Tyler Bray: He is the Future
Posted by: Connor Dawson June 11, 2013
Chief Concerns: Connor Dawson
As an athlete, you have to be patient. In college you work your tail off to develop your skills to the point that you have the ability to showcase your talents to professional scouts at a high level. In the NFL, those hundreds of football players have to sit through seven rounds of pure mental exhaustion, hoping and praying for a call from one of those professional teams.
In 2013, eleven Quarterbacks were selected in the NFL Draft. The University of Tennessee was not represented on that list.
Tyler Bray was the Quarterback at Tennessee.
After not being drafted, Bray was left to test the time of free agency. Luckily for Bray, he was picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs. For him, it is just another opportunity to prove himself. But how does Bray stack up, historically, against other undrafted Quarterbacks?
In the NFL, undrafted players are likely to either make the practice squad or, more frequently, cut from the team. For Bray, he has the chance to prove that he can be second on the depth chart. Yes, second on the depth chart. With Alex Smith on the roster, it is clear that Bray won’t be a starter. But with Chase Daniel and Ricky Stanzi also on roster, he can quickly move up the depth chart.
Daniel has struggled so far in his short time with the Chiefs. He has appeared to be unsure with his throws, inaccurate, and has shown a lack of arm strength. Although he is likely to be second in command, he hasn’t proved much as a Chief. In my eyes, he is being overpaid for what he is supposed to provide. He doesn’t have a great body, considering the size of our line, and he seems to be very stout in the pocket. He almost reminds me of Todd Reesing from KU, except heavier.
Bray has the potential to surpass Daniel on the depth chart quickly. Bray has shown himself to have good posture and stance in the pocket. His vision seems to be more extended than Daniel as well. Also, with his his increase in reps, Bray seems to be gaining the confidence of the Chiefs coaching staff. Bray possess a better skill set than Daniel, it just needs to be tamed. In all honesty, I would expect Bray to see more action in preseason than Daniel.
Stanzi’s future isn’t looking so bright. He has seen a significant decrease in reps at practice and Bray has outplayed him in every facet. The problem with Stanzi is he hasn’t developed. Although I believe that Stanzi deserved more playing time, maybe even one chance, he has declined in his play. After an unimpressive preseason last year, Stanzi’s days as a Chief have seemed to fade away. Bray will pass Stanzi on the depth chart, and Bray’s play could end Stanzi’s time as a Chief.
Overall, we need to see that Tyler Bray is developing very quickly. We have to see that he isn’t your average undrafted Quarterback. Will he be the next Kurt Warner or Warren Moon? Probably not. But is he on the path to a solid career? Absolutely. When training camp comes around, I urge you to take a trip to Missouri Western State and watch this guy. He is getting better everyday and he will develop into a good Quarterback. You should be excited, Chiefs fans.