Does a football team going through a massive youth transition need a 35-year old backup quarterback?
The answer is no. No, the Kansas City Chiefs do not need Damon Huard.
The fact that Huard was resigned before the 2007 season is another sliver of evidence that the Kansas City Chiefs front office really did have no idea how bad of shape this team was in. If they did realize the dire straights the team was in, Huard would have been shipped out, to somewhere, for something of value to the Chiefs.
As great as Huard was in 2006 (Insert QB rating line here), a green quarterback would have had as much success as he had in 2007.
Damon Huard went from throwing eleven touchdowns and one interception in eight games in 2006 to throwing eleven touchdowns and thirteen interceptions in ten games in 2007. To be fair, no Chiefs' QB played well last year. This isn't a knock on Huard so much as it's saying - If we're going to struggle, get some future value out of having younger players gain experience.
I don't have access to any behind the scenes information but I've always felt the mentor role was overrated. Do we really want to keep Damon Huard around so he can teach Croyle the ways of the NFL? I don't think so. Game experience is going to be Croyle's learning tool. In fact, Croyle has already started nearly half the number of games Huard has in his entire twelve-year career.
If you're going to make the argument that players like Samie Parker, Ty Law and Casey Wiegmann were let go because their future replacements have more potential value to the Chiefs, you have to say the same about Damon Huard. Tyler Thigpen (pictured) is as valuable a backup as Huard is for the Chiefs.
Brodie Croyle may be the future franchise quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs. Or he may not be. The Chiefs owe it to their youth movement and the future of the franchise to replace Damon Huard with another young quarterback.
0 recs | 31 comments
your absolutely right...
Damon should be thanked for his service, apologized to for not being allowed to compete against the Colts in the playoff game, and politely released to go out and try to find another job with plenty of time to do so.
mikvogel - May 20, 2008
Mentor Role
It’s more about helping a young QB through the mental hurdles and being able to step in occasionally if Croyle’s at the point where he’s melting down during a game (to give a mental boost to the rest of the team). Honestly, if Croyle’s got a game where he’s thrown four picks and can’t complete passes, would you really want to leave him out there to take more of a pounding and dig himself into an even deeper hole? If the QB is struggling the rest of the team will often feed off of that, so the key with having a veteran backup is to add a level of “proven” performance (even if it’s not particularly high level of performance) into the situation if you have to pull your young QB so the rest of the team doesn’t fall apart. Thigpen might end up being that guy eventually, but at this point there’s no real way to tell that because he simply hasn’t played enough for anyone to have any faith in him to come into the game in relief, so it’s a smart move to hold onto Huard.
UCrawford - May 20, 2008
Plus
Huard’s contract isn’t excessive and we’re not pinched for cap space, so it’s not like the guy’s killing us with his salary. He’s paid about right to be the backup for this team.
UCrawford - May 20, 2008
Exactly
Three words: Vinny Testes-Verde
Hell he was back in New England two years ago or something. He wasn’t starter material but he was a value to the teams that brought him on.
Huard’s a known commodity, he provides veteran leadership, he’s a solid character guy and he’s inexpensive. He’s not here to be the starter unless injury forces the move. He won’t require a lot of reps in the preseason, so we can work our other two young QBs. It’s an ideal situation on both ends. There’s no reason to cut him unless someone really impresses in the offseason. My money is still on Croyle, Huard and Thigpen being our 3 if they stay healthy.
You can’t give Croyle a pass on last year because of the O-line and not give Huard one as well. When he has time he still shows flashes and makes some good throws. I wouldn’t cut Huard without a very sound reason… say he gets coked up and robs a liquor store in River Falls this summer.
Ochophosphate - May 21, 2008
I can see both points
It seems like its always been “the thing” to have the older experienced guy, even way back to the 60’s. Earl Morrell backed up Johnny Unitus, George Blanda backed up Darrell Lamonica..and so forth. Tom Flores, yes the eventual Raiders coach, backed up Len Dawson on our Super Bowl team!
However, I can see both the value of having the younger guy to learn and not having a “mind game” situation with the replacement on the sideline, with your starting QB like last year.
Lanier63 - May 20, 2008
I Don't Think Croyle's Sweating Huard
The Chiefs are completely committed to the youth movement this year (they weren’t last year), Huard’s obviously not a part of that, and they didn’t draft a QB, so Croyle’s about as safe as anyone in the league for his job. His competition’s Thigpen, not Huard, so keeping Huard around as the 2nd stringer should actually make Croyle feel more secure, not less.
UCrawford - May 20, 2008
On What Planet Would Herm Edwards Ever Pull a QB in that Situation?
“That’s a panic move, and [Herm] doesn’t do that.”
Furthermore, that is great that that’s what you would want, but really, what’s going to happen the next week when the media asks you who is starting? The concept proved to be marvelously backwards and disastrous last season. People seem to forget that Huard’s 2006 success was hugely reliant on the fact that we ran essentially an offense that minimized the QB’s role and rode LJ’s phenomenal year into the centaur nickname and a level of wear and tear we are still paying for. Yes, Huard was “serviceable,” albeit hugely reliant on the best TE in the game, but playing him sends the message “we are a failed team this season.” That’s what happened last season, and that, coupled with LJ’s injury plus the Turley Terry wonder blockers meant Brodie never had a chance. That was a doomed team last season before Brodie took a snap and really before the season even started.
Like it or not, Brodie is the QB of this Chiefs team and 4 int.s and a lousy game won’t change that. If the wheels come off, the wheels are coming off, and it will be Brodie or Thigpen. This idea that Huard has some magic veteran glue to hold the team together is nonsense.
Huard deserves some hearty thanks for being the best KC backup that isn’t Rich Gannon in recent memory and should do his family and health a service by retiring on his own terms. I think if we kept him around for the league minimum, that’d only be an insult to all involved.
Official Arrowhead Pride Parade - May 20, 2008
Even Peyton Gets Pulled In A Bad Game
Huard is so obviously just running out the string that benching Croyle during a really bad game for him is not going to touch off a QB controversy. Where a QB controversy will get touched off is if you’ve got Thigpen and not Huard backing Croyle up when Croyle struggles, because Thigpen is part of the youth movement.
And I wasn’t saying that he’s got “magic veteran glue”, I’m just saying that Huard’s a known quantity even if what he brings isn’t anything special. He’s not a good QB, but he’s a solid enough game manager who’s had some success, so if you stick him into a game where things are well out of hand and don’t ask him to do too much he’ll be able to calm your team down a bit while not causing much of a ruckus when he goes back to the bench the next week (or later in the same game). It’s not just about keeping Croyle’s confidence up…it’s about keeping everyone else’s confidence up as well. That said, so long as Croyle’s not having catastropic meltdowns out there, I don’t see Huard making it on the field all that much. He’ll be the 2nd string QB for games, but 3rd string (or lower) as far as a chance to start goes.
UCrawford - May 20, 2008
Besides
I trust Huard’s ability to mentor Croyle a hell of a lot more than I do Dick Curl’s. From what I can see in his bio Curl is basically the Tony Muser of football.
UCrawford - May 20, 2008
Apparently...
The PARADE hugely likes the adjective “hugely,”
Perhaps the PARADE’s tone was a bit aggressive, the PARADE is just sick of the Huard debates on the AP. Also, what about the Granite State’s Ricky Santos?
Official Arrowhead Pride Parade - May 20, 2008
They cut Santos
About two weeks ago I recall.
UCrawford - May 20, 2008
Huard Debates?
I’m not sure that anyone’s seriously saying that Huard should be the starter this year. I’m certainly not saying that. I think most of the debates have been about whether Croyle is good enough to be treated like the “QB of the future”, which is a fair question.
UCrawford - May 20, 2008
Fair question
but a moot one, at least for the next 16 games…Croyle will get his chance. If he shows little or no improvement with a better line, more offensive skill players, and a game-plan not written by my 12 week old daughter, then we will likely have another top 10 pick and can grab a QB in 2009…
PVChiefsfan - May 20, 2008
I Think That's About Right
This is Croyle’s third year…if he can’t step up here, I seriously doubt he ever will. So I figure they’ll give him every opportunity and then decide if they want another QB in the draft.
UCrawford - May 20, 2008
Cut or not to cut
As Chris’ premise points out, if there’s any debate, I think it should be whether to keep a spot for Huard. I like him. But 2008 is the preseason for 2009 and beyond. Although I do agree with U’s point that you want to keep a certain level of confidence and competitiveness, otherwise Waters, TG and LJ will check out for the season, and that would be deterimental in the long run past 2008. Can’t develop a losing expectation, even with youth. Otherwise it’s a bigger psychological hole to dig out of.
If a young QB with starter potential comes along, I’m willing to cut Huard. This year in this situation anyway. Casey Printers, what grocery store/insurance company are you working in these days? :-)
sunny D - May 20, 2008
That's Pretty Much It
If you look at the end of last year, a lot of those guys did check out, since it’s tough to go out there to risk yourself in a game that doesn’t really mean anything if you win. If there were a veteran QB option better than Huard, I’d say grab him, but there isn’t. And since he’s not a horrible option I figure we’re best off keeping him as the backup.
I was thinking the same thing about Printers as well. I wouldn’t mind seeing him on the Chiefs’ roster somewhere. Based on what we saw on “Hard Knocks” last year, though, I think he’s pretty much done with the Chiefs…he was kind of pissed that he outperformed the two guys ahead of him and yet he still got cut, so that bridge has probably been burned. According to Wikipedia, he went back to the CFL last year (where he’s a very good QB).
UCrawford - May 20, 2008
Casey Printers
The sad thing is, I think he’d be a really good #2 for us this year. He’d have fit the youth movement, he has some experience, he’d have been cheap and I think he might have ended up being a real sleeper if he could overcome his severe case of Dave Krieg Disease (fumble-itis on the snap). Guess we’ll never really know, though.
UCrawford - May 20, 2008
Or Maybe Not
Just looked up his 2007 stats and he sucked something awful in the CFL last year. Had a QB rating under 60 and a passing completion percentage just over 50% (while throwing all of one TD…to four INTs).
UCrawford - May 20, 2008
Last Season
There was a lot of heated debate over Croyle v. Huard’s viability as a starter. Needless to say, at this point the PARADE is more of a Huard detractor than anything else. Although the PARADE is also disappointed to hear Santos is gone.
There’s really no debate that Brodie is the QB of the future either, now the brightness of that future may be up for debate.
But the Santos cut raises a new factor in your favor Mr. of Crawford, if not Huard, what would the Chiefs do for a 3rd string QB? Wasn’t Sippio the doomsday contingency QB for a while last season? Would we really go into a season with new offense and only 2 largely unproven QBs?
Official Arrowhead Pride Parade - May 20, 2008
We would grab someone else
We have David Greene on the roster.
Chris Thorman - May 20, 2008
Who?
Never heard of the guy.
UCrawford - May 20, 2008
Ahhh
There’s your answer. I wiki’d Greene and wasn’t there something here about him? He’s Chan’s boy I bet, albeit a Bulldog rather than a Tech guy, Chan clearly coached against him all four years.
My bet is that the safe money is on him as our number 3.
Official Arrowhead Pride Parade - May 20, 2008
Last Season Was Last Season
Carl Peterson also thought that squad were playoff contenders, so keeping Croyle on the bench made sense…sort of…if your GM were delusional and couldn’t gauge talent levels.
Croyle’s obviously the starter, I’m just not sure for how long. Personally, I think the guy will be, at best, a mediocre, interception-prone QB because that’s what he was in college. For the current depth chart, I think it should go Croyle-Huard-Thigpen for gameday but Croyle-Thigpen-Huard for order of precedence when deciding who to start. Huard’s not going to develop into much more than he is now, so might as well give the young guys the starts to see what they’ve got…but Huard should be the guy to go into the game to relieve the young guys if they struggle. It’s bad for the whole team if you pull one QB having a horrible day for one who might very well be worse.
UCrawford - May 20, 2008
Comment on Picture
If Merriman keeps tackling like that, he will soon likely snap his neck. No great loss to me though.
Lanier63 - May 20, 2008
Ha
After posting it, I looked again and that is indeed an odd picture.
Chris Thorman - May 20, 2008
Notice Thigpen's Eyes?
Where would you be looking if Mr. Merrimuscles is shooting at your ribs? Gutsy kid. Part of what Herm likes, perhaps.
sunny D - May 20, 2008
No one enjoyed the 80s music caption
on the picture enough to comment on it???
Chris Thorman - May 20, 2008
You're a regular Dennis Miller...
With the witty, obscure comments that need an explanation. :-)
sunny D - May 20, 2008
Oh, the PARADE saw
But beyond the Breakfast Club there’s not a lot of jokesmanship to muster there.
Official Arrowhead Pride Parade - May 20, 2008
Think of Tyler Thigpen
Think of the song playing. Think of any Chiefs player. Moving in slow motion. It’s funny.
List of players this is funny for:
Dan Saleaumua
Steve Bono
The Real Deal
More to come later.
Chris Thorman - May 20, 2008
Good in-story pics
are one of the things that set this blog apart. Good work as always, “Tex.”
sunny D - May 20, 2008
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