Kellen Moore: Lions' Flier on QB Will Pay off for Detroit

When the 2012 NFL Draft wound down Sunday, it didn't signify the end of this weekend's action, as once the draft concluded, the scramble to sign undrafted players began.

Among those players this year was a diminutive but wildly successful collegiate quarterback, and the Detroit Lions made a wise move by taking a chance on him.

Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore had a ridiculous 50-3 record as the starting quarterback for the Broncos, throwing for over 3,500 yards in each of the past four seasons and tossing 142 touchdown passes over that stretch.

However, at only 6'0" and 187 pounds, Moore's small stature left the southpaw signal-caller needing exceptional workouts to bolster his draft stock, and when Moore struggled at the Senior Bowl and NFL scouting combine, that opened the door for him to go undrafted.

Watching the draft come and go without hearing his name called had to be a disappointment for Moore. However, his loss may be the Lions' gain, as Detroit was able to acquire a quarterback on the cheap who many experts believe has considerable potential under center as a pro, including Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated.

"

I don't care that Moore is only 6-foot, that pesky handicap that's obviously troubled Drew Brees so much. No one who watched Moore lead his team on that game-winning drive against Virginia Tech in 2010 or shred an eventual Top 10 Georgia defense last fall can say with a straight face that he was anything but a lethal passer. Moore is an incredibly polished passer -- among the very best in the country the past four years -- and could easily become an NFL starter if given the chance. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like many teams are willing to give him one.

"

Granted, Moore's left arm isn't exactly a cannon, and the numerous comparisons to former New York Jets and Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington don't exactly make one jump from their chair with enthusiasm.

However, Moore is the winningest quarterback in college football history and a player who completed over 70 percent of his passes on the blue turf, and while Pennington may not have been the flashiest quarterback in NFL history, he was a very effective one for several seasons.

The Lions have an entrenched starter in Matthew Stafford and a capable backup in Shaun Hill, which means that Moore will enter training camp battling for the third quarterback spot and it's all but certain that even if Moore does make the team, he won't sniff the field as a rookie.

That also means, however, that the Lions would have the luxury of bringing Moore along slowly, which should improve his odds of successfully making the jump to the pros. Also, Stafford has an injury history and Hill is 32 years old, and as was demonstrated very plainly in Houston last year, depth at the quarterback position can save a team's season if the injury bug bites particularly hard.

The Detroit Lions were able to take a flier on acquiring that sort of depth with minimal risk by signing Moore as an undrafted free agent.

If it doesn't work out, and Moore's perceived limitations do prevent him from becoming an effective NFL quarterback, then the Lions can simply cut bait and move on.

However, if Moore is able to once again buck the odds as he did in leading Boise State to national prominence and succeed in the pros, then the Lions will have at the very least gotten a solid young backup quarterback for pennies on the dollar, and given the minimal risk and potential for a significant reward, signing Kellen Moore was a gamble that was well worth taking for Detroit.

Follow @IDPManor