Chiefs giving Brodie Croyle his chance to lead

Posted By Matt Severance on Tuesday, July 8th 2008 under: NFL Tags: AFC West, Brodie Croyle, Damon Huard, Herm Edwards, Kansas City Chiefs, Tyler Thigpen

The Kansas City Chiefs had what is generally regarded as the NFL’s best draft this April, but one area the team didn’t address among its 12 picks was at quarterback, which was a tad surprising for a team that that ranked next to last in the league in points (14.1 a game) and yards (276.8) in 2007.

Coach Herm Edwards has left no doubt that Brodie Croyle will get his shot this year, and he’s the unquestioned starter heading into training camp. Croyle struggled after taking over for Damon Huard last season, starting six games and finishing with 1,227 yards passing on 56.7 percent completions, with six TDs and six interceptions. He reached 200 yards and recorded multiple touchdowns only once last year.

But new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey says “there’s no question” in his mind that Croyle can be a franchise quarterback. Croyle has reportedly picked up Gailey’s offense quickly and would have to be terrible or get hurt in the preseason to lose his job.

“He feels good that he’s the guy,” Edwards says of Croyle. “His whole deal is that he has to get through a whole season of playing quarterback without any nicks or bumps or bruises. He’s going to have his ups and downs; they all do. But I think he learned a lot last year having to play.

“It’s his team now,” Edwards said. “But he knows that, really to win them over, he’s got to win.”

Croyle is winless in those six starts, but his growth has been slowed by a spotty running game and weak blocking. But the team needs to know what it has in the third-year player because a likely high draft pick is coming next season, which could mean this is a one-year-and-done shot for the former Alabama star.

Edwards he likes what he has seen of Croyle’s confidence.

“He’s got a pretty good mind-set,” Edwards said.

The guy who may get the shot if Croyle fails likely won’t be Huard, who took most of the third-team snaps in minicamps. Instead, it’s looking like the No. 2 will be second-year passer Tyler Thigpen. Thigpen spent most of last season on the practice squad, before a knee injury ended his season four games early.

Thigpen ended organized team activities as Croyle’s backup, but Edwards said Huard will be in the mix when the team starts camp July 25. Huard started 10 games last year and passed for 2,257 yards and 11 touchdowns.