In a recent interview with the Kansas City Star, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said it’s too early to tell if Matt Cassel, who is scheduled to make $7.5 million this season, is the answer at quarterback. Whether the Chiefs keep Cassel, trade, draft or pick up a free agent replacement, Reid described the evaluation of Cassel like this to sports writer Adam Teicher.
“We’re evaluating him just like we do a free agent,” said Reid. “That’s what you do, and the thing about that is it takes time. I think he realizes that. That’s how it works when there’s a change.”
Cassel ranked 32nd out of all starting quarterbacks and it would seem improbable that the Chiefs are going to continue to pay for that type of production, or lack thereof. If the Chiefs use the number one draft for a quarterback there are really only three options for the Chiefs.
1. Geno Smith-West Virginia-6’3 220. Early Heisman favorite. Was completing 81% of his passes until the Mountaineers got blown out by Texas Tech and Kansas State. He wasn’t particularly good in their Pinstripe Bowl loss to Syracuse inside a snowy Yankee Stadium.
2. Matt Barkley-USC-6’3 230. Barkley was projected as a top 10 pick that would have been selected after Andrew Luck and RG3 last year, but he returned for his senior season. If the Chiefs look at his junior numbers and look past his senior year, they may be enticed into grabbing another USC alum.
3. Mike Glennon-NC State-6’7 220. He’s the darkhorse in this group. Glennon took over the starting job after Russell Wilson left for Wisconsin. Scouts say when he’s on, he may be the best quarterback in the bunch. However, when he’s off, he’s prone to making mistakes. That may be enough to deter the Chiefs. He may still be a better option than Ricky Stanzi and Alex Tanney if the Chiefs pick up a QB through free agency or trade and he slips down the draft.
