Late night bullshit: The Alternate Route

[Direckshun]

I know it's not a late night yet but whatever.

I think one of the things we picked up from the Bengals this past year is that if you don't have a "The Guy" for your chasm-wide QB hole in the first round, taking a second-rounder that you fully believe in can produce fairly successful results.

Say what you will, but right now Andy Dalton is riding a wave of goodwill. With a shit run game and only one receiver (two if you count Gresham), he put in a good season as The Guy.

He worked harder than everybody, proved to be smarter than all of his rookie QB colleagues, and hit the gym immediately to build and NFL body.

Now he heads into this season, with two first-rounders the Bengals could use to fortify his weaponry.

I think this has a valuable lesson: a second-rounder you fully believe in is usually as good as a first round prospect.

Don't take that the wrong way. Elite talent at the QB position is the way to go -- but spending that first rounder on a death plunge of a developmental QB is no better than spending it on a second-rounder you believe can win in this league, and fits every ounce of criteria that you love in a prospect.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs still need to fortify that defensive line once and for all. The quarterback and the defensive line must be settled for the next few years if the Chiefs are going to win in the postseason for years to come.

So, ladies and gentleman, I present to you: The Alternate Route.

Instead of investing everywhere but the QB in 2012, and hope we can get the QB we want in the QB-rich 1st round in 2013 (when we'll probably be drafting in the low- to mid-twenties), how about we take the current course of action:

2012 1st rounder: invest in Brockers, Still, and/or Cox, whichever five tech Pioli & company thinks is the best ten year starter.

2012 2nd rounder (or trade up to the bottom of the 1st if need be): QB Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

I know we hate the idea of his age, blah blah. But he's a year younger than Cassel, and about as NFL ready as Cassel is. Let's take a guy who can ascend, go through progressions, have that killer instinct, have multiple-year experience as being The Guy in the locker room, with an incredible arm (best in the draft), and fearless in the face of the passrush.

Weeden has some footwork issues, but his throwing motion is flawless (former Yankees pitcher). He's also a team captain with "plus plus" intangibles. He out-dueled every single elite prospect this year: Luck, RG3, Tannehill. And he plays better when the stakes are high.

Best of all: he is an incredibly hard worker. Which will be needed if he wants to transition seamlessly to an NFL offense, and build an NFL frame (he's a light 6'4, 215 lbs).

2013 1st rounder: there will be three NTs with first round grades coming out in 2013.

Johnathon Hankins, Ohio State -- Absolute animal with some passrushing ability. Top 10 pick?
Star Lotulelei, Utah -- Very Chiefs-friendly. High character, popular with teammates, astronomical upside.
Kwame Geathers, Georgia -- Massive mountain of a man (6'6, 350 lbs), experience as 3-4 nose.

Ladies and gentleman:

QB and DL have been fixed in two years with minimal transition.

Weeden gives us his rookie contract and a short second contract while we continue to build for the future and continue taking stabs at QBs in future drafts.

Our DL is massive: Brockers/Lotulelei/Jackson. Powerful run stuffers across the board, with some shake and bake on passing downs with Bailey and Gilberry.

I can feel you all beaming with pride about how much you love this idea.

Let me shower in your praise.

I will accept the Key to ChiefsPlanet should you all feel so inclined.

OHHH OHHH

I forgot the best part: Drafting Weeden, with a perfect backup in Quinn already on hand, and a developmental guy in Stanzi..........





















......allows us to cut Cassel. And invest fully in Weeden.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Wallcrawler

Id like to see what Stanzi can do, considering we never gave him a chance last year. I dont really have a lot of faith in our coaching staff offensively though. Zorn is about the only one with a clue, but he can only do so much.

Crenell and Daboll, those guys collaborated before when Romeo's first tenure as a head coach ended in disaster.

I wanted a nose tackle to shore up that DL once and for all, but it looks like the better choice is to go after someone like Keeklee. Cant spell dude's name, but thats how you say it.

I wouldnt be averse to drafting Decastro at 11 either. Sure, its high to take a guard there, but if he's as good as theyre saying it would be pretty dumb to pass on that kind of talent, especially when it could turn our once laughable O-line into a freaking meat fortress with the addition of DeCastro and Winston.

Thats hard for me to pass up. I remember the 90's when the Chiefs had the best o-line in football. It got taken for granted by me, thats for sure.

Here's the deal: I'm not opposed to giving Stanzi a chance under center if he can earn it.

But I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Stanzi is not the next Tom Brady.

Doesn't mean I don't like him, I do. But he's probably not Tom Brady.

And I'm not going to sit on the sidelines of the QB market if I don't have to simply because of Stanzi.

If you need a QB, you get a QB if you can.

I happen to think we can get a first-round talent at a bargain, simply because people are prejudiced against his age.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by O.city

I've asked a few times but can't really remember the answer.

What knocked Stanzi to the fifth last year? I mean if guys like Osweiler and Cousins are getting second round grades this year, what happened last year?

I don't know if we know.

I had him graded as a second round pick last year.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by O.city

I've asked a few times but can't really remember the answer.


What knocked Stanzi to the fifth last year? I mean if guys like Osweiler and Cousins are getting second round grades this year, what happened last year?

What got Tom Brady knocked to the 6th round?

I'm not saying one equals the other. I'm saying good QBs sometimes fall through the cracks. Teams maybe really need offensive line depth. Or secondary depth. Or maybe they're like the Chiefs this year and they already have a developmental prospect from last year on the roster.

[Direckshun]

Think of it this way.

The Chiefs trade from their position at #44 to get into the mid-20s to get Weeden.

I know it's a tough trade to make for the guy, but you GOTTA OVERPAY FOR QUARTERBACKS.

To do that would require something like 300 points. So let's overcompensate by trading away our 3rd this year and our 2nd next year.

Onward:

1. Brockers
1. Weeden
4. FS Trenton Robinson, Michigan State
5. RB Vick Ballard, Mississippi State
6. CB Asa Jackson, Cal Poly
7. OG Adam Gettis, Iowa
7. WR Elvis Akpla, Montana State (for Nightfyre)

Next year, bring on Lotulelei at nose.

QB: Weeden, Quinn, Stanzi
RB: Charles, Hillis, Ballard, McCluster

WR: Bowe, Baldwin, Breaston, Akpla, McCluster
TE: Moeaki, Boss, Maneri

LT: Albert
LG: Lilja, Gettis
C: Hudson, Gettis
RG: Asamoah, Gettis
RT: Winston

DE: Brockers, Bailey
NT: Lotulelei, Powe
DE: Jackson, Bailey

OLB: Hali
ILB: Belcher
ILB: Johnson
OLB: Houston

CB: Flowers, Routt, Arenas, Daniels, Jackson, Brown
S: Berry, Lewis, Robinson

In 2013, draft some depth across the LB corps and keep plucking away in free agency.

[keg in kc]

So we've gone from taking methuselah in the 2nd to trading up and taking him in the first?

Yeah.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

So we've gone from taking methuselah in the 2nd to trading up and taking him in the first?

Yeah.

Optimistically, we would take him in the 2nd.

I'm just playing out a scenario where our hand is forced to move.

[Direckshun]

God you guys are lame tonight.

[beach tribe]

I've really studied Weeden, and to say he out-dueled those guys is just plain wrong.
Did his team win. Yes they did. But other than Blackmon beast mode-ing on people Weeden looks like hot wet garbage.

[Sorter]

I'm not sure why you would rather trade up for a 29 year old QB this year as opposed to trading back, securing ammo to trade up and draft either Wilson, Bray, Murray, or Barkley(extremely unlikely). Yes, I realize trading down requires finding a partner. Most likely, either Coples, Ingram, Tannehill, or Kuechly will be available at our position. Someone might just want to jump ahead.

[Easy 6]

I knew Weeden was an older guy... but only ONE year younger than Cassel, coming into his rookie season?

Brockers might be a potentially stellar end, but that still leaves just unproven Powe as my prototype plug... i WANT that type of Wilfork, Hampton, Washington guy in this defense & will hear no other arguments about it.

[beach tribe]

He sucks nuts IMO.

[Sorter]

Originally Posted by scott free

I knew Weeden was an older guy... but only ONE year younger than Cassel, coming into his rookie season?

Brockers might be a potentially stellar end, but that still leaves just unproven Powe as my prototype plug... i WANT that type of Wilfork, Hampton, Washington guy in this defense & will hear no other arguments about it.

Just silly. We were in sub packages 60% of the time, usually a 2-4-5 look. Why would you burn a 1st round pick on someone who would probably play 1 down for us?

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

He sucks nuts IMO.

Ick. I feel no pressing desire to draft this guy at all. That was a very unimpressive performance by Weeden. Winning the game has nothing to do with some serious problems with his accuracy under pressure.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by beach tribe

I've really studied Weeden, and to say he out-dueled those guys is just plain wrong.
Did his team win. Yes they did. But other than Blackmon beast mode-ing on people Weeden looks like hot wet garbage.

How did the Stanford game end?

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Sorter

I'm not sure why you would rather trade up for a 29 year old QB this year as opposed to trading back, securing ammo to trade up and draft either Wilson, Bray, Murray, or Barkley(extremely unlikely).

Because I fear (a.) they might not all come out, and (b.) there could be a fire sale on those guys, and we'll be stuck with our dicks in our hands because we're drafting at #23 and lack sufficient ammo to compete.