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A battle that has no impact upon the regular season but a battle that matters for the future of the Kansas City Chiefs is the third-string quarterback position. Alex Smith is the starter, and Chase Daniel was brought in from the New Orleans Saints on a high priced contract to be the backup in case Smith goes down. But Tyler Bray, an undrafted rookie out of Tennessee, and Ricky Stanzi, a former Iowa Hawkeye, are battling for the third string position.
As far as I am concerned, this is not really a battle as much as a showcase. Bray has the arm strength to one day be a starter in the NFL and Stanzi hasn’t shown much in two years with the Chiefs. I call this a showcase because they are allowing Stanzi to showcase his talents to other potential teams, knowing full-well they are most likely going to release him when rosters are cut down to 75 or down to the final 53-man roster.
I’m not saying that Bray doesn’t have his flaws — he has horrible awareness and makes terrible throws into coverage — but that is often because he feels that he can squeeze the ball into a tight window because of the strength of his arm. Decision-making can be taught, so the Chiefs will try their best to develop Bray.
Meanwhile, the end is near for the former fifth-round pick in Stanzi. I don’t think anyone will give him another shot in the NFL, but I wish the best for him and hope he still plays somewhere because I still remember the “magic” that he brought to the Iowa Hawkeyes in his senior season.
Joshua Akana is a Kansas City Chiefs writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @joshuaakana, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
