Why Kyle Orton Is a Better Option Than Matt Cassel at QB in 2012

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Kansas City Chiefs will likely be faced with a dilemma at their QB position in the upcoming offseason.

The organization will have to decide if they will go with incumbent starter Matt Cassel or newcomer Kyle Orton as their starting QB in 2012 and beyond.

Even after just two games at the team's starter, Orton looks like a much better option to start over Cassel next season.

Here are five reasons why Orton is a better option to be the starting quarterback than Cassel in '12.

Matt Cassel Has Already Exhausted His Opportunity

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Cassel has had every opportunity to gain control of the starting quarterback position in Kansas City, but he has failed to take advantage so far.

In his two-plus seasons as the starter in KC, his teams have gone just 18-23 overall.

During that time, Cassel's true flaws have been exposed by opponents, as he is clearly not the answer at QB for the future of this franchise.

The ex-Patriot has had his time to shine, but now it's time to move on and see what Orton can do for this team.

Kyle Orton Can Throw a Much Better Deep Ball

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

One of the biggest weakness of Cassel's game is his deep ball.

Time and time again, he has either under-thrown or overthrown his receivers when trying to attempt it during games.

Ironically, this is one of Orton's greatest strengths as a QB.

Having a quarterback that can throw an accurate deep ball is very important for an NFL team, especially when you have guys like Jonathan Baldwin and Dwayne Bowe as down-field targets on your offense.

Kyle Orton Has Better Overall Intangibles

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Orton has a nice set of intangibles, which Cassel doesn't seem to have.

For instance, Orton is better at going through his reads and also has better pocket presence as well.

Both of these qualities are vital for an starting QB in the NFL today.

Overall, Orton brings more intangibles to the table than Cassel does at the QB position.

Kyle Orton Is Underrated, Matt Cassel Is Overrated

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

I realize that some people might read the title of this slide and think that I'm crazy, but I will explain my point.

After seeing him play over the past three seasons, it's safe to say that Cassel was one of the most overrated QBs in the league when he came to KC via trade from the New England Patriots back in '09.

In the previous season, he helped guide an already talented New England offense to an 11-5 record, and threw for nearly 3,700 passing yards along the way.

Orton, on the other hand, is underrated, since he has very similar career numbers to Cassel, but has played with far less talent on offense while playing with the Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos for each of the past seven seasons.

The Chiefs Organization and Its Fans Are Ready for a Change

Handout/Getty Images

One of the first big moves that was made in the Scott Pioli's time as Chiefs GM was to acquire then-Patriots QB Cassel.

After nearly three years of mediocre play at that position, it's time for Pioli to admit his mistake and move on.

Both Pioli and Hunt know that they will be losing the fan base if they decide to go with Cassel as the starter for yet another season.

If there was one change that this organization desperately needed right now, it would be at the quarterback position.

Overview

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

As as you can see from this slideshow, Orton is clearly better than Cassel.

He throws better deep balls, has better intangibles and has one of the best arms in the AFC.

It would make too much sense for the Chiefs to not go with the former Broncos QB after all of the aforementioned reasons.

That's why I see Orton taking over this offense for good starting with Week 1 of the '12 season.