Drafting a backup Quarterback

via blog.seattlepi.com

We can always keep our current roster of QB's but to my knowledge, Croyle or Gutierrez either one has not shown the promise of one day taking over our Franchise.

I know you cant put too much stock into a late round QB one day becoming a starter in this league, but I am going to take the few that have and run with it.

Tom Brady - Round 6

Drew Brees - Round 2

Matt Schaub - Round 3

Brett Favre - Round 2

David Garrard - Round 4

Matt Hasselbeck - Round 6

Doug Flutie - Round 11

Joe Montana - Round 3

Johnny Unitas - Round 9

Kurt Warner - Undrafted

Our very own Matt Cassel - Round 7

This is just a list to prove my point of never underestimating the value of a late round QB. It doesnt happen that often but it has happened to Scott Pioli twice. Let's face the facts. Pioli doesnt spend high draft choices on QB's, never has and according to his history probably never will.

Lets dive into the draft pool and look at the QB that are projected to go Round 3 or later. Info via CBSsports.com

Dan Lafevour Central Michigan 6'3 229 Projected Round 3 - 4.72 forty

Accuracy: Runs a spread with a lot of four and five-receiver sets. High completion percentage reflects the offense's quick, short passes, but generally puts the ball where he wants to when set in the pocket

Arm Strength: Lean quarterback with very average arm strength.

On the Move: Fair mobility within the pocket, keeps his eyes downfield and will move around to find a passing lane

Intangibles: Four-year starter who helped the Chippewas become a bowl-worthy program. Well-respected in the locker room

Grbac's two cents - Lafevour looks great. I think he even hops over guys like Pike and Tebow. My thoughts is that he goes earlier then expected because he looks to be a starter within a year of being drafted. Most likely out of our drafting range.

Jarrett Brown West Virginia 6'3 219 Projected Round 3-4 - 4.62 forty

Accuracy: Needs work to make all of his throws on time and on the numbers

Arm Strength: Very good arm strength, and can make all of the NFL throws. Able to throw a rope across the field or let it loose downfield

On the Move: Makes nice touch throws on the run, even 30 or more yards downfield. Keeps his shoulders square, and has good zip on the ball when running to his right.

Intangibles: Tough player who doesn't rattle easily; willing to take hits or give them out when he leaves the pocket.

Grbac's two cents - Jarrett Brown is a project. He has the arm to make it in the NFL. Does he have the desire and the passion to wait and learn while sitting the bench? Could be a hit or miss. Has met with Chiefs.

Jonathon Crompton Tennessee 6'3 222 Projected Round 3-4 - 4.79 forty

Accuracy: Made significant improvements in this area as a senior, but remains highly inconsistent

Arm Strength: Strong arm. Can make every NFL throw without extending his windup

On the Move: Among his most impressive traits. Good balance on the rollout. Keeps his eyes downfield and has the arm strength and accuracy to attack in the short and intermediate levels.

Intangibles (On/off field leadership, competitive fire, work habits, off-field issues, intelligence, ability to play through pain)

Grbac's two cents - Crompton just seems a bit too inconsistant to me. Has met with the Chiefs. I would go for him in Round 6 or later.

Jevan Snead Mississippi 6'3 215 Projected Round 4 - 4.74 forty

Accuracy: Lacks a bit on accuracy but has plenty of time to improve.

Arm Strength: This is his best asset. His arm strength could rival anyone in the draft.

Grbac's two cents - Snead threw for 2762yrds 26td 13int in his sophmore season with Ole Miss. His Junior year he went backwards posting 2632yrds 20td 20int. This is actually good for teams looking for a steal. Jevan Snead has all the tools needed to succeed at the next level. His arm strength sets him apart from the others. He needs some time to learn the details of the position before he can step in and take over. He is one of my favorites for a project that can lead a team one day.

Sean Canfield Oregon St 6'4 221 Projected Round 5 - 4.96 forty

Accuracy: Good to very good accuracy on the variety of NFL-caliber routes in this offense

Arm Strength: Doesn't own a howitzer, but has plenty of arm strength to make every NFL throw, including the deep out from the opposite hash

On the Move: Lost approximately 20 pounds during the 2009 offseason to improve his mobility.

Intangibles: Highly touted prep prospect who graduated from high school a semester early to begin work on the complicated OSU pro-style offense.

Grbac's two cents - Canfield is a lefty, he had left shoulder surgery in 2007. That worries me about him. Otherwise could be a decent backup.

Zach Robinson Oklahoma St 6'3 210 Projected Round 6 - 4.82 forty

Accuracy: Only average overall accuracy. Able to consistently hit his man, but too often forces his receiver to adjust his route

Arm Strength: Doesn't own a howitzer, but has enough arm strength to be a successful NFL passer

On the Move: An underrated component to his game. Not a true scrambling threat, but is willing to step up into the pocket to evade the outside rusher

Intangibles: Highly respected by fans, teammates and coaches. Versatile athlete who saw time for the Cowboys at quarterback, wide receiver and running back.

Grbac's two cents - Robinson look good in the Senior Bowl, however he is making a transition from a spread in college. He could potentially start in the NFL one day if given the time to develop. Good looking project.

John Skelton Fordham 6'5 244 Projected Round 6-7 - 4.88 forty

Accuracy: Accurate enough to give his receiver a chance to make a play after the catch whether on a quick screen, out route, slant, fade or throw down the seam

Arm Strength: Throws 45-50-yard passes with little effort, but he rarely takes full advantage of his arm strength. Ball gets from hash to opposite sideline in a hurry when he steps into the throw

On the Move: Mobile for his size and able to throw accurately on the run in either direction. Squares his shoulders when throwing on the run

Intangibles: Two-year captain who leads his offense on and off the field. Quiet with the media but vocal on the field. Has the work ethic and intelligence to become an NFL starter

Grbac's two cents - Skelton is a big QB. He is very close to Big Ben's size. He has the tools but is coming from a small school and small talent on the other side. You cant always discount the small school guys though, Flacco and McNair to name a couple.

Mike Kafka Northwestern 6'3 216 Projected Round 7 - 4.88 forty

Accuracy: Generally puts the ball on his targets within 10-12 yards, and can throw the medium out, but is not deadly accurate

Arm Strength: Only adequate arm strength despite his size. Good zip on the many short passes against zones, enough to at times fit the ball in between defenders

On the Move: Although not overly quick, he can pull the ball down and make some yards with his feet. Willing to go through the middle and lower his head for a first down.

Intangibles: Intelligent player capable of understanding and running a pro-style offense. Confident, but considers himself a conduit to getting the ball to playmakers. Plays tough, taking hits on sacks and running plays but bouncing up

Grbac's two cents - Here is a guy I really like. He showed a lot of poise and leadership in the East West Shrine game. He is a guy I could see landing in KC as a project. The it factors are written all over him. That means throw all the stats and combine numbers out the door because he shows himself best during a game. He threw 5int against Auburn but also threw for 532yrds in that game. Overall a 65% completion passer.

Tim Hiller Western Michigan 6'4 229 Projected Round 7-UD - 4.98 forty

Accuracy: Though not deadly accurate, he generally gets the ball where it needs to go.

Arm Strength: A tall, sturdy quarterback with solid arm strength, although velocity is hampered as the ball does not always come out of his hands correctly

On the Move: Has enough mobility to run bootlegs and attempt throws out of the pocket, even used on quarterback draws at times - but he lacks the speed to do that in the NFL.

Intangibles: Very competitive. Works hard in film study. Played through torn left ACL at the end of the 2008 season, undergoing surgery in January. Excellent student, finished degree in three years with a 4.0 GPA, now working on his MBA. Also takes church missions and is a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Grbac's two cents - This guy is the defintition of project. He has the tools to one day be a good QB but needs lots of time with a good QB coach. He needs a lot of improvement but has the passion about the game to work it out.  Great size for a QB.

Projected to go Undrafted:

Levi Brown Troy 6'3 229

Matt Nichols Eastern Washington 6'2 220

Rusty Smith Florida Atlantic 6'5 229

Bill Stull Pittsburgh 6'3 215

Daryll Clark Penn St 6'2 238 (one of my faves, has the intangibles but not the QB IQ) (major project)

Tyler Sheehan Bowling Green 6'3 223

Todd Reesing Kansas 5'10 188

Riley Skinner Wake Forest 6'0 210

Here are some Unrestricted Free Agent QB's that could be options

Kyle Boller - Rams

Jason Campbell - Redskins

Kellen Clemens - Jets

AJ Freeley - Panthers

Jeff Garcia - FA

Rex Grossman - Texans

Tarvaris Jackson - Vikings

Chad Pennington - Dolphins

Chris Redman - Falcons

Brian St. Pierre - Cardinals

I would love to hear you guys opinion on who you would like to bring in/draft to be our backup/potential starter someday.....

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