Then it’s not a notable accomplishment for Croyle to exceed their passing marks, nor is it a sign that he’s capable of playing the NFL. You’re claiming that someone who’s the best of a mediocre lot (and Alabama QBs since Stabler have been either mediocre or terrible college QBs) is somehow on a par with guys who have shown themselves to be very capable passers. You’re giving him credit for what you perceive as his potential, not on what he’s actually demonstrated he can do.

:P

You had mentioned you saw Chase as a mid-rounder in a different thread, I mis-quoted that as mid-first-rounder lol – my bad, and point taken.

I love Chase Daniel and I am a huge a Tigers fan. The problem is with that when he goes to the combine he is really only 5’11” and he is a system quarterback. He is never up under the center which is where he will have to play in the NFL. He won’t be a first rounder because of that. That draft will be quarterback heavy also.

Because he hasn’t done anything.

But you keep harping on the college stats when they are an extremely unreliable measure. He played in a conservative running offense which means something completely different in college as it does in the NFL.

Also passing stats for teams that pass alot in college can be overblown because most of the CBs are future accountants instead of NFL talent. This explains why so many guys with brilliant college stats bust out in the NFL when they are facing higher levels of competition.

We can talk injuries all day long and that is a good argument. However, injuries have nothing to do with talking about pure talent. Donovan McNabb is extremely injury prone, but is still a great QB. If Croyle has frequent injuries, he’s probably not going to be the guy. But Trent Green was labeled “injury prone” before he came to the Chiefs and started 70 consecutive games.

What does optimism hurt? I don’t have the ability to decide whether he plays or not. As a fan, my only job is to root for my team. Croyle DOES have potential. I noticed him long before the Chiefs drafted him. Stats can be skewed by the offense you are playing in and the talent around you (and the O-line at Alabama was worse than the one the Chiefs had last year).

If you watch college football, you know that there is an enormous difference in talent level amongst the players. Would Brodie Croyle had much better stats in LSU or USCs offenses with those star caliber players rather than the limited talent and offensive scheming he had at Alabama? I think its safe to say yes.

So don’t put too much into those stats and you can’t expect miracles from a guy starting out on a catastrophically poor team with 4th and 5th string RBs. Even players wjho would eventually be as great as Aikman, Elway and Manning could not overcome their own inexperience and poor players around them.

And I agree with your thoughts regarding how elusive a current teammate might be regarding his true feelings about someone’s performance but remember this – statistics are interpreted, and no matter how much we analyze them they can still be made to prove both sides of a point quite often. Reality is that most, if not all statistics are related to more than just one individuals performance.

Sometimes it’s good to get someone who is in a position to judge a player’s intangibles to take a look at them and give their opinion. I will give you that Tony may not be the most objective person to provide that opinion, but there are those experts out there (including some people on the Chief’s coaching staff) who have made that assessment of Brodie, and found him to be starting QB material. I’m not saying that they are all correct, just that they have made that assessment. I for one am interested in hearing what they may have to say. I’m not saying that they are always, or mostly, or even sometimes correct – I know a few ex-NFL players and I certainly like to hear what they have to say about players, and I love hearing what they have heard from current Chiefs players.

One of my good friends who was a linebacker for several years in the NFL and I recently had a discussion about Brodie. There were no stats discussed, this is just what he’s observed himself and heard from current Chiefs players (and these are off-the-record conversations he’s had with them). He has told me more than once that from what he’s seen Brodie can be an average to above average QB in the NFL as long as he gets some protection, stays healthy and is surrounded by average to above average players – which is I think all we as fans can hope for (Joe Montanas and Tom Bradys are few and far between). He says that everyone he has talked to as far as current Chiefs players have indicated the same thing – they think he has an awesome arm, is more mobile than average, and has the brains and demeanor to be a leader on the field. Does that make it true? No. But I value his (and their) opinions, so I am happy to listen/discuss it. Can it all be backed by stats? No. And you have proven time and time again that statistically Brodie is lacking. No, scratch that, he is LACKING. Now at the end of this season you’ll be able to tell me that you told me so, but for now I’m going to listen to what people, including Brodie’s teammates are saying and hope that his statistics on the year end up supporting what they are saying. If they don’t then I’m sure the Chiefs organization with make a change. And if they don’t then we will have a lot to complain about.

All that being said, I would think that someone as well informed and intelligent as you wouldn’t discount a teammate’s perspective based only on the fact that they might or could be skewing it in favor of the player for personal or professional reasons. Certainly you would weigh it according to the context, and I respect you for that, but please don’t totally discount it. I know what several Chiefs players really think of Brodie based on inside knowledge, so even if you don’t believe what they’ve said publicly, please rest assured knowing that they are saying it to friends and family as well.

UC, I understand that none of this can be backed by stats, but can you concede the point that some players are publicly saying that Brodie might not be the second coming of Todd Blackledge without inferring that they are sugar coating the truth, if not outright lying?

Brady wanted to transfer after the season he went 10-3. He started 0-2 the fans wanted Henson. Carr talked him out of transfering but was still platooned with Henson. It took and injury for him to get a shot and he tokk full advantage of it. Dawson wasn’t given a chance for some reason in his first five years in the league. It also took an injury along with the trade. Majikowski was hurt for four games and that is when Favre got to start. Also he was traded for the runningback the Packers drafted the previous year. It still took an injury to get Young on the field. Montana was hurt in the 90 playoffs and he had to miss the whole 91 season and he still hadn’t recovered in time for the 92 season.

You seem to think that I am saying these guys weren’t good. That is clearly not the case. I am simply stating that these guys had some adversity to start there careers and ended up Hall of Famers or will be in Favre and Brady’s case. I am not saying Croyle is as good but I am saying he could be. I am not saying he is going to the Hall. That takes a special kind of player. Maybe someday you will find that ferrari :).