Vertical ascension in the NFL can be rapid -- just look at the Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers in 2013. In the case of Kansas City, the most notable addition to the core of the roster that was not present during a two-win 2012 season was quarterback Alex Smith. Smith, who recently inked a mega-extension that will keep him in Kansas City through 2018, didn't have the prolific statistical marks of quarterbacks we tag as "elite": He was 17th in the NFL in passing yards, tied for 15th in passing touchdowns and 20th among qualifying quarterbacks in terms of completion percentage.

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