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Spotlight - QB Brodie Croyle, Kansas City Chiefs

Posted on 8/6, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Jason Wood's Thoughts

Admit it, you were surprised by Damon Huard's solid play last year. I know I certainly was. Drafted in 1997, Huard saw time as a starter in Miami during the 1999 and 2000 seasons, before holding a clipboard in New England (3 seasons) and KC (2 seasons) before last year's opportunity to start in place of the concussed Trent Green.

In 8 starts (appearing in 10 games), Huard showed poise, sound decision-making and exemplary game management:

• 148 completions
• 244 attempts
• 60.7% completion rate
• 1,878 yards passing
• 7.7 yards per attempt
• 11 TDs
• 1 INT

His passer rating of 98 was indicative of how valuable his play was to the real-world Chiefs. But was he of any significant value to fantasy owners who might have picked him up off the waiver wire? Not really. Through Weeks 1 through 10 (Huard's time as the starter), he only ranked at the 15th best fantasy passer.

His underlying metrics (e.g., high YPA, 60%+ completion, great TD/INT ratio) were near elite status, the conservative nature of the Chiefs passing game precluded Huard from delivering FANTASY value. Like any good backup, Huard resumed his bench duties when Trent Green returned (somewhat unsuccessfully) from a concussion.

But this year things are different.

Green is now in Miami trying to master Cam Cameron's offense. The Chiefs are going in a new direction; but whether that direction is the veteran (Damon Huard) or the youngster (Brodie Croyle) remains to be seen.

We've already talked about Huard, but what about this Croyle kid?

Brodie Croyle was drafted by the Chiefs last year after a warrior-like career at the University of Alabama. Croyle is a talented and productive passer, when he's healthy. Unfortunately for the youngster, health has been elusive for him and it's unquestionably a red flag for fantasy owners. At 6'2", 206 pounds, he's one of the smallest QBs in the NFL. Although I'm personally of the mind that arm strength is an overrated commodity, Croyle wouldn't win many punt, ass and kick contests.

Whatever you or I may think about Croyle's NFL future, what GM Carl Peterson and HC Herm Edwards think is far more important. To that end, reports all offseason have hinted that the powers-that-be REALLY want Croyle to go out and win the starting job this year, giving the Chiefs a young player to build the passing game around. Through the first week of training camp, reports have been mixed but coach Edwards says neither QB has distanced himself.

Because of Croyle's youth and perceived upside, I believe that he need only play AS WELL as Huard to win the starting job. In other words, Huard will have to handily outplay Croyle in camp to open the season as the starter.

Regardless of who starts, will it matter to fantasy owners?

Probably not, for the following reasons:

1) Herm Edwards gives new meaning to conservative philosophy -- Edwards is a coach out of his era. He should've been coaching against Halas or Lombardi. Take a look at the passing attempt ranking for Edwards' teams:

• 2001 Jets -- 26th
• 2002 Jets -- 24th
• 2003 Jets -- 24th
• 2004 Jets -- 29th
• 2005 Jets -- 24th
• 2006 Chiefs -- 27th

2) The Chiefs offensive line is a major question mark -- Two years ago the Chiefs offensive line was one of the best in the league. Last year, Willie Roaf retired by the team managed to forge on without him. But this year the team has lost perennial All Pro Will Shields to retirement, AND is planning on starting two new tackles (one of which, Damon McIntosh, has underperformed at every stop). A less productive line will send shockwaves through the Chiefs. It will mean a less impactful running game, more pressure on the QB and most importantly, it will likely require Tony Gonzalez to stay in as a blocker far too often.

3) The Receiving Corps leaves a lot to be desired -- Eddie Kennison is undervalued in fantasy circles, but he's on the wrong side of 30 and has never been a perfect fit to play WR1. The team tried to solve the WR situation with Samie Parker, but now reports indicate he may not even make the roster. This year, the team spent a 1st round pick on LSU receiver Dwayne Bowe; but not even the most optimistic Chiefs fans can expect the raw (but talented) Bowe to make an immediate impact.

Positives

• Croyle is young with a solid college pedigree. The team seems to prefer his ascension to that of Huard
• Larry Johnson and Tony Gonzalez make life easier for any QB under center in KC
• Croyle will be available late in most fantasy drafts

Negatives

• Croyle is slight of build, and Huard played really well last year. Even if Croyle wins the job in camp, he may be on a short leash
• The receiving corps is mediocre, at best
• The once vaunted offensive line is now full of question marks

Final Thoughts

Brodie Croyle is the QB the Chiefs want to win the job. But they're not going to throw him under center without earning it over a proven veteran in Damon Huard. Even if Croyle starts all 16 games though, he may offer no more than marginal value in redraft leagues. The Chiefs have a punishing ground game, a conservative offensive philosophy, and limited options in the receiving game. I wouldn't build any kind of draft strategy around the young passer, but I would consider taking him as a QB3 over a handful of other NFL starters.

Quotations from the Message Board Thread

rzrback77:
Lots of positive vibes this summer about Brodie Croyle being the starter in 07 for the Chiefs. I will be surprised to see that come to pass. For one thing, Croyle has little NFL experience. For another, he just doesn't have the star quality resume. For another, he's getting married this summer in July, right before training camp. I can't imagine the pressure of being a first time starting QB and he's adding to it by being a newlywed? Couldn't he have gotten married in February?

Damon Huard was fairly successful as the replacement for Trent Green last year in Kansas City. He had a 5.4 record, but won four of the last five games he started, including wins over the Chargers, Seahawks, Rams, and Raiders. He also averaged a little over 17 fantasy points per game in his last four and threw 6 TDs and 0 ints.

Another factor to consider here is that Herm Edwards will Larry Johnson as long as he can. They will definitely be a run first team. I guess the key factor is that which ever QB you favor, you shouldn't draft either one till very late as your 2nd or possibly 3rd QB. I would not even think about drafting both, as the one who doesn't start the year will likely be available on the waiver wire.

shadyridr:
[Huard]'s been a career backup. Why do you think last year was the norm and not the aberration?

perry147:
On the same note - if you think he is that good don't you think the Chiefs would have seen it and not drafted Croyle (or better yet play Huard and trade Green). Huard is a career backup and will never be anything more, I do not think KC knows what is has in Croyle but is willing to give him a shot. He seems to be showing plenty of promise in the OTA and workouts this offseason but Croyle has a history of injuries dating back to college (as well as High School), he does not have great size but is a very good athlete If BC fails next year look for the Chiefs to draft a QB early or go after one in free agency.

Brodie Croyle Projections