Market for Alex Smith will be strong, Ian Rapoport says
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network thinks the Chiefs could get a solid trade haul in return for Alex Smith.
Kirk Larrabee - 3 hours ago 0
The Kansas City Chiefs should have no problem finding a trade partner for Alex Smith this offseason and could come away with a strong haul in return, according to insider Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Rapoport, who reported over the weekend the Chiefs would be listening to offers for Smith this offseason, was a guest on The Day Shift on 610 Sports Radio Kansas City Monday, where he was asked about the level of interest in Alex Smith and whether or not the Chiefs will be able to trade him.
"A lot," Rapoport said. "A lot, and yes."
Smith is coming off his best statistical season of his career as he threw for 4,042 yards in 2017 with 26 touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 104.7 passer rating. Rapoport says it's that performance along with what Smith can bring to a team's quarterback room that makes him such a hot commodity.
"He was number one in the NFL in passer rating," Rapoport said. "He is a great person, so if you trade for him and then draft a quarterback high, you will get someone who's going to help him. All you need to do is ask Patrick Mahomes. It's actually an amazing thing what a great person Alex Smith is because he's dealt with a lot of crap in his career despite mostly awesome and has come out the other side of it."
There have been several teams speculated to be good fits for Smith, with different situations among each of them. There's the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills, playoff teams that are still fighting quarterback woes; there's the Arizona Cardinals, a team whose starting quarterback, Carson Palmer, just retired, but still has enough talent to be competitive next season; and there's a team like the Cleveland Browns, who might be interested in acquiring Smith to not just help the team start winning again but to be a mentor to a quarterback they might select in the draft.
The latter situation might not seem like an ideal one to many quarterbacks, but Smith has done it before, and Rapoport thinks he might not have a problem doing it again.
"If I was a franchise quarterback, would I really want to help the guy who is brought in to replace me? I don't know," Rapoport said. "For some ridiculous reason, Alex Smith has done it several times, and he's continued to be a great guy. He's going to end up benefiting from all this because first of all, he's probably going to wind up being traded somewhere great. Second of all, I think his legacy will sort of live on and people will know what a good person he is."
Trading Smith would free up $17 million in cap space for the Chiefs, a much-needed amount for a team currently projected to be over the cap next year, and would also allow them to replenish some of the draft picks they traded away in multiple trades in recent months. It cost a 2013 second round pick and a 2014 conditional pick (which turned out to be another second round pick) for the Chiefs to acquire Smith from the San Francisco 49ers in 2013, and Rapoport thinks the Chiefs could get even more in return for Smith than that.
"I think they might do better this time," Rapoport said. "He is a hot commodity, and they are in unbelievable position."
Alex's entire playing style is centered around what will earn him the most money over a career. He doesn't care about winning. He's found the way to be most profitable with his modest talents. There will always be a team looking for a stable, low-interception, middle of the road QB, and Alex knows it. Why risk it all, air it out, and possibly show teams your weaknesses, when some team will pay you 17 mil a year to manage a game? [Reply]
The Jags aren't giving up on Bortles for a 34-year old, and the Bills already have a 28-year old Smith on the roster, as do the Vikings.
I don't know if the Jags will even be able to give up on Bortles now that he's had wrist surgery. If he can't pass a physical by March 14th, the Jags are pretty much stuck with his 5th year option. [Reply]
Originally Posted by JoeyChuckles:
Alex's entire playing style is centered around what will earn him the most money over a career. He doesn't care about winning. He's found the way to be most profitable with his modest talents. There will always be a team looking for a stable, low-interception, middle of the road QB, and Alex knows it. Why risk it all, air it out, and possibly show teams your weaknesses, when some team will pay you 17 mil a year to manage a game?
If he doesn’t like it, tough shit. Like he’s going to retire and throw $17+ million and a potential new deal away. Nope.
Alex has some say in where he wants to go because he only has one year left on his deal. The Chiefs want to get as much as they can for him and if Alex refuses to play ball on a contract extension it's going to impact how much the Chiefs will get for him. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Quesadilla Joe:
Alex has some say in where he wants to go because he only has one year left on his deal. The Chiefs want to get as much as they can for him and if Alex refuses to play ball on a contract extension it's going to impact how much the Chiefs will get for him.
Wouldn't a place like Cle or someone who drafts a first round QB just want to use him for a year like we did with mahomes? No extension necessary then [Reply]
Originally Posted by Quesadilla Joe:
Alex has some say in where he wants to go because he only has one year left on his deal. The Chiefs want to get as much as they can for him and if Alex refuses to play ball on a contract extension it's going to impact how much the Chiefs will get for him.
If Cleveland wants Smith to be a bridge QB while they draft a QB at #1 or #4 they won't want him for more than 1 year anyway. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Quesadilla Joe:
Alex has some say in where he wants to go because he only has one year left on his deal. The Chiefs want to get as much as they can for him and if Alex refuses to play ball on a contract extension it's going to impact how much the Chiefs will get for him.
The Browns have over $100 million in cap space. :-)
I'm pretty sure they don't care if Alex doesn't sign an extension. They'll pay him his $17 mil for 2018, then decided if they need to tag him for a second year or start their rookie.
I bet he's only there for one year, sucks, and ends up as a backup in 2019. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Quesadilla Joe: Alex has some say in where he wants to go because he only has one year left on his deal. The Chiefs want to get as much as they can for him and if Alex refuses to play ball on a contract extension it's going to impact how much the Chiefs will get for him.
I'm not sure what you mean. Seems to me Alex has no say at all because he's under contract for another year. Trading him to another team means that other team would assume ownership of that contract and they would then control Alex for another year. Alex cannot refuse to play ball while he's under contract. [Reply]
Nah there will always be a team that needs a stop gap QB. Alex will be a starter for a few more years. See this teams needing a reliable band aid every year. [Reply]
