2016 NFL draft: Chiefs quarterback search
By Ben Almquist
Well, you can’t say Ryan Mallett didn’t bring a definitive end to the QB competition in Houston. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
Houston Texans: What a mess. The Texans quarterback situation has just been a nightmare this year. A quarterback controversy over who is worse is never what a franchise wants. Fortunately, Ryan Mallett put an end to the debate by choosing not to show up whenever things didn’t go his way…and not figuratively. That puts the Texans square in the mix for a quarterback in the 2016 draft. There is almost no way that they don’t take someone early.
The pundits have been tying the Texans to Christian Hackenberg for a while now because of his former coach, Bill O’Brien running things in Houston. Sure, it makes sense, but I really don’t see it playing out. We saw a similar situation when Doug Marrone took over in Buffalo and had his former college quarterback, Ryan Nassib, in the draft. Marrone passed on Nassib, and I think O’Brien passes on Hackenberg. The Texans go quarterback very early on, too early for Christian Hackenberg.
Kansas City Chiefs: Can’t leave the good guys off this list. There aren’t a lot of pundits linking the Chiefs to a quarterback right now, and history says that’s a smart bet. Reid has reiterated his commitment to Alex Smith many times, and despite the constant grumbling from fans…the guy has led us to a pair of winning seasons. However, I have contended for a long time now (despite what some folks would have you believe) that Smith is nothing more than a bridge until the Chiefs front office and coaching staff can find a guy they believe in to lead us into the future.
I’m going against history here, but I really like the way things are lining up for the Chiefs in terms of getting a quarterback. A lot of these other teams will pass for various reasons, which means KC could be looking at one of the better prospects being available. If the current CBS chart holds true…that could even be my boy, Connor Cook. This is an ideal situation for the Chiefs to draft a quarterback due to the nature of Smith’s contract. Fingers crossed.
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