Chiefs Mellinger: In the Jets, there's a lesson for Chiefs fan about taking the safe route - Page 10

Deberg_1990 · 10-30-2014, 07:49 PM

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...le3481340.html

In the structure of the modern NFL, the most important decision a franchise can make is who plays quarterback. Two years ago, two franchises walked away from this decision on two very different paths.

The Chiefs played it safe, were largely criticized for it, then made the playoffs and have a chance to do it again this season. The Jets took the gamble that many in Kansas City had been screaming for, and are now 1-7 in what is a virtual certainty to be a fourth consecutive season without the playoffs.

They will play this weekend at Arrowhead Stadium in what for Chiefs fans could be fairly called The Upside of Boring.

Boring hardly ever plays well with sports fans, right? We want bold, we want daring. We want to toast those with enough guts to go for it all and laugh at the cowards who don’t.

But when it came time for the Chiefs’ new power structure to choose a quarterback, they did it with all of the flair of a ham sandwich.

They traded for a known commodity in Alex Smith, a man who had demonstrated what scouts often call “a high floor” but also “a low ceiling” which is often translated by fans and media as “weak sauce.” Then, when Smith performed well in their system and with their coaches, they signed him to a long-term extension for a higher salary than two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning, among others. Solid, logical, conservative thinking.

This has always been the Chiefs’ way. Trading for the 49ers’ backup quarterback is a time-honored tradition here.

One of the byproducts of this approach is a fan base that often clamors for bold, for daring, for, come to think of it, what the Jets sometimes do.

Two years ago, the same offseason when the Chiefs traded for Smith, the Jets were coming off 6-10 and also needed a quarterback. They’d drafted Mark Sanchez four years earlier with the fifth overall pick and watched him deteriorate from promising to an unplayable mess. They felt a compelling need to upgrade, to find the quarterback of their future.

Many around Kansas City wanted the Chiefs to draft Geno Smith, the three-year starter at West Virginia who completed 67 percent of his passes for 98 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

Full disclosure, I was in that crowd, at least until hearing from league insiders who questioned his drive, personality and ability to read defenses, among other things. Every draft prospect is questioned, obviously, but there was something different about the tone and scope of the criticism of Smith. It’s one reason he fell into the second round, and surely one reason the Chiefs went with a different Smith at quarterback.

Coincidence or not, Geno Smith has been fairly terrible in his short time in the NFL. He’s thrown 19 touchdowns and 31 interceptions. By passer rating, Total Quarterback Rating, and the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders, Smith is either the worst, second-worst, or third-worst quarterback this season.

He was benched this week. Michael Vick, who has completed 26 of 56 passes this season, will start instead.

Think the Jets would like that pick back?

Alex Smith was the top overall pick in the 2005 draft, but generally lacks the type of elite, obvious, natural ability that fans and scouts like in brand name quarterbacks.

The story about the Chiefs’ Smith is often the story about what he isn’t. He’s a good athlete with a great feel for the pocket, but can’t really be called elusive. He reads defenses well and is usually quite accurate, but has occasional lapses and doesn’t throw the best deep ball.

The Chiefs lost at the goal line as time expired in Denver, and with an interception on their final drive in San Francisco. The quarterback is the one who gets the most credit when things go well (like the two-minute drill that won a game in San Diego) and the one with the most blame when things fail. That’s part of the job description.

But in Smith’s case, it misses the point that the Chiefs are 11th in the league in scoring with a flimsy group of receivers and an offensive line that struggles in pass protection.

Jamaal Charles is the star of the offense, obviously, the one defenses plan for every week. But Smith makes enough good decisions, and is reliable enough with short and medium-range passes, to keep the offense moving and — through a season and a half in Kansas City — the Chiefs winning.

Now, clearly, the Chiefs would love to draft and develop their own quarterback. That has proven to be the most successful way to find a top passer and win Super Bowls.

But the Chiefs picked first overall the year after Andrew Luck. They went boring, and traded for a guy who led them to the playoffs. The Jets reached, and drafted a guy they just benched.

Boring is better, sometimes.

saphojunkie · 10-31-2014, 01:38 PM

I want us to draft a first round QB so badly it hurts, but it's ridiculous that the Chiefs could literally draft a Jamarcus Russel type bust, and that would placate posters like Discus Thrower.

It shouldn't be about drafting a QB in the first. It should be about getting a franchise QB. It just so happens that a first round pick is statistically the best way to get one. But I don't give a shit if they trade for him or sign him off the street.

Or trade two second round picks to the San Francisco 49'ers.

Just get a guy who will win a super bowl. Everything else is just noise.

temper11 · 10-31-2014, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

I still maintain that Geno Smith's fate was sealed BECAUSE he was drafted by the Jets.

That's what Mellinger fails to understand. Did it ever occur to them that Rex Ryan is a shitty head coach? That NY doesn't develop QB well? That between the media and the meadowlands and the poor front office decisions, that the Jets are historically bad at giving a young QB the right environment for maturing into a quality leader?

If Geno Smith had been drafted by a patient franchise that could handle him correctly, given offensive coaches that knew what the hell they were doing, and was allowed to sit and learn for a couple of seasons, he might have had a different story.

But that's not what happened. He's a bust. He's a bum. He sucks.

That's the story of Geno Smith. But I still believe it didn't have to be.

This.

Just Passin' By · 10-31-2014, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

I want us to draft a first round QB so badly it hurts, but it's ridiculous that the Chiefs could literally draft a Jamarcus Russel type bust, and that would placate posters like Discus Thrower.

It shouldn't be about drafting a QB in the first. It should be about getting a franchise QB. It just so happens that a first round pick is statistically the best way to get one. But I don't give a shit if they trade for him or sign him off the street.

Or trade two second round picks to the San Francisco 49'ers.

Just get a guy who will win a super bowl. Everything else is just noise.

BryanBusby · 10-31-2014, 01:51 PM

I don't believe Mellinger was saying that the safe route is the best choice always and forever.

Basically he was saying sometimes it's best to past on the dream girl if you hear that her vagina is blown out like a spare tire that has been used for 12 months and thousands of miles and is covered in da herps for the safe route. That tire is Geno Smith.

People should back off the ledge if they think he is definitely verbally blowing Alex Smith.

Marcellus · 10-31-2014, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by temper11

This.

Is a bunch of crap.

Geno has the exact same issues he did the second half of his senior season. He knows what the issues are but cant correct them because that's who he is.

**RealSNR** · 10-31-2014, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunKC

I wanted to draft Tyler Wilson for later and trade Alex smith for the present. But okay.

When the idea of trading for Alex Smith was proposed in the regular season, NOBODY but n00bs and 12-year olds liked it.

People eventually warmed up to the idea, some faster than others, but the universal reaction across the board was **** NO

BigCatDaddy · 10-31-2014, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pasta Giant Meatball

Chiefs Planet is awful at evaluating QB play. Just unbelievably bad....End of thread and every other one like it

In our defense it's not like we've seen many good ones up close and personal. Joe Montana and Trent Green in my lifetime. About what 6-7 seasons worth.

Reerun_KC · 10-31-2014, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigCatDaddy

In our defense it's not like we've seen many good ones up close and personal.

even if you did you would still **** it up....

Sandy Vagina · 10-31-2014, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Is a bunch of crap.

Geno has the exact same issues he did the second half of his senior season. He knows what the issues are but cant correct them because that's who he is.

I would agree with this. I keep hearing Rex Ryan, Jets.. never had a chance.. blah blah...

The reality of it is.. Geno had plenty of talent around him. He just couldn't keep from making the huge, game-changing mistakes. Stupid decision-making put him on the bench... not the Jets.

I say this while acknowledging that he's very young. Not at all hating on him or condemning Geno's career. He still could learn from his stupidity and become a quality starter.... maybe... but I wouldn't bet money on this happening. Just as I thought of him as a prospect.. I am skeptical that he has the mental makeup to strengthen through this process. If I turn out to be wrong later, hey, good for him.

saphojunkie · 10-31-2014, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

That's the whole ****ing point. I am capable of acknowledging that what I want might not be what is best.

RunKC · 10-31-2014, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNR

When the idea of trading for Alex Smith was proposed in the regular season, NOBODY but n00bs and 12-year olds liked it.

People eventually warmed up to the idea, some faster than others, but the universal reaction across the board was **** NO

After the first rd was over everyone reasonable was like "well this is one shitty draft class for QB's, no less players in general."

Sandy Vagina · 10-31-2014, 03:12 PM

If it hasn't been posted in some other thread.... (from AP)

Quote:

Berry will return to the field on Sunday against the New York Jets, Andy Reid confirmed on Friday.

Reid did say that Berry would play but he did not say whether Berry would start the game.

**Easy 6** · 10-31-2014, 03:33 PM

God bless Norm, one of the most underrated funny guys of all time, I'll never forgive Lorne Michaels for letting NBC pressure him into dumping Norm over the OJ jokes.

Matter of fact, I'm gonna let my old pal Lorne know just how I feel about it... he put me and kept me on his front page of friends on Myspace, so yeah, we're pretty tight.

edit* dammit SNR, now MY post looks outta place!

temper11 · 10-31-2014, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Is a bunch of crap.

Geno has the exact same issues he did the second half of his senior season. He knows what the issues are but cant correct them because that's who he is.

I disagree... the kid obviously has talent. You don't get to where he is without talent. He just isn't the rare, 1 in a million, person that can step onto any football field day one, regardless of scheme and personnel, and magically turn a franchise around.

Like most of these QB's out of college, they would benefit tremendously if they were afforded the opportunity to develop behind a veteran for at least a year (I'd actually like to see Rookie QB's "red-shirt" in the NFL for a year) and then give him a coach/coordinator that understands his strengths as well as his "issues" and 1) coaches him up and 2) puts him in the best position to succeed. With QB's I personally think it is rarely the QB that busts but rather the environment that he is thrown into. I think it is incumbent upon the organization to know all of that before they select in the draft to make sure the QB and the system/coach are a good fit. Otherwise you are just wrecking a potential career.

Just Passin' By · 10-31-2014, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Is a bunch of crap.

Geno has the exact same issues he did the second half of his senior season. He knows what the issues are but cant correct them because that's who he is.

He's a one read QB who's not particularly accurate, and who folds under pressure. Those QBs don't generally improve, at least not early on. People who think the kid would have made it somewhere other than NY (though I'm sure NY isn't helping) are people who insist that he'd have been that special snowflake.

10-30-2014, 07:49 PM
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $3884454	Mellinger: In the Jets, there's a lesson for Chiefs fan about taking the safe route http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...le3481340.html In the structure of the modern NFL, the most important decision a franchise can make is who plays quarterback. Two years ago, two franchises walked away from this decision on two very different paths. The Chiefs played it safe, were largely criticized for it, then made the playoffs and have a chance to do it again this season. The Jets took the gamble that many in Kansas City had been screaming for, and are now 1-7 in what is a virtual certainty to be a fourth consecutive season without the playoffs. They will play this weekend at Arrowhead Stadium in what for Chiefs fans could be fairly called The Upside of Boring. Boring hardly ever plays well with sports fans, right? We want bold, we want daring. We want to toast those with enough guts to go for it all and laugh at the cowards who don’t. But when it came time for the Chiefs’ new power structure to choose a quarterback, they did it with all of the flair of a ham sandwich. They traded for a known commodity in Alex Smith, a man who had demonstrated what scouts often call “a high floor” but also “a low ceiling” which is often translated by fans and media as “weak sauce.” Then, when Smith performed well in their system and with their coaches, they signed him to a long-term extension for a higher salary than two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning, among others. Solid, logical, conservative thinking. This has always been the Chiefs’ way. Trading for the 49ers’ backup quarterback is a time-honored tradition here. One of the byproducts of this approach is a fan base that often clamors for bold, for daring, for, come to think of it, what the Jets sometimes do. Two years ago, the same offseason when the Chiefs traded for Smith, the Jets were coming off 6-10 and also needed a quarterback. They’d drafted Mark Sanchez four years earlier with the fifth overall pick and watched him deteriorate from promising to an unplayable mess. They felt a compelling need to upgrade, to find the quarterback of their future. Many around Kansas City wanted the Chiefs to draft Geno Smith, the three-year starter at West Virginia who completed 67 percent of his passes for 98 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. Full disclosure, I was in that crowd, at least until hearing from league insiders who questioned his drive, personality and ability to read defenses, among other things. Every draft prospect is questioned, obviously, but there was something different about the tone and scope of the criticism of Smith. It’s one reason he fell into the second round, and surely one reason the Chiefs went with a different Smith at quarterback. Coincidence or not, Geno Smith has been fairly terrible in his short time in the NFL. He’s thrown 19 touchdowns and 31 interceptions. By passer rating, Total Quarterback Rating, and the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders, Smith is either the worst, second-worst, or third-worst quarterback this season. He was benched this week. Michael Vick, who has completed 26 of 56 passes this season, will start instead. Think the Jets would like that pick back? Alex Smith was the top overall pick in the 2005 draft, but generally lacks the type of elite, obvious, natural ability that fans and scouts like in brand name quarterbacks. The story about the Chiefs’ Smith is often the story about what he isn’t. He’s a good athlete with a great feel for the pocket, but can’t really be called elusive. He reads defenses well and is usually quite accurate, but has occasional lapses and doesn’t throw the best deep ball. The Chiefs lost at the goal line as time expired in Denver, and with an interception on their final drive in San Francisco. The quarterback is the one who gets the most credit when things go well (like the two-minute drill that won a game in San Diego) and the one with the most blame when things fail. That’s part of the job description. But in Smith’s case, it misses the point that the Chiefs are 11th in the league in scoring with a flimsy group of receivers and an offensive line that struggles in pass protection. Jamaal Charles is the star of the offense, obviously, the one defenses plan for every week. But Smith makes enough good decisions, and is reliable enough with short and medium-range passes, to keep the offense moving and — through a season and a half in Kansas City — the Chiefs winning. Now, clearly, the Chiefs would love to draft and develop their own quarterback. That has proven to be the most successful way to find a top passer and win Super Bowls. But the Chiefs picked first overall the year after Andrew Luck. They went boring, and traded for a guy who led them to the playoffs. The Jets reached, and drafted a guy they just benched. Boring is better, sometimes.
Posts: 66,914

10-31-2014, 01:38 PM	#136
saphojunkie MVP Join Date: Aug 2011 Casino cash: $4626550	I want us to draft a first round QB so badly it hurts, but it's ridiculous that the Chiefs could literally draft a Jamarcus Russel type bust, and that would placate posters like Discus Thrower. It shouldn't be about drafting a QB in the first. It should be about getting a franchise QB. It just so happens that a first round pick is statistically the best way to get one. But I don't give a shit if they trade for him or sign him off the street. Or trade two second round picks to the San Francisco 49'ers. Just get a guy who will win a super bowl. Everything else is just noise.
Posts: 12,583

10-31-2014, 01:51 PM	#139
BryanBusby In Search of a Life Join Date: Mar 2006 Casino cash: $3759900 VARSITY	I don't believe Mellinger was saying that the safe route is the best choice always and forever. Basically he was saying sometimes it's best to past on the dream girl if you hear that her vagina is blown out like a spare tire that has been used for 12 months and thousands of miles and is covered in da herps for the safe route. That tire is Geno Smith. People should back off the ledge if they think he is definitely verbally blowing Alex Smith.
Posts: 22,218

10-31-2014, 03:33 PM	#148
Easy 6 pie is never free Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: the drivers seat Casino cash: $3597775	God bless Norm, one of the most underrated funny guys of all time, I'll never forgive Lorne Michaels for letting NBC pressure him into dumping Norm over the OJ jokes. Matter of fact, I'm gonna let my old pal Lorne know just how I feel about it... he put me and kept me on his front page of friends on Myspace, so yeah, we're pretty tight. edit* dammit SNR, now MY post looks outta place! Last edited by Easy 6; 10-31-2014 at 04:45 PM..
Posts: 91,813