[pugsnotdrugs19]

Insider Mahomes info from Albert Breer:
https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/02/01/su...ys-nfl-coaches

1. What the Alex Smith trade means for the Chiefs. There are a couple pieces of important fallout in the wake of the trade of Alex Smith for Kansas City. And the first is 22-year-old Patrick Mahomes becoming the team’s starting quarterback. Here’s what those inside the building will tell you: He earned it. The Chiefs coaches gave Mahomes the start at the end of the season for that reason. Against Denver in Week 17, he showed them what they wanted to see, protecting the ball, and getting it out on time with a calculated aggression.

“The 40-second process in between is so much smoother,” is how one Chiefs coach explained his progress to me at the time. “Hearing the play, calling it, motions, shifts, Mike (linebacker) IDs, coverage recognition, all of that is much easier for him. Throwing the football has always been the easy part, the fun part for him. He keeps growing with the protections and understanding the why’s—it’s a puzzle for him. And he’s got a lot of pieces left, but he’s way ahead of schedule.”

Before the year, the staff wanted to get Mahomes to the point where, when the huddle broke, he’d be looking at the defense, because he was confident in his knowledge of the offense and the play call. They got him there, and now we’ll all get to see his talent. And based on the circus throws he’s capable of making, that should be fun to watch.

There’s another element to this trade, too, that shouldn’t be overlooked, beyond just the third-round pick (which in essence moved a comp pick the Chiefs would’ve gotten in 2020 up two years). If he can stay healthy, Kendall Fuller will be a very real player for the Chiefs. The frustration of the team’s long search for a corner to play opposite Marcus Peters was illustrated perfectly in the fall by the signing of Darrelle Revis off the street. Fuller should put an end to that frustration, and his presence should allow defensive coordinator Bob Sutton, an aggressive play-caller at heart, to be more creative.

Bolded the part that explains why I believe the redshirt year was a positive overall.