Originally Posted by keg in kc
Quarterback is a deal-breaker, in terms of turning things around. If they don't find a franchise player behind center, they're not going to go anywhere, not in today's NFL. And let's be serious here, has any team valued the position less than Kansas City? Aside from Trent Green for a 1st (and people will debate his value; I think he was more than capable of winning a championship), they haven't made any real effort to reliably shore up the position in the last two decades. We have a long string of other teams' backups, journeymen players, and other bargain basement options.
A retread only works if it's someone along the lines of Drew Brees (or again, Green, although people will still debate his value to this day). And, I'm sorry, but that just doesn't happen very often. It's an aberration, not something you can count on, not a reliable way of doing business. The only way you're going to pick up a starter from another team is either a) when he's on the downside of his career (like Manning), or b) when a team has two starting caliber QBs and they can't keep them both (who's had that since SD in '06?). Aside from that, NFL teams simply do not let quality quarterbacks go. And that's why, when you're in a position to do it, you absolutely MUST draft one.
Which is why, if they're sitting there with the 1st pick in april, and they don't draft a quarterback, then I'm just not going to believe there's any conceivable way that this franchise is going to turn itself around.
And as far as the head coach goes, he's far less important in my mind than whoever they get behind center. Which is not to say he's not very important, but this franchise will continue to swirl around the bowl if they keep running out the kind of quarterbacks that are available in free agency or for 2nd round picks.
This year is their opportunity, and they'd better not waste it. You don't get to pick #1 (or #2, if that's where they fall) very often. Assuming they lose out (which they may not; this franchise loves to shoot itself in the foot) they aren't going to have to move to get it done, so there won't be any real excuses like when Ryan or Stafford went a few picks earlier.
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