Dorsey shares a few thoughts on the QB class

[Quesadilla Joe]

From Albert Breer's MMQB column.


http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/03/06/m...owns-nfl-draft

Spoiler!

After spending a week in Indianapolis, and four days last month in Mobile, I’d tell you there are five quarterbacks with a shot at going in the first round—Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer, Texas Tech’s Pat Mahomes, North Carolina’s Mitchell Trubisky, Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, and Cal’s Davis Webb.

In what order, I don’t know. And I don’t think NFL teams have that figured out yet, either. But some themes to the class have emerged.

“First off, what stands out, I think there’s only one guy that’s ever taken a snap from under center,” Chiefs GM John Dorsey told me. “How about that one? It shows how we’re evolving into a spread-option era. Then, what you have to analyze is can they spit out a play in the huddle? If you look at the majority of these guys, everybody’s signaling everything in from the sideline.

“These are the types of things people are looking for as they sit and they talk to these players. Can they sit and regurgitate an offensive play? That’s hard to do, especially in (our) system, it’s really hard to do. But on the whole, they’re a more athletic group.

“Are there any finished products here? I don’t think so. So where are the warts, and are you willing to live with the warts? That’s what people are asking.”

I then asked Dorsey if any of the quarterbacks are ready to play. He smiled and said, “Me personally?” Then a long pause, another smile, and a “No.”

Again, that doesn’t mean there’s not plenty to like with the group, and more to dissect. So I asked one AFC personnel director to break down for me what he saw from the quarterbacks. He missed Webb, but got the other four. Here are his notes, with the caveat he wanted to emphasize—these guys are throwing different routes to receivers they don’t know …

• Kizer: Big, strong, good arm and velocity. Smooth release. Inconsistent feet, timing and accuracy. Had the same misses on multiple reps.

• Mahomes: Tight release, but thought he would be more consistent and better throwing deep.

• Trubisky: Athletic, good arm strength. Some inconsistency in accuracy and timing and deep ball.

• Watson: Very consistent, athletic. Easy motion. Easy ball to catch.

A winner for the week? It was Watson. He blew teams away in interviews to the point where I know a couple clubs that weren’t wild about him were anxious to go back and take a second look at the tape to see if they missed on their evaluation. And his field work was very good.

I wrote last month that Trubisky was the leader to be the first quarterback taken, and I still think that’s probably the likelihood. But Watson has gained some ground.

[BryanBusby]

Don't think he's going to value drafting a FS as high as you are anticipating. He's a wizard at finding DB's and there's bigger matters to attend to before that.

They also seem to be full on RB by committee mode so I don't expect a high choice being spent on one. Especially in this draft.

QB, run-stuffers and pass-rushers will be priority IMO

[RunKC]

This draft reminds me of 2011. Deep draft, tho this one is deeper, with QB's that nobody is very sure about.

Some of these 1st rd QB's will flame out like Gabbert and Ponder but you can really develop one if you have a good staff/roster (see Andy Dalton/Colin Kaepernick).

Chiefs got some damn good talent after missing badly on Baldwin. Houston and Hudson are elite at their positions, Bailey is really good.
Hoping we can have a draft like that, but with our own Dalton/Kaepernick.

[kcchiefsus]

Originally Posted by -King-

Isn't that what Oakland and Dallas did with Carr and Prescott? You don't see how hypocritical you're being?
Posted via Mobile Device

Dorsey has put us in this position by waiting far too long to finally address the position. What happens when it's 2018 and we still have no succession plan after Smith? Dorsey would be fine with letting the board fall as it will if he had addressed the position ahead of time. Instead he's left us in a situation where we're very close to being desperate for a quarterback. What's the likely outcome in that scenario? Finding the next Alex Smith/Matt Cassel. Rinse and repeat, it's the Chiefs way.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by kcchiefsus

Dorsey has put us in this position by waiting far too long to finally address the position. What happens when it's 2018 and we still have no succession plan after Smith? Dorsey would be fine with letting the board fall as it will if he had addressed the position ahead of time. Instead he's left us in a situation where we're very close to being desperate for a quarterback. What's the likely outcome in that scenario? Finding the next Alex Smith/Matt Cassel. Rinse and repeat, it's the Chiefs way.

How has Dorsey put us in that position? Like I said, the only QB he's really missed out on is Carr. 1 miss in 4 years is pretty good QB evaluation.
Posted via Mobile Device

[kcchiefsus]

Originally Posted by -King-

How has Dorsey put us in that position? Like I said, the only QB he's really missed out on is Carr. 1 miss in 4 years is pretty good QB evaluation.
Posted via Mobile Device

Prescott and Bridgewater (who was developing nicely before his injury)

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

I did love last year, when he baited Denver into pissing a first away on Lynch.

Please stop with this fantasy. Or, will someone "bait" Dorsey in to drafting a QB? Please?

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

The whole 'secret meetings with Marcus Peters so teams wouldn't know the Chiefs liked him' thing wasn't good enough for you?

What are you babbling about?

And the smart money was on Joekel in the Fisher draft.

EVERYONE knew they were going fatty with that pick. Reid said as much before the draft. That they picked the polka-dotted fatty over the striped one means jack-shit.

When did he tip his hand at all on the Ford pick?

CLEARLY an alternate pick, as all the good receivers were gone.

In short, precisely what the **** are you talking about?

Exactly what I said; they broadcast their every move and hide nothing.

[staylor26]

Originally Posted by Dagnabit

Please stop with this fantasy. Or, will someone "bait" Dorsey in to drafting a QB? Please?



What are you babbling about?



EVERYONE knew they were going fatty with that pick. Reid said as much before the draft. That they picked the polka-dotted fatty over the striped one means jack-shit.

CLEARLY an alternate pick, as all the good receivers were gone.



Exactly what I said; they broadcast their every move and hide nothing.

Holy shit you're reeruned.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by BigMeatballBillay

Way more talented draft class next year and 2 good free agent QBs. No need to reach in this draft with all the talent at various positions.

This is said every year and every year that QB class from last year sucks. Rinse and repeat.

[RunKC]

In 2015 Watson and Kaaya were getting pub for being great QB prospects over Carson Wentz.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by kcchiefsus

Even if there is a winner or two to be found at QB in this draft you can be sure Dorsey will be incapable of doing so.

Your Dorsey hate is misplaced.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by kcchiefsus

Prescott and Bridgewater (who was developing nicely before his injury)

So he missed out on a 4th rounder and a QB who was correctly evaluated as being a injury risk because of his skinny legs?

Seriously?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Sweet Daddy Hate]

Originally Posted by staylor26

Holy shit you're reeruned.

GREAT rebuttal, Sir ****lestick!

[Chief Northman]

Originally Posted by Dagnabit

Please stop with this fantasy. Or, will someone "bait" Dorsey in to drafting a QB? Please?



What are you babbling about?



EVERYONE knew they were going fatty with that pick. Reid said as much before the draft. That they picked the polka-dotted fatty over the striped one means jack-shit.

CLEARLY an alternate pick, as all the good receivers were gone.



Exactly what I said; they broadcast their every move and hide nothing.

Jesus man, you haven't been following along if all this is news to you. DJ is spot on here.
Nobody called Chris Jones or Dee Ford. Some were on to Peters but many said the Chiefs would never risk a high pick on a character concern player....and now we get Tyreek Hill too. Dorsey is anything but predictable.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by -King-

So he missed out on a 4th rounder and a QB who was correctly evaluated as being a injury risk because of his skinny legs?

Seriously?
Posted via Mobile Device

A 4th rounder that 31 other GMs passed on 3 times.

[RunKC]

After spending the entire weekend reporting about the Chiefs’ interest in quarterbacks, I was alerted Monday morning to the following quote from Chiefs general manager John Dorsey about the readiness of this year’s quarterback class.

Here’s what Dorsey told Albert Breer of MMQB.com:

“First off, what stands out, I think there’s only one guy that’s ever taken a snap from under center. How about that one? It shows how we’re evolving into a spread-option era. Then, what you have to analyze is can they spit out a play in the huddle? If you look at the majority of these guys, everybody’s signaling everything in from the sideline.

“These are the types of things people are looking for as they sit and talk to these players. Can they sit and regurgitate an offensive play? That’s hard to do, especially in [our] system, it’s really hard to do. But on the whole they’re a more athletic group.

“Are there any finished products here? I don’t think so. So where are the warts, and are you willing to live with the warts? That’s what people are asking.”

“These are the types of things people are looking for as they sit and talk to these players. Can they sit and regurgitate an offensive play? That’s hard to do, especially in [our] system, it’s really hard to do. But on the whole they’re a more athletic group.

“Are there any finished products here? I don’t think so. So where are the warts, and are you willing to live with the warts? That’s what people are asking.”

I (Breer) then asked Dorsey if he thought any of the quarterbacks are ready to play. He smiled and said, “Me personally?” Then a long pause, another smile, and a “No.”

It’s a good quote. But when it comes to the Chiefs’ interest in selecting a quarterback high in this draft, I wouldn’t read too much into it.

First, I diligently asked many of the quarterbacks if they had formal interviews with the Chiefs at the combine, and six of them said yes, which is unusually high to me. I didn’t get to talk to all of them, so there could be more (Virginia’s Tech’s Jerod Evans said he didn’t interview with the Chiefs). And before you say “every team meets everybody,” I again will say that is not the case. Not formally. Every team only gets 60 formal interviews at the combine, and the last three years, the Chiefs have a drafted a number of players they’ve formally interviewed. So that matters.

Second — and most importantly — the Chiefs do not need a quarterback to be ready right now. Despite the Tony Romo speculation and barring an unforeseen development, Alex Smith will start in 2017. Andy Reid has said it, John Dorsey has said it and Clark Hunt has said it. Publicly. If Smith is not the starting quarterback then it won’t be a good look for any of the Chiefs’ leaders.

The Pittsburgh playoff game notwithstanding, the feeling here is Smith deserves one more year. They’ve invested four years in his development and he’s 41-20 with three playoff appearances. Does he need to make more plays? Yes. But with Alex Smith and Andy Reid, you’re going to finish with a winning record in 2017 barring an unforeseen disaster. That, and overall organizational consistency, matters to ownership.

Smith also knows there is pressure to win. At the Pro Bowl, where he confirmed he was told he would be the starting quarterback in 2017, he said this to me:

“If I were running a team, of course you would continue to bring in young talent — are you kidding me, the quarterback touches the ball every single play. It’s hard to develop guys, it’s hard to find guys. Every year, you want to be taking a shot — that’s just smart football.”

It’s almost like Smith was prepared for the possibility that the Chiefs would draft a quarterback.

When I asked him about his status in 2018, he shook his head and replied that no one is guaranteed to be anywhere in this league more than a year. I took that to mean that he knows he has to get it done this year or the team will continue to seek upgrades.

Now, more than ever, it makes sense for that potential upgrade to come via the draft. There are three reasons for that:

1. Dorsey and Reid believe in building through the draft. It’s easier to develop a player when you’re the first voice they had coming into the league.

2. Money. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported that Tampa Bay Bucs backup Mike Glennon could get $14 million or $15 million per year on the open market. A quarterback drafted at the Chiefs’ 27th overall spot would be cost controlled for at least four years. The cap numbers for Paxton Lynch, who went 26th overall to Denver last year, are as follows — $1.7 million (2016), $2.1 million (2017), $2.5 million (2018), $3 million (2019).

That’s a bargain, especially if you trust your scouts to identify talent and coaches to develop it, like the Chiefs do. It would also be a cost-controlled move for a team that has been up against the salary cap for years and has lots of money committed to Justin Houston, Eric Berry, Eric Fisher and Travis Kelce.

3. The Chiefs were interested in Lynch last year. I’ve heard that from multiple sources. The Chiefs still need another premium talent in the pipeline, and though they remained enamored by Tyler Bray’s arm strength, adding another guy to the mix would make sense.

So that’s why I’ve been hitting the quarterback train so hard. That’s why I went to see the quarterbacks throw at the combine. That’s why I wrote about Deshaun Watson and why I asked Dorsey two days before that about what he looks for in quarterbacks*.

*Mental toughness, mental quickness, athletic feet, arm strength and accuracy, by the way.

The truth is no one knows what the Chiefs will do. Dorsey and his team are very good at keeping their thought processes quiet, especially when it comes to the draft.

The Chiefs could pass on this year’s QB crop, explore mid-to-late round options, and hold off to 2018, where Southern California’s Sam Darnold — whose name came up a ton in Indy — likely awaits some lucky teams. They could even sign a free agent.

But again, I think the Chiefs drafting a quarterback in the first or second round is a legit possibility because it makes too much sense.

Now, Dorsey is right: these guys all have warts, and none — with the possible exception of Pitt’s Nathan Peterman, a high-floor guy who has grown on me — is ready to take some snaps early.

But the good news for the Chiefs is that they don’t need a quarterback to be NFL-ready if they draft one early.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...#storylink=cpy

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