Competition for Cassel?

“We’ve been saying it for three years, and I’m going to continue to say it, because it’s a core part of our philosophy: There will be increased competition at every position, including the quarterback position,” Chiefs General Manager Scott Pioli said at the beginning of the month. “Who that is, I don’t know. Maybe it’s Kyle (Orton), maybe it’s another free agent, maybe it’s a draft choice, I don’t know.

“Very few people can perform at an extremely high level without competition.”

So competition coming in this offseason at the quarterback position is seemingly a certainty if one were to believe Pioli's comments, and since I have no reason to doubt him, I will take him at his word. I like bringing in competition for incumbent starter Matt Cassel. Cassel has one good season (2010) in his three years with the Chiefs, and is viewed by many as an average quarterback at best even when healthy. 

But bringing in Cassel to Kansas City from the Patriots was Scott Pioli's first player transaction with the Chiefs, and a large and lucrative contract followed. Depending on who Pioli brings in as competition for Cassel will determine whether the Chiefs GM still believes in his quarterback or if he is willing to see if the page is ready to be turned, ending the Cassel chapter as a Chief.

So let's go over the options according to Pioli:

Kyle Orton

“Kyle did a good job in those three games, and you can’t take that away,” Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel said in regards to the possibility of Kyle Orton returning to the Chiefs. “I wouldn’t be sitting here if he
didn’t do the job he did.”

And while that is most certainly true (would Crennel even be HC if he had Palko as his only option?), does that mean Orton will be rewarded with an attractive offer and a promise to compete for the starting job to begin the 2012 season?

I discussed the possibility of Orton returning to the Chiefs back in January, and concluded that it is highly unlikely that Orton would want to go through another quarterback controversy to start a season, and that I couldn't blame Pioli for not wanting to bring back Orton for that very reason. But that doesn't mean that Pioli won't, and at the very least, either Orton or Cassel will make a very valuable backup.

Career numbers: 14,532 yards, 58.3% completion, 80 TDs, 57 INTs, 79.4 QB rating


The Free Agents:

Chad Henne

Henne started off the season strong for the Dolphins in 2011, but couldn't find a way to lead the team to a victory before he was lost for the season with a separated shoulder. Also, the obvious connection is new offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll, who spent last season in Miami with Henne as his initial starter. This is what Daboll said about Henne when he first arrived in Miami:

“He’s done a much better job of operating in the pocket. He’s quickened up his feet, his delivery, his eye control on the defense, his accuracy has improved. He’s done a nice job; now the real bullets are going to start flying.” Bill Williamson of ESPN think that Henne could land in KC as well, saying "I think he has to be considered one of the possibilities."

Career Numbers: 7,114 yards, 60.7% completion, 31 TDs, 37 INTs, 75.7 QB Rating

Jimmy Clausen

Clausen, the former 48th overall pick of 2010 out of Notre Dame, might have his Panthers career cut short for a couple of reasons. The first is the emergence of first overall pick, Cam Newton, at quarterback in 2011. The second reason is that Carolina needs to shed a ton of salary before the start of the new league year. Both these situations create the scenario of Clausen being a possible release target.

Although he is not currently a free agent, if he was to be released, he could then chose to sign with any team, much like Stanford Routt was able to do this week with the Chiefs. And although he struggled mightily his rookie season, the upside is still there waiting to be tapped by teams in need for a quarterback.

Career Numbers: 1,588 yards, 52.5% completion, 3 TDs, 9 INTs, 58.4 QB Rating

Brady Quinn

Quinn is probably one of the best examples available about how far a career can tumble is such a short period of time. Once the 22nd overall pick of the Browns, he has spent the last two seasons backing up Kyle Orton and then Tim Tebow with the Broncos. But despite Quinn's fall from grace, in both Cleveland and now Denver, he could still be what many draft analysts thought capable if he is put in the right situation (if the NFL has taught us anything, Cleveland is never the right situation).

Career Numbers: 1,902 yards, 52.1% completion, 10 TDs, 9 INTs, 66.8 QB Rating

Matt Flynn

Many think that Flynn could be the next Matt Hasselbeck, who continues to have a successful career after spending his first few years in the league backing up Brett Favre. Others remember the 7th round pick out of LSU that many speculated couldn't operate in anything other than a West Coast offense. No matter what you think about Flynn, however, you can't deny his results when he's been handed the keys to the Packers offense.With just two career starts under his belt, the numbers are quite impressive.

Career Numbers: 1,015 yards, 62.1% completion, 9 TDs, 5 INTs, 92.8 QB Rating

Jason Campbell

Campbell was having a resurrection of sorts under Hue Jackson's offense in Oakland. And then Campbell broke his collarbone, Jackson traded the farm for a retired Carson Palmer, Jackson got fired at the end of the season when a new GM came to town, and Campbell is quietly sitting on the outside looking in. It seems the Raiders are cleaning house, and I doubt a player like Campbell catches the eye of new HC Dennis Allen.

Campbell does have some connections with the Chiefs, having been then Redskin's HC Jim Zorn's QB during his brief time there. Under Zorn's tutelage, who is now the QB Coach in KC, Campbell had some of his best seasons in the NFL. Plus, having spent the last couple of seasons in the AFC West, he has plenty of experience preparing for divisional opponents.

Career Numbers: 14,417 yards, 60.8% completion, 74 TDs, 50 INTs, 82.8 QB Rating

A Draft Choice:    

Ryan Tannehill

In most draft "experts" opinions, Tannehill is the third best QB available in this year's draft, after only Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. And with the over-valuing of QBs in the draft, many suspect that Tannehill could be an early to mid first round pick. With the Chiefs either selecting 11th or 12th (To be determined in coinflip Friday morning), the Chiefs could take him if they wanted to. I don't find that likely, but Matt Williamson of ESPN did when he tweeted this.

College Numbers: 5,450 yards, 42 TDs, 21 INTs

Brandon Weeden 

The soon-to-be 29 year old NFL rookie out of Oklahoma St. would be higher up on everybody's list if he was younger. But he's not, which could make him a mid-round value for the Chiefs as competition. But why spend for a rookie who's almost as old as your starter? The value's not there.

College Numbers: 9,260 yards, 75 TDs, 27 INTs

Kirk Cousins 

The Michigan St. QB has broached Mike Mayock's Top 5 pre-draft position break down after a good showing at the Senior Bowl earlier in the year. But even with this accolade, Mayock doesn't think Cousins will be anything more than a fourth-rounder this year, and says while he "does everything pretty well, but he doesn’t have any one elite skill." Doesn't really sound like Cassel competition to me, especially since the Chiefs already have that same kind of player in Ricky Stanzi.

College Numbers: 9,131 yards, 66 TDs, 30 INTs

The "I don't know":  

Peyton Manning

If there's ever been an "I don't know" potential free agent quarterback (besides Brett Favre), it's got to be Peyton Manning. Still technically a Colt, it seems a foregone conclusion that the Colt's are not going to pick up Manning's mega-option, and thus declare the former four-time MVP a free agent for the first time in his illustrious career. I wrote on the thought of the Chiefs bringing in Manning not to long ago, and while I still maintain those thoughts, I think the Chiefs are really going to have to make a good offer to compete with what Dolphin fans are doing.

Career Numbers: 54,828 yards, 64.9% completion, 399 TDs, 198 INTs, 94.9 QB Rating