Draft Profile: Geno Smith

With this installment of the Draft Profile Series we will take a look at the man who was statistically the best quarterback in all of college football: Geno Smith. Obviously, the Chiefs have a need at the quarterback position, but whether or not Geno Smith is the best option in Kansas City remains to be seen. We will take a look at his season statistics and the one thing keeping him from being a guarantee as a quarterback in the NFL.

Geno Smith:

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There is no argument to be made against Geno Smith for being the best statistically performing quarterback in 2012. However, Smith faded at the end of the season, which could trouble scouts and teams interested in drafting him. Regardless, Smith managed to put up some impressive numbers, including throwing for 4,205 yards and forty-two touchdowns to only six interceptions. His 7:1 touchdown to interception ratio was unmatched in college, and he also showed off his incredible accuracy. In fact, he was above 87% completion in four different games, and he was above 95% in the season finale against Kansas (going 23-24). Smith also showed the ability to be mobile, rushing for a couple of touchdowns, so the question remains: Why isn't he a lock for the number one pick in the draft?

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The reason that Geno Smith isn't the perfect quarterback is because he was inconsistent during the season, especially against good teams. For example, against Baylor Geno Smith put up eight touchdowns, threw for over 650 yards, and completed over 88% of his passes, but against Kansas State, he threw for two interceptions and only completed around 65% of his passes. This inconsistent play was a theme of Smith's 2012 season, as he eclipsed the 350 yard mark in four games, but failed to reach 300 yards in six others. He also had five games with four or more touchdowns, yet five games with two or fewer touchdowns. The discrepancies between his best and worst games are troublesome, but the Chiefs have the coaching staff in Kansas City to transition him into the NFL.

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Geno Smith is an interesting entity, because he contains mobility, arm strength, and accuracy, but it remains to be seen if he is the best option for the new quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs. With players such as Tyler Wilson, Michael Vick, and Alex Smith (pictured above) floating around, Geno Smith could become an afterthought, but he may be the real prize of this draft.

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Finally, the same things that worked in favor of Tyler Wilson (pictured above) work in favor of Geno Smith. Teams love to draft and mold their own quarterbacks, and you have to consider the fact that historically, teams overreach for quarterbacks in the draft. Geno Smith's combine will be very important to determine his draft position, and he will likely participate in many workouts with the staff of the Kansas City Chiefs. Chiefs' fans should familiarize themselves with Smith, considering that there is a fairly significant possibility that the Chiefs will draft him with the number one overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Draft Profile: Tyler Wilson

A major problem the Chiefs faced in the 2012-2013 season was getting consistent play out of the quarterback position. While there are multiple free agent and trade options for Kansas City (to acquire a quarterback), sometimes the best option is starting fresh with a young rookie, and building him up into the face of the franchise. This post will center on Tyler Wilson, who has appeared to leapfrog Geno Smith as the Chiefs number one choice at quarterback.

Tyler Wilson:

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Wilson's season was below average, as his team went 4-8, and Wilson had a worse season than the year before, so it is hard to see what could make him a possible number one overall pick. Well, a few things work out in his favor. First of all, despite having a down year, he was in no way bad. He completed over 60% of his passes, and had twenty-one interceptions to just thirteen turnovers.  Furthermore, he only took fourteen sacks, twelve less than the previous year, and that number is made all the more impressive considering that he plays in the SEC, the toughest conference in all of football.

Wilson threw for nearly 3,500 yards, but the question still remains, how could he be a better option that Geno Smith? His situation is unique, because in the 2011-2012 season, Wilson was named to the All-SEC team, and he was projected as the first pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Wilson played through injuries and dealt with team members who did not always perform at their highest, leading his stats to suffer.

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Wilson's stock has been on the rise as he has impressed many scouts at the practices for the Senior Bowl.  CBS Sports' Rob Rang noted that since becoming fully healthy Wilson has "showed better than expected accuracy on the move", adding that he was "hitting open targets deep right and shallow left" with precision and ease. The 6'2 quarterback from Arkansas certainly has the tangibles, and his skill is starting to shine, which could lead to him being drafted instead of Geno Smith, who had a phenomenal year in college.

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Another thing that is in the favor of wilson is that he plays the position of quarterback, and he is entering a passing lead.  Historically speaking, teams overreach in the draft if they feel there is a quarterback of the future, and while Wilson may not have the talent of an Andrew Luck or Cam Newton (pictured above), he may be selected with that same number one overall pick. Wilson's performance in the Senior Bowl and the NFL Draft Combine will have great impact on where he is taken in the draft, but if Wilson's practices are any indication of where he is as a quarterback, then he may very well be worth the number one overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Draft Profile: Luke Joeckel

In the next few weeks this blog will analyze the upcoming draft. We will look at the players the Chiefs might take with their number one overall pick. Obviously, a team like the Chiefs (that goes 2-14) has many holes, and with those holes come many possibilities. We will start with Luke Joeckel, who has been a standout lineman with Texas A&M, and has already declared for the 2013 NFL Draft.

Luke Joeckel:

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Luke Joeckel was the star left tackle for Texas A&M in the previous season, and he will look to take his talents to the NFL. There is a very strong possibility that the Chiefs draft Joeckel, and there are numerous reasons why that decision would be a good one. None of those reasons are greater than the success of Johnny Manziel (pictured below). Manziel, who is known by the nicknames of "Johnny Football" and "Johnny Heisman", had an incredibly successful season that included a win over Alabama, who went on to win the BCS National Championship. Manziel had numerous achievements, including setting the NCAA record for rushing yards by a quarterback, setting the NCAA freshman record for total yards in a season, and becoming the first player in SEC history to throw for 3,000 yards and pass for 1,000 yards in a season. Manziel got the glamor and the Heisman, but most of his success was due to the spectacular offensive line play, led by Joeckel.

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Joeckel has not missed a game since his freshman season, and he has a ton of experience blocking against NFL prospects coming out of the SEC. Joeckel has had major success every year. As a freshman, he led a rushing attack that gained over 165 yards per game. As a sophomore, he was picked to the "All-Big 12 Team", and since then he has not looked back. As a junior Joeckel is projected to go first in the draft to Kansas City, and the reason is because he is one of the most "polished linemen" to come out of college in a long time. He also racked up some trophies of his own, as he received the Outland Trophy (best offensive lineman in the nation) and was a consensus All-American.

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The Chiefs have a serious need for offensive lineman, and Luke Joeckel could be the player they have been waiting for. Last year the Chiefs struggled with depth on the offensive line, as they saw players such as Rodney Hudson, Ryan Lilja (pictured above), and Brandon Albert fall to injury. Now that Lilja has moved on, the Chiefs need to find a guard, and should they draft Joeckel, the Chiefs will likely slide either Winston of Albert over to guard to make room for the rookie out of Texas A&M. Joeckel could really help, especially if the Chiefs find a quarterback in free-agency, because he could be the key piece of the offense for both running and passing plays this season. It'll be interesting to see who the Chiefs look at, but they will not study any player more than Joeckel.

Reid-ing ahead

The Chiefs made the hire of the offseason when they acquired Andy Reid, but the hire will affect so much more than just the coaching. This hire of such a great coach has moved the franchise in a new direction, resulting in the departure of Scott Pioli and the hiring of new personnel, such as Bob Sutton, Doug Pederson, and Matt Nagy, and the likely hiring of Brad Childress. In this post we will take a look at some of the new members of the coaching staff, and how they will impact the team in the upcoming season.

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Andy Reid: The big prize of free agency was Andy Reid. The man has a ridiculous resume, and it was quite shocking to many when he came to Kansas City.  In fact, it had already been reported that there was a ninety-five percent chance that Reid would take the job in Arizona, when Clark Hunt flew to Philadelphia and met with Reid for a meeting that lasted nine hours. The rest is history, as the Chiefs landed their coach, and may have just brought the franchise back to contention in the AFC West. Reid has a career record of 140-102-1 (10-9 in the playoffs), which is absolutely spectacular, but even more impressive, he only had two losing seasons in his twelve years in Philadelphia. Nine times the Eagles made the playoffs, and they reached five NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl. The Eagles won a playoff game in seven different years under Reid, which the Chiefs have not done since January 16, 1994. That makes nearly twenty years without a playoff win, and to add some perspective to that number, Joe Montana was the starting quarterback and Mitch Holthus had not yet called a game for the Chiefs. Reid has brought in some spectacular coaches along with him.

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Brad Childress: Childress will likely be added as an offensive consultant this year, rather than as the offensive coordinator. Childress has had a solid career up to this point, that includes marks such as multiple NFC Championships and a Super Bowl appearance. Childress has a career record as a head coach as 40-37, which includes three playoff games. Childress, along with Andy Reid, has been credited with developing Donovan McNabb, who made five Pro-Bowl appearances under his coaching. He will be integral in the process of finding a new quarterback this year. Furthermore, once the Chiefs sign or draft a quarterback, Childress will have a big role in working with him and helping to find plays to fit his abilities.

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Doug Pederson: Pederson has been hired as the new offensive coordinator for the Chiefs, and he will likely work closely with Brad Childress to return Kansas City to a top offensive team. Pederson has a lot of experience with quarterbacks, considering that he was one, and that he played alongside Brett Favre for most of his career. Since then he has spent time as the offensive quality control coach and quarterbacks coach of the Philadelphia Eagles with Andy Reid. You should start to notice a theme here. Not only have a couple of these men served with Andy Reid, but both have experience with quarterbacks. Considering that the NFL has become much more pass oriented, with new rules in place to protect the quarterback and wide receivers, it appears that the best way to guarantee success is through the passing game, which is why Pederson will be right at home in Kansas City.

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Matt Nagy: The new QB coach in Kansas City is Nagy, who is somewhat of an Arena Football legend. Nagy had nearly 20,000 passing yards in his career, and threw for 374 touchdowns to only fifty-five interceptions. Nagy spent his coaching time with Andy Reid in Philadelphia, like Pederson and Childress, but his path was a little different. After the Eagles were unable to nab Nagy as a backup quarterback for Kevin Kolb, they pursued and managed to sign him as a coaching assistant, and soon after, he filled the role of the recently promoted Doug Pederson, becoming the offensive quality control coach. Nagy was a very smart quarterback, and should fit perfectly as the quarterbacks coach in Kansas City.

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Bob Sutton: Sutton has spent the past twelve years as an assistant for the New York Jets, and most recently he was the assistant head coach and linebackers coach. Sutton has had a lengthy career; perhaps his greatest accomplishment was winning coach of the year in college, when he coached Army to a 10-2 record and a bowl game. Sutton has spent time in just about every role available, and that experience will prove invaluable as he takes over a defensive unit that has three Pro-Bowlers (possibly up to four or five depending on who makes the Superbowl), and plenty of young, fresh talent. Sutton will likely move the Chiefs to a 4-3 defense, which should only improve the ability of the Chiefs to stop opposing teams.

Many of the new coaches were part of the team that developed Donovan McNabb, and combined with the fact that they all have great experience, fans should have reason to hope. No one thinks the turnaround is going to come overnight, but if the Chiefs could manage to sign or draft a solid quarterback, they could be set for years and years to come.

Cleaning House

The Chiefs are in full rebuilding mode as Clark Hunt made the decision to relieve Romeo Crennel of his duties as coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. This first move was very predictable, but fans will not be eased until Hunt makes the decision to fire the team's GM, Scott Pioli. Many fans are in fact furious by Hunt not firing Pioli immediately following the 2-14 season that saw the Chiefs became the worse team of all football. Hunt has taken an interesting approach to the "Pioli problem", in that he is refusing to face it. This new approach taken by Hunt has appeared to many to be a cowardly one, and has created much discourse among fans of the team. Hunt's approach is one that has never been seen before in the NFL; he is going to choose the next head coach of the team, overruling Scott Pioli, and then allow the coach to decide whether or not Pioli remains on the staff. However, this idea causes many problems:

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The first reason the idea is doomed to fail is because numerous coaches and players have come out and said that they want nothing to do with Scott Pioli, and many will not even talk with the Chiefs' management until he is gone. In fact, Peyton Manning (pictured above), who is a Pro-Bowler and candidate for the leagues Most Valuable Player award this season, recently said in an interview that he refused to consider coming Kansas City this last off season because of  the man in charge of the decision making, Pioli.

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The second reason that this tactic is a big mistake is because it will allow Hunt to have full power over the next coach of the Chiefs, and Hunt lacks the experience needed to make the decision. Clark Hunt took over when his father, Lamar Hunt (pictured above), became ill, and since then has shown little to no involvement.  The fact that he now feels that he can go out and find a coach is laughable because many owners, including his father, would have already had a coach lined up. Clark Hunt is risking the success of the franchise for many years to come on the ability of himself to judge a coach, and he has done nothing to instill faith in the fans with any of his previously made decisions.

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Another flaw shows in the fact that Hunt will likely look for a coach who says that he will be able to work with Pioli. Whether or not Clark Hunt likes Pioli, it appears that he has already given him an extension, so getting rid of him could cost the team an amount of money as high as eight or nine million dollars. Even though Hunt is the owner of a very successful franchise and is well under the salary cap, he doesn't want to lose money, and this may bring a bias to the search that could potentially destroy the hope carried on by the fans of Kansas City, especially if Pioli swings his weight and gets Clark Hunt to pick Kirk Ferentz (pictured above), who is a close friend of Pioli and the Head Coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes. Their friendship has long been suspected as the reason that Pioli has brought in multiple players from Iowa, including Ricky Stanzi who has never played in any NFL game.

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Finally, this idea could be an absolute disaster if Hunt hires someone such as Ferentz or Atlanta Falcons' Offensive Coordinator, Dirk Koetter (pictured above). If either one of these men were picked they would lack the authority to dismiss Pioli, coming from places of less authority, and Pioli would be allowed to remain on staff and would therefore draft for the Chiefs in a year that they have the number one overall pick in the draft. This should scare Chief fans because the positions they desperately need are at the quarterback and wide receiver positions, positions that Pioli has failed to draft time and time again.

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Pioli has drafted numerous busts and flops at the wide receiver position. His previous selections at WR have been Deion Branch, David Givens, Bethel Johnson, Derrick Alexander, Chad Jackson, Matt Slater Quinten Lawrence, Jonathan Baldwin, Devon Wylie, and Junior Hemingway. This should trouble fans because in his ten tries at finding a receiver he has only been able to find one decent performer in Branch (pictured above), who in his prime was a second option at best. None of these receivers have broken in to the league, and several have found there way out of the NFL.

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Quarterback is another area that Pioli has struggled to judge. His QB picks have included Rohan Davey, Kliffs Kingsbury, Matt Cassel, Kevin O'Connell, and Ricky Stanzi (pictured above). All of those names sound familair? You wont find any of them in Canton, nor will you see any of them win an MVP or lead their team to a championship. Even the most knowledgeable fans would fair to recognize some of those names, and that is for a good reason; Pioli has been unable to draft a franchise quarterback.

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The fact that Pioli isn't already gone is a bad sign, but what Clark Hunt has said in his interviews are a far worse one. The owner of the Chiefs is clearly out of his element and simply has no idea what he is doing. He recently said that he hopes to have a new coach brought in by February, despite the fact that he made the decision to let Romeo Crennel (pictured above with Scott Pioli) go long ago. Hunt doesn't have anyone ready to step in right away, and that is a problem, but Hunt hasn't even looked at anyone, and that is just terrifying. Normally an owner would have guys lined up, but Hunt has to first find people, and somehow keep Pioli from scaring them off. This is a very ominous sign for the team, and could ultimately lead to years of obscurity and mediocrity.