is there is a legit reason for the Chiefs to take a quarterback early, and the their is a history with John Dorsey taking quarterback when the immediate need does not exist. Kansas City has nothing behind Alex Smith at quarterback with serious starting potential for the 2015 season. This puts the Chiefs in a bind when it comes to contract negotiations. Drafting a Teddy Bridgwater – who only a few short weeks ago was considered a potential number one overall pick – would give the Chiefs a security blanket for the near future or a valuable trade piece is Alex Smith pans out.
Keep this quote from Jay Glazer in mind about John Dorsey when it comes to pre-draft chatter:
"“It was great because everybody had just put in their mock drafts. And all of a sudden, boom, I come out with Fisher’s going to be the number one pick and every mock draft in the world is screwed up,” Glazer said. “I knew the information and was trying to make sure it’s current and make sure it’s solid and they absolutely are doing it. They did an unbelievable smokescreen on that. The Chiefs had people fooled. They should have worked for the government last year. “"
It is difficult to really know what the Chiefs are thinking heading into the draft. These quarterback rumors only make it more complicated.