Open Your Eyes QB-Needy Teams: You Have the Thigpen Need

After his breakout season in 2008 with the Patriots, the Chiefs traded for Cassel. But what effect does that have on the other young, promising QB on the team?

About a year ago, nobody had ever heard about Tyler Thigpen. When the first two quarterbacks in the Chiefs depth chart went down last season, the 24 year old quarterback was forced to take over, ending up throwing 2.608 yards and 18 TDs. He also ran 386 yards and three TDs.

It’s important to mention that he did it on a bad team, with no protection at all, having almost no running game, as well as no breaks given by his defense, which was terrible last year.

Although severely questioned about his ability to win games, Thiggy had a pretty good year for a first-time starter.

Being a very mobile quarterback makes him a good fit for teams with a weak OL. He also flashes the ability to throw well on the run, and furthermore, he showed a lot of heart and leadership.

He was able to earn the respect of his teammates, such as Tony Gonzalez, who even declared that "It would be a disgrace if they don't (keep Thigpen as the starting quarterback. We've been playing well since he came in...I could see this being a playoff team next year. I could see us turning it around."

Adding up, there’s the fact that he is a hard worker and shows a great passion at playing the game. To crown how interesting it would be to acquire Thigpen comes the fact that he could come at a relatively low price, perhaps a second, or even a third round pick.

Meanwhile, there are quite a few teams looking for a better quarterback than the ones they have. While there is the option to build through the draft, why take a chance on a rookie when you can get a guy who already proved he can lead an NFL offense putting points on the scoreboard, and being a whole lot of fun to watch on the way?

So open your eyes Lions, 49ers, Jets, and others, because you’ve got the Thigpen Need.