Teicher:Chiefs like what they’ve seen so far from QB Alex Smith

[Tribal Warfare]

Chiefs like what they’ve seen so far from QB Alex Smith
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
The trade for quarterback Alex Smith might take another year or more to adequately assess, but at least from their part, the Chiefs may not feel the need to wait. Quarterbacks coach Matt Nagy came close to calling it a success after practice Thursday.

“He’s been everything that we thought he was,’’ Nagy said of Smith. “He’s a true professional. He’s in his (playbook) every day. He’s always asking questions, trying to get better. He’s being a leader for the other (quarterbacks) as well.’’

Smith, like the other Chiefs quarterbacks, has had his successes and failures on the practice field. He is learning a new offensive system under a new set of coaches and throwing to a new set of receivers.

Smith and his teammates are prohibited under NFL rules from working in pads, so at this time of year, practice is conducted at something less than full speed, and a better quarterback evaluation is generally done at training camp, when teams are allowed to hold padded practice sessions.

Most teams are generally pleased with their quarterbacks at this stage, when there is no defensive pressure for them to worry about. The Chiefs, for instance, were content with Matt Cassel at a similar point after trading for him in 2009. Once the games began, Cassel never developed into the player they thought he could become, and in March he was released.

The Chiefs believe they already have an accurate grasp of what Smith is capable of in a physical regard, having watched on tape all of his games as a starter with the San Francisco 49ers. But none of their key offensive figures, including Nagy, coordinator Doug Pederson or coach Andy Reid, who will call the plays, had any experience with Smith, so they weren’t certain what they would get from their new starting quarterback in terms of preparation and work habits.

That part of Smith’s game has provided them with some relief.

“He’s comfortable with what we’re doing,’’ Pederson said. “He’s understanding the terminology, and he’s orchestrating that at the line of scrimmage. We’re really pleased with where he’s at right now.’’

Those intangibles were the unknown.

“I’m with him every single day,’’ Nagy said. “Just talking X’s and O’s and past experiences he’s had, he brings some good things to our attention as a staff. He has a lot of valuable experience. He’s been through a lot. Having those experiences and coming in here to a team with a new staff, it’s been an awesome experience. Throughout this process, we’re taking in what he has, he’s taking in what we have, and we’re putting it all together and trying to make this work.

“When he’s out here on the practice field, he’s a leader. The guys look to him. The quarterback position is so important to be that leader, whether it’s vocally or by your play. He does both of that. Having him be able to do that and have some of these younger guys look up to him, that’s what we need, and that’s what we expected he’d have and he does have that.’’

In return for Smith, the Chiefs sent their second-round pick in this year’s draft plus a third-rounder next year that converts to a second if they win eight or more games this season. Smith would be worth any price if he becomes the long-term solution at a position that has been most elusive for the Chiefs.

“It’s been great,’’ Smith said of his first few practices with the Chiefs. “It’s been football. I’ve been itching for this for a long time. I was sitting there watching a lot of football at the end of last year. I’ve said this before: This is what I wanted, and now it’s here. I’m just trying to make the most of it.’’

The Chiefs also signed former Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel to be Smith’s backup, even though he’s thrown only nine passes in four seasons behind Drew Brees for New Orleans.

“It’s evident he’s been with such a great quarterback in Drew,’’ Nagy said. “He comes in and he’s very cerebral with the protections. He understands the game and he’s a competitor. He pushed Drew Brees every day in practice, and that’s what he’s going to do here with Alex.’’

Ricky Stanzi and rookie Tyler Bray are the other quarterbacks. Stanzi, who has been with the Chiefs for two seasons without getting into a regular-season game, began the offseason as the third quarterback, a significant fact this time of year only because he will get more snaps in practice.

Bray and Stanzi have since flipped spots, with Bray getting more practice snaps.

“I want to see each guy every day getting better,’’ Nagy said. “If one is a little bit behind the other, I want to see who that is and I want to see if he’s going to improve. Is he getting better? If he’s going backwards, that’s not what we want. Let’s see him improve.

“Let’s not put them against each other right now. Let’s just see where they’re at individually, and if you get better, that’s great. We’ll go from there.’’

[Tribal Warfare]

The collective false hope rhetoric is on full now

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

The collective false hope rhetoric is on full now

Rinse and repeat. How many times?

Just maybe, hopefully, I wish, please make it work this time.

[In58men]

Would they say anything different?

[BlackHelicopters]

Pulitzer Prize winning journalism

[lcarus]

Smokescreen for Geno

[Chiefs Pantalones]

Every time I get excited that football is only a couple months away I remember our QB situation and get depressed. It's like dementia or something. I really hope Smith is the answer. But I've seen this movie before and won't expect a different ending until it happens.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by Chiefs Pantalones

Every time I get excited that football is only a couple months away I remember our QB situation and get depressed. It's like dementia or something. I really hope Smith is the answer. But I've seen this movie before and won't expect a different ending until it happens.

[RealSNR]

The trade for quarterback Alex Smith might take another year or more to adequately assess,

Now do you ****ing idiots see why trading for him without investing in a high-profile rookie was a terrible idea?

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by SNR

Now do you ****ing idiots see why trading for him without investing in a high-profile rookie was a terrible idea?

Per the entire NFL, there was no high-profile rookie QB.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by Dave

Per the entire NFL, there was no high-profile rookie QB.

Matt Barkley was sitting right there.

What, is the late 3rd round pick still "TOO RISKEE"

[Messier]

Originally Posted by SNR

Matt Barkley was sitting right there.

What, is the late 3rd round pick still "TOO RISKEE"

I guess he's high profile, as in we know his name.

[RealSNR]

Originally Posted by Messier

I guess he's high profile, as in we know his name.

Compare Matt Barkley to other 4th round QBs in years past. You're telling me there's no difference between him and those guys?

QBs fell in this draft. But you can't deny the huge change in perception between last year and this year. And yes, that absolutely affects player judgments and evaluations.

In any case, Matt Barkley would have had his ass on the bench for at least a season or two. He might not have worked out, but he's got a better shot at being the QB we need over Tyler freakin Bray. And when you get into the 3rd round and you have the shit that we do for QBs, that draft pick is worth it each and every time.

Yes, Barkley would have been high profile.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by SNR

Now do you ****ing idiots see why trading for him without investing in a high-profile rookie was a terrible idea?

It depends. I don't think Smith will take long to assess. He's not the answer. The question is, is Reid's new pistol offense the answer. Because even if Smith is mediocre in a very smart offensive scheme, it gives Reid/Peterson experience running a potentially groundbreaking offense.

Frankly, I'm more intrigued by Chase Daniel. And I'm not a Mizzou fan. The other curious thing about the Pistol is it will be much easier to find a steal of a young QB in upcoming drafts.

[Fat Elvis]

Originally Posted by SNR

Now do you ****ing idiots see why trading for him without investing in a high-profile rookie was a terrible idea?

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/york-je...093400476.html

New York Jets' rookie quarterback Geno Smith finally got down to business on the practice field and started impressing some people Thursday. Playing with the first-team offense against the first-team defense, he started to show some of the abilities that made him one of the most highly discussed prospects prior to the recent NFL draft.

First Team? Bring It On!

As reported by Manish Mehta of NYDailyNews.com and confirmed by Kenneth Arthur of SBNation.com, Smith received first-team reps in Thursday's OTAs. Clearly, coaches Rex Ryan and Marty Mornhinweg were not kidding when they said this would be an open competition right from the get go.

With a new West Coast offense being installed, it would be great for the Jets if they could choose their quarterback as soon as possible, thus giving maximal practice time to the eventual starter. It already appears to be down to two quarterbacks, the rookie Smith and the veteran Mark Sanchez.

With Smith already getting his first-team reps in May, this could be interpreted as a sign that by July or August it will already be his offense.

Cool Under Pressure

As usual, one of the themes at this year's OTAs is the defense outplaying the offense. It is part of being the Jets in the Rex Ryan era. The defense and especially the heavily-loaded defensive line are going to continue to make things challenging for the developing offense.

Nevertheless, Geno Smith handled the pressure quite well. According to Brian Bassett of TheJetsBlog.com, he completed an impressive eight out of nine passes, despite facing pressure and being sacked twice.

The ability to complete passes when hurried is beyond crucial in the modern NFL. With the imbalance between passing and running, especially on third downs, it is necessary for quarterbacks to be able to handle obvious passing situations and opposing blitzes. Sanchez has been criticized in the past for his inability to deal with intense pressure. If Smith continues to handle pressure with ease, that could be a push in his favor.

Leaning the Other Way

Before OTAs, the incumbent Sanchez supposedly had a 'leg up' in the competition. Are things now leaning the other way?

Whenever a rookie quarterback gets first-team reps this early in the year, it is bound to be taken as a sign that he is getting very serious consideration to be the starter. After four years with Sanchez, it is safe to say that some fans have lost patience with his development and would welcome a change.

There are still plenty of wrinkles left to the situation. The wide receiver group will be changing soon. Santonio Holmes is still recovering from last year's foot injury, and Stephen Hill is just now starting to come back from a minor knee injury. The team's new UDFA receiver Marcus Davis should be learning the offense soon and getting more involved. Obviously different receivers can mean different results for the quarterbacks.

To add an extra wrinkle, No. 9 overall pick and cornerback Dee Milliner is getting healthy and should make an appearance relatively soon. The Jets' quarterbacks get the reprieve this year of not having to practice against Darrelle Revis. It will be interesting to see if Milliner is able to affect the situation when he joins in.

For the moment, it is still an open competition, but Geno Smith is starting to impress some people. If he is intimidated, he is not making it obvious.